Current Candidates
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Current Candidates
Just posting to keep myself active. I've been so surprised we haven't had a lot of activity at the kitchen table. How am I supposed to learn things about the candidates if you ladies aren't debating all their various merits and short-comings? lol
I think you can get enough from the TV, newspapers, etc., Michelle. I look at the NY Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Sacramento Bee every day, and get TIME and Newsweek at home every week. I also go to Factcheck to get the truth behind the ads and wild statements on blogs and in e-mails. Factcheck
I will say, I never thought that the Pennsylvania primary (my state), which is in April, might actually make a difference.
What do you think will happen now that Ralph Nader has said he's running? It has the potential of messing with some numbers and splitting some votes.
Reecie-LOL!!! I agree! Ginny, there's media everywhere, but I don't deliberately sit down and read ANY of it. I would get it here instead, LOL! I have to be prompted here by something, then check it out for myself.
Watching the debate in Ohio right now...
I watched it too...what did you think?
I will just say that he has so much more class and control than she does. She just seemed so angry and defensive last night. I think she is like that because she is behind and she is "fighting" to get back on top. It just really causes me concern as to how she is going to act if she is president and things don't go exactly how she wants.
He just really looks to me as someone who could sit down with people from BOTH sides and maybe get something done. Now, some of the things he wants to do scare me, LOL, but that is beside the point.
Reecie-LOL!!! I agree! Ginny, there's media everywhere, but I don't deliberately sit down and read ANY of it. I would get it here instead, LOL! I have to be prompted here by something, then check it out for myself.
I agree, I don't trust the media either. The recent NY Times article about McCain is just a prime example of it. I shouldn't HAVE to spend hours researching something see if they are telling me the truth, isn't it their job to research and report the truth?? There is so much non truth out there that I would rather get my information from the debates honestly. I want to hear it from their mouths and in the context it is said. Someones account of what is said and done just doesn't do it for me.
Vicki- completely agree!
To me, Hillary is soooooo defensive. Her being elected to the presidency would be a DISASTER IMO. It's unfortunate that there's a possibility of a first female president and SHE'S the choice. 
I think you can get enough from the TV, newspapers, etc., What I get from the news media is that Obama is the reincarnation of JFK, Clinton is a b***h and McCain is the Republican party's only hope. Does anyone watch Saturday Night Live? Or the Daily Show? Or any other satirical show on TV? You would probably get a better idea of the candidates from those shows than the mainstream media.  I happen to think that the two political skits on SNL this past Saturday were the best part of the show!
I think that most Americans have already made up their minds about who they like as a candidate, and whether any one will admit it, I believe some will vote based mainly on race, gender or party. I am not implying that anyone here will do that, but a significant portion of the voting population will.
To me, Hillary is soooooo defensive. Her being elected to the presidency would be a DISASTER IMO
Do you honestly think that her being president would be any worse than what we have now? IMO, any of the current candidates (on both sides!) would be a significant improvement over our current administration!
Of the 3 top contenders-I don't like any of them and they all 3 scare me to death. Hillary probably scares me the worst.
I don't find the debates particularly helpful, because the format doesn't allow any in-depth questioning or discussion by anyone. And at this point it's devolving into a "he said I said" "she said I said" "no I didn't" "yes you did", which I find embarrassing. I frankly would like to think the candidates and those questioning them would be a bit more adult (frankly, a whole lot more adult).
My one concern about Clinton is that I would like to vote for one Clinton - I don't like what seems to be a package deal. We elect one president, not a team. I think Bill was by and large a good president (with really awful personal morals and little self-control about them), and I think he is a very intelligent man who knows a lot about the world that would be helpful. But it makes me uneasy.
I have never understood people who just "hate" Hillary. Mostly I have not heard any concrete reason why, just a bunch of disproved conspiracy theories, or some sort of "personality issue". I think she's an incredibly bright woman who is handicapped because when she is hard-hitting she is called a b**ch and accused of acting like a man, and when she is not hard-hitting she is accused of not being strong enough to be commander in chief.
