Presidential Election 2008

[ORThey]

Admittedly this board is likely more Pro-bama than not. I just wanna see by how much.

[sadistikal]

You forgot

Bob Barr (L)
Ralph Nader (I)
George Phillies (L)


I think Ron Paul (GO RON PAUL!) is still on the ballot in a few spots as well.

Not to be anal...but I voted for a third party candidate (Hoping for some matching funds in 2012) and might not be the only one?

Of the two though I would have voted for Obama

[ORThey]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the third parties (coverage on them has been next to nil this election). There's no way to edit this poll to include them now, is there?

[kerrie]

Happy Obama Victory Day!

[sadistikal]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the third parties (coverage on them has been next to nil this election). There's no way to edit this poll to include them now, is there?

I dunno..I just didn't want to take your third option

[ERawkStar]

I voted Obama. Seeing the candidate that I chose won is quite the feeling. I was at Grant Park with the plebs watching it unfurl on the CNN Jumbotrons. I know that this is going to be a presidency that will be sailing through uncharted waters. No matter who won, it was going to be difficult for whoever won the presidency and that all the damage done in 8+ years cannot be undone in 4 or 8 but if we can head into a more ethical and more pragmatic direction there will be more good than harm done in the long run regarding our economy, protecting the enviornment, foreign relations, etc.

Liberal, conservative, socialist, libertarian, African, Asian, man, woman, young, old, etc. etc. we all live here and at this point in time and I think that we need an administration to collaboratively work together instead of looking out for the "allies" and the "backsratchers" that will do favors for the administration in a way that's damaging to the public.

I can't say whether or not Obama will follw through with this but when all was said and done, he looked like the candidate most likely to do so, including third party candidates.

[RyanWK]

After voting for Kerry in the last election on the whole "lesser of two evils" thing and feeling guilty even after leaving the election booth, I decided that from that point on I would only vote for candidates that I supported on the most issues.

When Obama announced he was going to be running for president last year I was ecstatic, but as the campaign went on and I become more and more privy to his stances on the issues and his policy's he lost my support. Barack Obama is not progressive.

John McCain was never an option, there is absolutely no way I could vote for a man that was going to keep us on the track of Friedman economics, rewarding the rich corporations and further burying the new deal. But then again Obama did vote for the bailout didn't he?

What was I to do? Vote for Obama, who has been increasingly and frighteningly militaristic with his decision to have Biden as his running mate, the fact that he wants Rahm Emanuel to be his chief of staff, his scary stance on Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan? Vote for Obama who voted for the TELECOM IMMUNITY BILL!? Vote for Obama who still wants to keep troops in Iraq even though Iraq wants us to leave? Vote for Obama who supports a minority of militaristic fundamentalist israelis? Vote for Obama who looks to Rubin for economic advice even though he was one of the people that got us into this mess? Vote for Obama who supported the bailout? Vote for Obama who is part of a party that vehemently blocks third party candidates from getting in the debates, no matter how much support they have, it is just as undemocratic as the voter suppression campaign the republicans attempted.

I could not do it. I do have faith that Barack Obama is able to tackle progressive issues if he is pushed to do so. He was elected because people want change and he would be wise to capitalize on it, otherwise I doubt the waves of young voters, minorities and disenfranchised Americans are going to be happy.

That being said I am glad that it is he and not McCain who is going to be our next president and I am glad that our country has come far enough to elect a young black and white man with a muslim father. I just hope that we as a country are able to push him to bring about the changes that we so desperately need.

In the end I voted for Ralph Nader. Some of you may grumble at this, but although I think it is possible for Obama to make a progressive change I could not morally vote for him and instead opted to vote for a candidate with more integrity than anyone could hope for, a candidate who has championed rights for all of us and who is right on almost all of the issues, not to mention that I love his running mate.

Whatever the case I am glad that the voter turnout rate was so high this time around, if Barack Obama did anything he re-engaged the youth of America back into politics in a way that has not occured since the 60s. I am confident that if we all keep voting at these high numbers we will be better for it.

edit: this just in
Accor​ding to Bloom​berg,​ via truth​dig.​ com:

"​While​ many of us are still​ celeb​ratin​g Barac​k Obama​’s histo​ric victo​ry,​ rumor​s of a major​ buzzk​ill are flyin​g:​ Lawre​nce Summe​rs,​ a Clint​on-​era treas​ury secre​tary and dereg​ulati​on enthu​siast​,​ is said to be the front​-​runne​r to take over the Treas​ury Depar​tment​.​"

[Christel]

Nicely put, Ryan.

I would have to agree that the most positive thing (so far, anyway) to come from Obama's campaign and win is the high turnout (more than 83% here in Oregon). It is very encouraging to have been a part of Americans truly engaging in the process for what I feel is the first time in my lifetime.

And now I'm off to research Summers...I don't know enough to make an informed call there.

[RyanWK]

Shit yo, maybe Obama is going to be what everyone was hoping for.

He has allied him self with Reich and Bonier!
He also is banning lobbyists during the transition process.