Obama, McCain: Experience or judgment?

McCain asks who will keep our next generation safe? I believe he knows the answer to that. It's Barack Obama. You know the candidate who doesn't go around singing, " BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB IRAN!

I am sure that many will go with obama. After all, his uncle can be his military advisor.

For someone who graduated from the Naval Academy at the bottom of the class, McCain sure made the most of his meager intellect. Give him credit for that. Probably with some help from well connected family members he probably got placement in a track that enabled him to get into fighter pilot training which under the most liberal of circumstances takes only the best and brightest. That tidbit about his personal history is not known, but it is hard to imagine any fighter pilot coming from the very bottom of the Naval Academy. At any rate being a prisoner of war hardly qualifies anyone for the requisite experience to be more knowledgeable about defense or foreign relationships than anyone else. The only experience McCain got from that was being a war monger. America does not need a war monger for president. Period!!!!

What foreign policy experience does John McBush have?
You don't get actual foreign policy experience unless you are the President, Vice President or serve in a Cabinet position and Johnny McBush has done none of these things. The closest McBush ever got to actual foreign poicy experience was when he blew it and voted YES for the pre-emptive uncalled for invasion of Iraq.

I don't know about anyone else, but give me JUDGMENT any day!

I'll take sound judgement. McCain's experience seems to have made him into a bitter, twisted man. I think the country is ready to put an end to this dark chapter in American history. The last thing we need is four more years of failed policy. I'm voting for Obama. I trust his judgement. Obama 2008

Obama's judgement will be helped with endorsements from Hamas, Hezbollah, Castro, and Al Qaeda and Iran. The left just doesn't understand real life. McCain is not only a national hero, but he understands real threats - and the threat is NOT the USA, but terrorists.

I would feel safer with the man who understood from the begining that this was a mistake. Not from one who said it was a good idea and still continues to believe that. I think the 70% of Americans who also think it was a mistake, will feel that way also.

If he is going to use the same judgment that led him to support Todd Stroger and accept a real estate discount, I'll pass. Although Axelrod seems to be trying to discount the importance of experience, I hope that Obama has learned something from those experiences.

After Scott McClelland dropped that bomb on the Republicans every American needs to question them. McClelland was HIRED by the Republicans, and he comes from TEXAS with Bush. The man said everyone around was affraid of the war-mongering Bush Administration including the PRESS. NOW is the time for the press to turn up the heat on these folks and do their jobs. McClellan has shamed everyone involved.

John McSAME and his buddies can spin it however they want it. The fact remains and so does the burning questions: If there were NO WMDs, then why did we go there, and why are we STILL there? And if the enemy is in IRAN, then why are we not in IRAN? I am tired of this entire administration - led by the worst president ever! Bush is on his way out - to go play golf with his buddies after they made all of that money with no-bid contracts. And they would LOVE to stay and make some MORE money while we get to bury our children!!! Help me send McCANE and his buddies a message!!! The BuSh era of war and corruption is OVER!!

And here is Barack Obama, one of the few men with integrity to stand opposed to an unjust war from the get-go! Not now when the election is here, but back then we McClelland needed a voice to help him. A wise stand. A firm stand against powerful people that even McClelland and the PRESS were affraid of. There is ONE choice for President of the United States of America - and its Barack Obama.

Obama supporters can not even understand that America is finally winning in Iraq. Personally it was a mistake to invade Iraq but you cant go back in time. Pulling out will have huge consequences that lead to Iraqi genocide. If things were still going awful in Iraq it would be different. McCain has more military experience in his little finger than Obama does in his entire life. If Obama has not seen Iraq since the surge how can he know if it worked or not. He cant he is just using it as a political ploy. As McCain said he would much rather lose an election than a war. I am not so sure the same can be said about Obama. What happens when we declare defeat in Iraq and pull out? The consequneces will be immense. I have more military experience than Obama and I would never be able to conduct a war strategy. Since they started listeniung to McCain things have gotten much better in Iraq. It is almost like Obama supporters want the war to go bad so that their guy can get elected. Remember we are all Americans first.