At this point I still prefer Clinton for substance, experience, and knowledge. But I am fairly sure Obama will get the nomination. Whichever, I hope it is without a nasty floor fight and rancor.
As for McCain, first, I don't believe the insinuations in the NYTimes article last week, and the Times should be ashamed of itself. The article itself would have been good and informative without the first four paragraphs inferring (nudge nudge, wink wink) that some of McCain's aides were troubled by the appearances of a "relationship" with a lobbyist - not that the aides would let their names be used, and no indication that the aides thought there was anything illicit, just a "concern" about "appearances". Honestly, how low can we sink?
I won't vote for McCain because I don't like either his foreign policy or his fiscal policy. But I do think he is an honest man and one who respects the Constitution and will adhere fairly strictly to its limits - both of which would be one heck of an improvement.
As for Nader, his ego is running away with him, and I wish it would run far away - like Tahiti, or the Saharan desert.
Ginny, I don't like Hillary because I feel like she has been very unhonest. I think she has used her money and influence to get away with things. Like Whitewater.
I think all presidents do that to some extent.
Also I struggled with how she didn't say a word about her husband and his affair, but attacks others very quickly on character. The recent Obama mailings are an example of this.
I know what she went through with Bill is a personal thing. But I guess the fact that she married and stayed married to such an unmoral man seems to go against her persona of being a tough woman. Bill has treated her poorly for a long time, and a truly independent strong woman wouldn't not of stood for it, so I think she did so for political gain.
Also I struggle with one of my biggest issues with our current president is that he seem to go in with something to prove to his daddy. Needed to finish up some unfinished things. I worry that Hillary has that list too, things that we may not know about now, but I just don't like for our president to go in with an agenda no matter the facts (which is what happened here).
ALSO we get all up in arms about the war, should we have, shouldn't we. Let's not forget our congress/senate voted for war. Hillary was a yes vote.
I think it is time for a fresh start!
I have heard some rumors today that she will drop out on Friday. I will believe it when I see it. I thought the debate was extremely boring, and I really thought she was going to come at him stronger than she did. I am not voting for Hillary or Obama.
Does anyone remember when Hillary disparaged stay at home mom's? It was sometime back when Bill was President. I think she was being accused of stepping into the President's business and she retorted something along the lines of - At least I don't just stay home and bake cookies.
I have not approved of her since she made that remark. I think she made the statement without thinking and spoke what she truly felt in her heart. There is already (still!) too much division among 'working' and 'stay-at-home' women, and there is no way I can support a person who doesn't value my career choices even when they are different from hers.
I didn't hear anything about her dropping out on Friday, but I sure hope she does! I am terrified of her being president. I just can't believe that she will drop out before Tuesday, but if she is scared of being defeated Tuesday, maybe she will drop out just to save face?
Sunny - I don't care for this administration either, but I still think Hillary is worse!! 
Mia- I had forgotten about that remark.
Stay at Home Moms-Don't we just all love to stay home and only have to bake cookies all day? (Can you note my sarcasm?)
And I agree with everyone else who holds the opinion that this country may be ready for a female president only that she (Clinton) is not the best choice.
And I'll be leaving now, before I get revved up. lol
I agree that the country is ready to accept a woman as president and I would love to learn more about Condoleezza Rice!!
Same here Vicki! I totally agree that we are ready for a woman President, certainly not Clinton though. I would have love to see Condoleezza run. She would have had my vote!
If you look hard enough into anyone's life, I'm sure you'll find something you disagree with. If you already like the person, that fault will be dismissed and forgiven. If you already have a negative opinion of that person, that fault will be confirmation on your previous feeling. That is just human nature.
I probably shouldn't get involved in these "debates" because when it comes down to it, I really don't care who any of you vote for. (I do hope you get out and vote, though. ) I have made up my mind who I am voting for (and since I am also in Pennsylvania, my vote might actually count! LOL) I don't understand the intense feelings that Clinton brings out in some people, and I'm being sincerely honest - What do you hate about her so much and why do you think she being president would be "worse" and "terrifying"? I genuinely want to know.
