Who's got your vote? Obama or McCain

[zulemara]

As far as all the great things Democrats do for us, there are lots of equally great republican acts out there. Gay marriage is legal in California because of a republican majority supreme court. There are some really great republicans out there that think the government should stay out of people's lives, period. If the democratic party is going to court our vote, they need to stick up for marriage equality period, instead of throwing us anti-discrimination scraps.

California is a very messed up state politically. At its core, the Republican party is against big government, yes. Unfortunately that just doesn't play out on a national scale. When was the last time the evangelical vote got a democrat into office? My point is although the core values of the GOP might actually be ok with us, they have gone far right and now want to make laws based on religion.

We have to realize it will take time for the Democrats to make the kind of changes to our rights that we need. We can start with repealing DODT, DOMA, and passing the Matthew Shepard act.

Obama is willing to give the same legal benefits of marriage. Yes, it is a second class citizen, but eventually people will see that gay marriage has NO effect on anyone else! As the numbers really start to pour in from MA, we can see there is no effect on health care, no strain on businesses, and the only people unhappy are the ones who are "offended" by the fact that XX miles away, two people of the same gender are able to "marry" each other.

When people see this, they will change. Of course the south won't change until they are forced to because that's how they are. That's exactly why we need legislation on a federal level for our rights. Hopefully the people in CA will see that the only change gay marriage has brought is a boom to their bottom dollar. if only the public valued the "bottom dollar" the way Disney does, they would quickly change their tune!

So back to my original argument, although some GOP members might understand and represent their core principles, John McCain does not. He will cater to the religious zealouts the same way Bush did, and that is a vote against my rights and even worse, it's a vote for conservative supreme court justices who will serve for many many years. If the LGBT community wants to set back our fight, vote for John McCain.

 

[npmommie]

Are you made cuz they said it or cuz it was true? Who would you have voted for had you not voted for Nader? Who won?

I can answer why it irked ME. Because I don't believe anyone has the right to tell anyone who they should or should not vote for. As another poster said, if I want to write in charlie brown I can do that!
By saying anyone voting for nader cost gore votes is unfair because I voted for nader because I wanted to, i did NOT want to vote for gore so i didn't.
i don't think all of these what ifs should go into anything, I think we all vote for the candidate that most matches what we want in a president.

It really doesn't matter in my state, because the Dem candidate will get the electoral votes.

 

[EWR2AUS]

I'm an infrequent poster, but this post interests me greatly. First off - full disclosure, I'm an Obama supporter and am in Florida now working on voter protection.

The great thing about this country is that everyone gets a vote - and I certainly appreciate that. However, I also happen to think that, once in every couple of generations, one political party does something so egregious that those who are the victims should generally be united against that party.

In 2004, the republican party (Karl Rove and his minions) won a presidential election, in large part, by spewing hate against our community. They sought ballot initiatives in key states to "outlaw" gay marriage and motivate the religious zealot middle class to vote against their own interests (really, how many of us need to worry about the estate tax) because they were told to be frightened by us. Let's be honest - when is the last time that a political party, in any western country, won an election by preaching hate against a group of its citizens.

That, my friends (have to get a McCain dig in here) was enough for me to never vote for another republican until they eschewed the evangelical christian base as being the primary leaders of the party. And I HAVE voted for republicans in the past (gasp).

So, for those of you upset that the democrats haven't done a better job of pro actively standing up for our rights, I ask you, would you prefer a republican party to be in power for 4 more years that:

1) Engineered an election by generating hate against us
2) STILL want to amend the US constitution to write discrimination into it
3) Are STILL pushing ballot initiatives in states to ban not only same sex marriage but also domestic partnerships
4) Support and run very negative Prop 8 campaign in California
5) Work to ban us from adopting children in their states
6) Etc...

And for those of you in California, you must realize that California republicans are not US republicans. In the rest of the country, republicans are still the republicans from the 1950s - older white people that literally hate us.