How exactly does Obama's judgement to support Todd Stroger in the Cook County elections speak to his vision of new politics? No special interests? Right.

How does Obama's intention to renegotiate trade agreements with our trade partners speak to his judgment on foreign relations or economic matters?

How about Obama's decision to start campaigning for president immediately after being elected a freshmen senator? Does that speak to his judgement of what is best for the people of Illinois?

I'll take the man who isn't afraid of telling someone what they don't necessarily want to hear of the one who will say anything to get your ear.

Carter finished 59th out of his Academy class of 820. See what studying will get you!

WRT McClelland just follow the money.

WRT Obama he has done nothing so has gained no experience.

Love how O'Bama is great at "asking tough questions" but shying away from answering them. . . Guess that's judgment/leadership, eh?

PS - what version of Obama's judgment are we supposed to approve of? His first take? the second try? the even later, more massaged version? Or perhaps Michele's?

TL,
I give you Todd Stroger, he's despicable, but who in their right mind wouldn't shop for the best deal on a family home?

"What does all his experience get us?" Axelrod asks in an interview with the Huffington Post. "What do all those visits [to Iraq] get us?

What does it get us? Shown that you are an elitist jerk is what it gets us. Who cares if the great Obama opposes the war and has since the beginning. This country is at war, and if you care at all about our troops and this country and not just yourself, you would go over there and see how it is going. If not for that, then go over for a morale boost for some of the brave men and women who are over there risking their lives day in and day out. Even Hillary has gone over there, the arrogance of this guy is maddening. This guy expects the presidency, and he won't even visit a big part of what this country is going thru in person? But he will still meet with Iran and Venezeula, what a joke.

After all these years it is amazing to see comments that we are "winning" in Iraq. How do you really define victory? Over whom? The Sunnis or the Shia? Do you think they will ever stop killing each other after all these centuries? Perhaps "winning" excludes the civil war between these two religious sects. Hmmm?

I have more military experience than Obama and I would never be able to conduct a war strategy. Since they started listeniung to McCain things have gotten much better in Iraq. It is almost like Obama supporters want the war to go bad so that their guy can get elected. Remember we are all Americans first. Obama supporters can not even understand that America is finally winning in Iraq

Posted by: Vinny | May 29, 2008 2:41 PM

Vince,
BushCo and McCain have 140,000 of our troops in Iraq occupying and refereeing a civil war. That's not "success", that's what you call trying to stop a gaping headwound with a band-aide.

Will never vote for Obama

Love how O'Bama is great at "asking tough questions" but shying away from answering them. . . Guess that's judgment/leadership, eh?

PS - what version of Obama's judgment are we supposed to approve of? His first take? the second try? the even later, more massaged version? Or perhaps Michele's?

Posted by: Bob | May 29, 2008 3:00 PM

Yeah Bobby, I guess Obama should start answering tough questions the same way Grandpa McBush does, you know, like babbling about staying in Iraq for 100 years, confusing the Sunni's and the Shiites in Iraq and singing about bombing Iran.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2kyXN4ZVQg

It would be wonderful to see Obama demonstrate some good judgement rather than TALK ABOUT IT. We don't want a president that won't finish want he has started, Senator Obama.

Judgment? Are you kidding me? I thought he gave up the whole "judgment" argument after the Reverend Wright fiasco. And after the Bill Ayers fiasco. And after the "judging" of small-town America fiasco. Sheesh.

Even Hillary has gone over there, the arrogance of this guy is maddening. This guy expects the presidency, and he won't even visit a big part of what this country is going thru in person? But he will still meet with Iran and Venezeula, what a joke.

Posted by: Mike | May 29, 2008 3:03 PM

Mikey,
So I guess you approve of Obama going to Iraq for a tax payer funded dog and pony show like John McBush did?....and that will prove exactly what?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

The troops there already know that Obama is trying to bring them home from the Republican led disaster in Iraq.

There's a very good reason why the Republic Party is losing elections all over the country right now Mikey, why don't you look into it.....

Barack Obama: Smart, honest, imaginative, but short on experience and losing white swing voters badly.

George W. McCain: Smart, honest, experienced, but representing the wrong party, President & policies.

Governor Bill Richardson (D-New Mexico) would have been better than either.

Why can't we declare victory and have a phased withdraw? Iraq needs to provide the men to replace our troops. We've done enough handholding with Iraq. This conflict (note, there has been no declaration of war) will never have a value, only a cost. There is nothing to win here.

What do you mean experience or judgement? Obama hasn't lived long enough or served long enough to get the experience he needs to be president. All he will be doing if he gets elected is what other people will tell him to do. Maybe McCain hasn't made the decisions that he will be making but he has at least the experience from life to be able to think about needs to be done. I wouldn't trust Obama enought for him to tell me which bathroom to use. What ever experience Obama says he has is BS.

Mikey,
So I guess you approve of Obama going to Iraq for a tax payer funded dog and pony show like John McBush did?....and that will prove exactly what?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

The troops there already know that Obama is trying to bring them home from the Republican led disaster in Iraq.

There's a very good reason why the Republic Party is losing elections all over the country right now Mikey, why don't you look into it.....

Posted by: John E | May 29, 2008 3:35 PM

Yes, I do approve of Barack Hussein Obama going over on a taxpayer funded trip, since he wants to be president and needs to actually be in touch with an event that effects this country, and is willing to actually go over and do an assessment, and not listen to fools like you who are good at copy-paste and know nothing or have an original idea not implanted by moveon or Olbermann. You would smash McCain if he didn't go over there either. And how you can say or just assume if would be a dog and pony show, and not a true assessment of the situation? Maybe, they take them around to areas where they couldn't have gone in 2006 when the Obama actually went there. But that might actually hurt your idea that the war is lost and there is no hope for the US to win. Go ahead John E, copy paste some more one sided garbage from left wing websites or do youtube searches, don't have any opinion of your own. You are a fool.

The fact that Obama gave an antiwar speech prior to the invasion of Iraq is well-documented. What is forgotten is the fact that he aligned his position with President Bush during his 2004 senate campaign, even removed the text of his heralded speech from his web site. As the war became more and more unpopular, he pivoted back to his original, if convenient position. This does not represent judgment, but instead shrewd posturing.

Judgment vs Experience - I will take either one but neither of these guys have any of the traits. Mr. Obama has shown poor judgment throughout his career not just the campaign. His track record shows him as a party guy who has an excuse for everything that requires action or a leadership. He’s just like McCain is a POLOTICIAN who has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to say anything, avoid anything and be seen with anyone to be elected. He will be Bill Clinton II a man preoccupied with his vanity and only willing to act when he is assured of the outcome and after the damage is done. The man has no spine, will owe a lot to the wrong people after the election and don’t confuse a good speaker with a leader again ... but don't worry it won't be his fault.

And how you can say or just assume if would be a dog and pony show, and not a true assessment of the situation? Maybe, they take them around to areas where they couldn't have gone in 2006 when the Obama actually went there. But that might actually hurt your idea that the war is lost and there is no hope for the US to win. Go ahead John E, copy paste some more one sided garbage from left wing websites or do youtube searches, don't have any opinion of your own. You are a fool.

Posted by: Mike | May 29, 2008 4:14 PM

Obama isn't going to waste anymore of the taxpayers money on the Republican led disaster in Iraq, Mikey.
I don't need Keith Olberman to tell me that and neither does anyone else on here...