Also, for those of you upset by Obama's minister... here's a key difference you MUST recognize. Republicans want to merge their religious views and the government - this is what is driving their hate against us and other "non-believers". Democrats, including Obama, recognize that religious views should be respected for what they are, but do not have a role in governing the country.

That's it, that's my pitch.

Regardless, hope you all vote!

 

[bubie2.5]

This is one of the few chances I get to do something to protect my family's rights, so I voted for Obama. Just my two cents, but IF i had voted for McCain that would have been a vote against my family; and by not voting I would had basically given one to the Republican Party.

 

[I<3EvilQueen]

I am so upset this election I may just skip the presidential vote.

One should always vote, remember that the President has selection power for the Supreme Court, and the judges there have more sway over laws for many more years.

 

[SkyMedik]

I am so mad at the democrats for not speaking up for our rights, and for taking this whole just stay at the back of the bus and we promise to let you up front when we win attitude. I can't believe the gays keep falling for it.

I don't expect the republican party to speak up for my equal rights, so I'm much less mad at them because they have met my relatively low expectations.

Amen....well put........ That's kind of how I feel. But like zulemara said, we have to give the Dems the power (ie: super-majority, which probably won't happen this time around). All said and done, I can't imagine myself voting for someone who openly opposes my rights....I'm not quite a one-issue voter, but probably close...

 

[OrlandoMike]

Well I just got back from voting!

Drove past two polling places with lines out the door to get to my place....had me worried. But at my location...NO WAIT!

I got down to the end of the ballot, and there was some guy for tax collector or something and his "middle" name was "Peanut"!

He got my vote!

 

[MonorailMan]

I voted just before 7 this morning and there was only a handful of people at the polling place (school), which concerned me a bit. I just got back from the store and when I passed the school again there was a line out the door.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I voted last week. When I drove past our polling place this morning it was deserted. DS's school is also a polling place and other than a few cars parked in the carpool drive (where parking is NOT allowed) I didn't notice any crowds.

 

[I<3EvilQueen]

This was my second Presidental election where I tried to vote early but each time the lines were 3 to 4 hour waits. So I usually just wait to vote on Election day at my usual polling station.

I got in line this morning at 6:40 (as I was on my way to work). The line was from the front door of the church, to the back of the large parking lot and all the way down the block. WOW... So I thought oh well. I have my book and my Ipod, and I have ready visited the bathroom, I should be good to go.

When the church doors opened at 7, they were quick and well trained. The very old woman that runs it is a taskmaster The long line was moving quick and I was done voting in just over an hour, and that was the longest I have ever waited to vote.

So that is why I don't vote early

 

[Tony-NJ]

took us 25ish minutes this morning up the street. Tootsie checked us in

 

[bubie2.5]

Good to see that my candidate is winning at least one poll here on the Dis.

 

[rpmdfw]

Good to see that my candidate is winning at least one poll here on the Dis.

I just wonder how many people had to sneak over here from the CB to get McCain up to 19 votes on the GLBT board.

 

[bubie2.5]

I just wonder how many people had to sneak over here from the CB to get McCain up to 19 votes on the GLBT board.

Hey, SOME of those McCain votes are legit!

 

[rpmdfw]

Hey, SOME of those McCain votes are legit!

I didn't say that NONE of them were from folks on the LGBT board, but it seems a bit high to me.

 

[bubie2.5]

I didn't say that NONE of them were from folks on the LGBT board, but it seems a bit high to me.

It does, maybe Mary Cheney is lurking here.

 

[Saxton]

It does, maybe Mary Cheney is lurking here.

Or Condoleza Rice ... she doesn't strike me as a Disney fan though.

 

[bubie2.5]

Or Condoleza Rice ... she doesn't strike me as a Disney fan though.

Condi? Really? Who knew.

 

[rpmdfw]

Condi? Really? Who knew.

Um . . . pretty much everybody.

 

[bubie2.5]

Um . . . pretty much everybody.