The only foreign policy experience that John McBush has is the vote that he had on invading Iraq and he blew it by voting YES with BushCo.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqtL-P8kzo

These myths about Obama take on a life of their own. My favorite two are that he has superior "judgment" and that he is a "uniter". The “judgment” claim is a farce, and seems to be based on an antiwar speech in 2002. Never mind that he admitted in 2004 that he does not know how he would have voted on the Iraq war had he actually been a Senator at the time. The "uniter" claim is equally ridiculous, in that this is a guy who marches to the party line and bases his ideas on the latest poll numbers as opposed to principle. The only thing he unites is the far left with the farther left. This guy has never been about compromise, but rather about platitudes and rhetoric. However, I shouldn’t be surprised by my fellow Americans continuing to fawn over him. After all, this is the country that also fell for Pet Rock and Beanie Babies.

he aligned his position with President Bush during his 2004 senate campaign, even removed the text of his heralded speech from his web site. As the war became more and more unpopular, he pivoted back to his original, if convenient position. This does not represent judgment, but instead shrewd posturing.

Posted by: buckybacker97 | May 29, 2008 4:14 PM

Yes bucky, Obama voted for funding of Iraq because the Dems didn't have the votes to end the war and he didn't want BushCo to leave our troops in Iraq without the important things...like you know, BULLETS, BULLET PROOF VESTS ETC, that stuff.

NEXT!

jackson, everyone one wants the best deal possible on a family home. However, when you buy property significantly below market value from a political fundraiser (i.e., Tony Rezko) it demonstrates poor judgment. Although Rezko had not been indicted at the time, questions had been raised about him and any reasonable intelligent person would have recognized the red flags. I don't mean to imply that Obama is not intelligent, he saw the red flags and made a poor choice anyway for financial gain.

As you said, there is really no excuse for supporting Todd Stroger.

Mike,
Wow, more toughguy talk from a chickenhawk Republican, if you love Iraq so much and you think it's such a great success then why don't you shut your face and go sign up for it yourself ?

Obama isn't going to waste anymore of the taxpayers money on the Republican led disaster in Iraq, Mikey.
I don't need Keith Olberman to tell me that and neither does anyone else on here...

Sure he will John, he has already set language in his campaign that he will withdraw unless he feels there is a threat in Iraq from Al Quiada or Iran, which there is. So we aren't leaving anytime soon, no matter what you think. Plus, if B Hussein Obama (only in there because of your rediculous McBush garbage) does leave, we will be back shortly to clean up the mess once Iran and Syria invade. And it will be 10 times worse than it ever was. But that is what you want, so you can sit and blame Bush for the rest of your life for everything and anything that goes wrong. Again, the worst thing that can happen for you and the libs is that the US actually pulls out of this and wins in Iraq. Go ahead, link another stupid, misleading, heavily edited clip from youtube. When you have an argument with someone face to face, do you actually say "copy-paste copy-paste" when you can't back up any of your silly arguments?

I'll take Obama's judgement over John "Bomb Iran" McBush any day of the week on any issue. The "candidate who is best able to secure the peace" for America won't be the one who is wholly owned by corporate lobbyists and appears eager to start new wars in the middle east.

McCain is stunted; he's a military industrial complex and war junkie. Abused as a POW--he seems driven to go back for more and more war adrenaline. No wonder he likes going to Iraq--that's where he goes for his fix and photo ops. There is nothing else that props him up. He would be a dangerous leader for America. Why doesn't the man who wants to be prez tour unemployment offices, homeless shelters, Head Start programs, or food banks? Why isn't he doing tours of the underbelly of American-gone-to-hell infrastructure? Why not making note of the increasing American debt and recession due to Bush's Big Lie of a "war"? Or visiting the families of college students who have commited suicide due to their high student debt? Why is he not addressing the highest rate of military suicides in 17 years? Why such empty and desperate feelings on the part of the troops? McCain should just stay in Iraq for his own long term war fix, and leave America for people who want to care for and be prez to ALL Americans. Too bad the troops in Iraq don't have the same protection McShame has when he goes there for his fix and photo ops. Too bad the troops in Iraq can't leave when they have had enough like McShame does.

John E.

Are you running the ”O”bomination campaign? It seems as though you are really hostile towards others who are voicing their opinions against your “Savor – God Almighty” “O”’bomination. Last time I checked this was a free country which I would like to keep it that way by backing our military so that we have freedom of speech and also be able to respond to “civil” chats about news articles. We could be like China where the government sensors everything that we read, listen and see.

How about you move back to the communist country you came from.

Also, what has O’bomination done for Illinois? I don’t remember anything but him promoting his book and now campaigning for this election that he is going to loose.

John E (may I call you sweetie, if you are going to insist on calling me Bobby?),

All I can say about your babble is this -- was it Buchenwald or Auschwitz? Was it Obama's uncle or great uncle? I know it wasn't his grandmother, because he threw her under the bus in his "race speech" fiasco.

Herbie H, Thanks for exposing those Obama "myths". I can't tell you how convincing that is, coming from the guys who've bought into the constant stream of lies and propaganda spouted by the Bush Administration. Hey, maybe McBush can find the WMDs "East, West, North, or South of Baghdad"!

When you have an argument with someone face to face, do you actually say "copy-paste copy-paste" when you can't back up any of your silly arguments?

Posted by: Mike | May 29, 2008 5:27 PM

Is that the best you've got?

You can't answer anything I've posted without some vague reference to cutting and pasting or MoveOn etc etc, huh?

This case is closed, Wingnut Mikey.

You lose!

Republican Girl: How do you like the fact that we're practically OWNED by China????? Who in the hell do you think is PAYING FOR this never-ending, ILLEGAL INVASION???

Also, what has O’bomination done for Illinois? I don’t remember anything but him promoting his book and now campaigning for this election that he is going to loose.

Posted by: Republican Girl | May 29, 2008 5:39 PM

Really? John McBush missed 65% of the votes in the Senate last year while he was pretending to represent the state of Arizona, this was second only to Sen Tim Johnson who was recovering from brain surgery.
I guess that explains why McCain couldn't even get 50% of the vote in the recent Feb 5th Republican primary there (Arizona), huh?

Washington did what the North Vietnam Army could not. Washington has twisted him into "one of the boys". How anyone with an ounce of self respect could remain loyal to a party that pulled every dirty trick posssible on him in his last run for office is unimaginable! McCain will not accept "Defeat" in Iraq? Our troops were victorious in their mission, overthrow Sadam Hussein and destroy all the WMD's he had (oops). They accomplished what they had been sent there to do and should be home celebrating their victory! McCain and Washington have sold out to big business. The commanding officer of all the troops in Iraq is protected by a corporation "Blackwater"! What a slap in the face to every American soldier, Marine and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in following orders from inept politicians in both parties!

I supported the Iraq war from day one, and not simply because of those alleged WMD. The large majority of Americans supported it, Congress supported it, and our allies largely supported our intelligence, backed up with THEIR OWN, as credible, even if they didn't agree with the conclusion that it warranted going to war. Americans are more belligerent than continental Europeans, who also have their own interests both economically and politically/socially. We even went through multiple rounds of UN resolutions and threats. The Americans who strongly opposed it so strongly did so mainly from a philosophical opposition to war in general, certainly a respectable position.

However, what is definitely not respectable, and is a hallmark of intellectual childishness, is to try to condemn people for making decisions in the past because they didn't have the knowledge or experience we have now. Any student of history knows that one cannot apply perspectives, morals, or beliefs of today on the past and then make judgements.

I supported the war then, and I would still support it, knowing what I knew then, and I support those who have enough backbone to continue to support finishing the job, like the vast majority of our volunteer military wants to do. It didn't work out as we thought. Intelligence was faulty. Saddam intentionally led even his own armed forces to believe they had WMD. Bush may certainly have massaged things, but I don't for a second believe that he started a war for "oil" or Halliburton or any of those other left-wing idiocies. Bush loves his country, and I have great respect for him. I didn't vote for Clinton, but I can say the exact same thing about him: he loves his country, and he did what he felt was right, even if I disagreed at times.

I don't support Obama for many reasons. One is his intellectual dishonesty regarding this war. He knows full well that he's not going to "end" it any time soon if he's elected, yet he doesn't do much to dissuade his supporters of that notion. The United States is not going to replay Saigon. We are going to leave an Iraq that is reasonably stable, and that will take time regardless of who is President. You knee-jerk liberals berate McCain for his "100 year" comment. We are still in Japan. We are still in Germany. We are still in Korea. And we will be in Iraq for a long time. To think otherwise, and to berate McCain for stating that, just exposes your naivety.

Another reason to oppose Obama, supposedly a constitutional scholar, is over his lack of belief in our constitution as the supreme law of the land. I can forgive less educated candidates perhaps, but not him. I do applaud him for his intellectual honesty in admitting that the 2nd amendment clearly recognizes a private right, not a "state" right -- as though states even have rights. Though of course that is with his caveat that that right is subject to massive restriction.

Another: McCain has the support, sometimes, and grudgingly, of the GOP's right wing. Obama has the left wing of his party positively SALIVATING over the idea of his presidency. Tell me, honestly, who is more likely to govern from the middle?

Larry

Is that the best you've got?

You can't answer anything I've posted without some vague reference to cutting and pasting or MoveOn etc etc, huh?

This case is closed, Wingnut Mikey.

No, John E, you are the loser. I addressed your shoddy arguments above in earlier posts as to why Obama should go over and visist Iraq. You responded to none of them, posted a rediculously biased link and called McCain McBush (real original and accurate). Maybe if you actually addressed people with different opinions without acting like a child you wouldn't get attacked so much here. I reference the cut and paste because thats all you do. Your typical post - "John McBush is awful, insert link, I win you lose."

Also, what has O’bomination done for Illinois? I don’t remember anything but him promoting his book and now campaigning for this election that he is going to loose.

Posted by: Republican Girl | May 29, 2008 5:39 PM

Really? John McBush missed 65% of the votes in the Senate last year while he was pretending to represent the state of Arizona, this was second only to Sen Tim Johnson who was recovering from brain surgery.
I guess that explains why McCain couldn't even get 50% of the vote in the recent Feb 5th Republican primary there (Arizona), huh?

Posted by: John E | May 29, 2008 6:08 PM

Wow, you really know how to answer questions don't you? Someone questions Obama's attendance and what he's actually done for the state of IL, and you can't answer it, so you have to attack John McCain. Bravo

No, John E, you are the loser. I addressed your shoddy arguments above in earlier posts as to why Obama should go over and visist Iraq. You responded to none of them, posted a rediculously biased link and called McCain McBush (real original and accurate). Maybe if you actually addressed people with different opinions without acting like a child you wouldn't get attacked so much here. I reference the cut and paste because thats all you do. Your typical post - "John McBush is awful, insert link, I win you lose."

Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2008 7:30 PM

First off Wingnut Mikey, if you're going to make a lame attempt at attacking me (see your above post) make sure you get the right post name on it "Mike" so I know which one of your sock-puppets I'm talking to.

I love the way youtube and other links make you rightwing knuckledraggers cry. You flat-earth Republicans don't seem to have caught on to well to the new technology that exposes you and the fact that you're still trying to pass off what Rush Limpbag and Faux News tells you as fact is almost laughable.

Just remeber this little Mikey, I'm your worst nightmare, I'm not one of those weekknee'd Liberals that Karl Rove scared you with going all the way back to the year 2000, they don't exsist anymore. Buck up Mickey because being a toughtalking do nothing crybaby Republican like you are isn't going to work anymore.

PS - Here, entertain yourself with a video that shows how very little John McBush knows about the economy :o)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcdLO3jKkPo

McCain's EXPERIENCE, like Hillary, is trumped by his POOR JUDGMENT. Not just on the war but the Keating Five and on his failure to learn economics during his many years of service while sitting in a body politic that is supposed to care DEEPLY about economics.

Obama got the war right, but that was a no-brainer. He needs to start talking economic policy sooner rather than later so that he can put some real distance between himself and McCain.

Oh, and Hillary, that gas tax holiday really was a lousy idea. Stay in Puerto Rico for a few more months.

If as Axlerod claims, judgement trumps experience, why the HE*L is he backing BO? Obama's judgement has been poor at best. His WONDEFUL judgement has hooked him up with the likes of MO' MONEY JONES, REZKO, ALSAMMARAE, BLAGO, etc etc etc. His swell judgement had him making racist comments openly about his OWN GRANDMOTHER, rural white voters of Pennsylvania and aligning himself with a MENTOR/PREACHER who spews racist hate at every turn. His extraordinary judgement had him making up stories about an IMAGINARY uncle who freed the prisoners of AUCHSWITZ. The list of SUPERB judgement calls by OBAMA goes on and on and as he continues to be vetted I am sure more examples of his JUDGEMENT or LACK thereof will come forward. Remember, this is the guy who couldn't even beat a former BLACK PANTHER - Bobby Rush. A man who could not get elected to anything until the CROOK COUNTY MACHINE took him under their wing and hooked him up with their big money pipeline. Keep pushing this neophyte Ken doll, this TEFLON candidate and we will, as a country, pay dearly. Hillary is the only reasonable candidate that has shown both judgement and experience. We can only hope that she continues to push on to Denver.

VINCE, success at WHAT!!!! Because it sure wasnt success at finding WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!!!!!!!

You cannot spell Bush without the letters BS!!! And you will only get the SAME from old man McCANE!!!

John E, excellent posts! I agree 100%

Dont blame John E. He sees the GOP being destroyed in every facet but somehow Obama is still losing to McCain in most polls. THe last 6 polls released by Rasmussen and Gallup all have McCain leading Obama by 1-5 pts depending on the day. As for me as an Independent I can honestly say that there is no other Republican I would vote for for any office besides McCain. He has a proven 30 year record of working across the aisle even at the expense of his own party. Obama can not say the same thing. The country needs someone who will govern from the center. Only McCain will do that. The succes in Iraq is irrefutable at this point. Iraqi forces are leading the raids and actions with US troops gving support and starting to fade into the background. If progress is continued than we willleave Iraq a free country that can defend itself against the crazy Islamist extremeists. As a former Marine I hate it when people like Jon E say that we have already lost the war. Pulling out will lead to victory for AL Qaeda and genocide for the Iraqi people. While I agree it was a mistake to go there noone can deny that since they started listening to McCain things have gotten MUCH better. Its war there is never going to be a perfect time. Nothern Iraq run by the Kurds is safer than the SouthSIde of Chcago. Its because of Independents like me that John McCain is amazingly outperforming the very unpopular Republican party at this time. Personally I think a McCain presidency with a Democratic controlled COngress is exactly what this country needs. That way the far right wing of the repubican party and the JOhn E moveon.org wing of the Democratic party will lose some of their power. We need this country to reside in the middle where the vast majority of us reside. Obama is a candidate that makes me fell very unwelcome in the Dem party. He is the moveon.org wing of the party. Just like Huckabee would have been the Neocon wing of the GOP. Dont listen to hate filled people like John E who call him McBush. Anyone who knows anything about McCain knows that him and Bush are about as different as two people in the same party can be. One is a bipartisan War hero who has more credibilty than any Senator in the country and the other is an idiot. Unlike Obama McCain's war policy isnt driven by trying to win an election. He stated over and over that he would much rather lose an election than lose a war. McCain has a great line where he says he has faced much tougher times than an election my friend, the same can not be said for Obama. McCain has faced a tougher test tahn anyone on this board and passed with flying colors. He deserves and has earned the right to be President of the United States. Everyone always says they support the former troops well prove it and put one in the White House. A POW in the whitehouse. It brings a tear to this Marines eye.