- I haven't heard much about Obama on this thread; if you support him as the Democratic candidate is it because you feel he is the better person for the job or because you are anti-Clinton?
- If you are a McCain supporter, is it because you feel he is the best person for the job or are you a staunch Republican and will support whomever the party chooses?
- Do celebrity endorsements (and I am thinking of Oprah here) have an influence on your decision?
- Did anyone support one of the other contenders who have dropped out? How do you decide who to support now?
I don't think there is any right or wrong with these questions, I just really find the differing opinions interesting.
There are tons of reason I don't like Clinton. I will admit that a lot of them are personal reasons. I think she is very power hungry, I think she lies, I think she takes credit for things that she really didn't have much if anything at all to do with. I also think that if we end up with her, it is another 4 years of Bill. I don't want him again. They are clearly a package deal. If I were to vote Democratic, it would be for Obama. For one, you right, it would also be a vote against her. But I also think that he could do a good job of getting something done by bringing people together.
At this point in time, I would be voting for McCain. I do tend to vote republican more than Democtatic (although I have before) I do not want universal health coverage. I think our government is involved way more in our lives than they should be. MANY more reasons, but I honestly don't feel like arguing about them. LOL I am quite sure if I listed them, I would get jumped on. LOL
Celebrity endorsements mean nothing to me.
Quite honestly, I really wonder how much anyone can get done. I would be SHOCKED if either Obama or Clinton were able to end the war the way they claim to be going to do it. I think once either one of them take office and start meeting with the generals and all that, they are going to realize what a disaster it will be to just start yanking everyone out. I think that could be the "read my lips, no new taxes" of this democratic campaign. I think they are promosing way more about that than they are going to be able to deliver. I just really hope that people aren't going to vote for them on that alone....... I might be proven wrong, but I just don't see it happening!!
- If you are a McCain supporter, is it because you feel he is the best person for the job or are you a staunch Republican and will support whomever the party chooses?
I think he's the best of the choices we've got - and I am not real happy he's all I've got.
- Do celebrity endorsements (and I am thinking of Oprah here) have an influence on your decision?
absolutely not - I think it is ridiculous to base your choice for President of the United States on an endorsement from a celebrity of any sort.
I am registered Republican. I've been registerd as a Democrat before. I don't have a problem voting for a canditate not in my registered party if I believe they are my best choice.
I voted for someone no longer in the running, and now I'm thinking, "Oh, shoot. Now what?"
Celebrity endorsements don't mean a thing to me.
I am actually considering voting Obama. The same things that make him am unlikely person to vote for is the same thing that makes him a good choice. He's fresh and new. I think that at this point, we need fresh and new. Though I do worry that he's fresh and new. Make sense?
Clinton has more political experience. My gut tells me something negative about her and I always trust my gut. (I know, can't get any more scientific than that. LOL)
I was a Thompson supporter.
I am not sure who I am voting for now. I do typically vote republican, ultimately because I am a financial conservative and pro life.
But will I vote for McCain, just because he is a republican..well no.
Mccain cons...thinks we should be at war 100 years, well...geesh, we probably will be, but I know he won't look into any other options. Wants to get rid of the death tax...come on..geesh, there isn't tax if the estate is less that 2 million, come on, let our rich friends pay some taxes or give more to charity upon their death.
Obama cons, honestly he just doesn't have a record. Who knows what he might do. And I just hate that he is the Oprah candidate. I don't like where she goes all the time, and I just hate people voting to get on the band wagon of Oprah.
Hillary cons, I listed a bunch earlier.
I think it is probably time to have a democrat in office to balance our budget and to rethink what we are doing in the war. However, I don't think the right choice is to pull out without any study on what is really best. I know we don't want to be at war, I know we feel like this might not of been our business, but we are there, so let's not make another stupid decision.
I'm sure I'm a sucker but I like Obama. Some of his speeches make me feel like he is speaking to me. I know alot more goes into the presidency than that and I don't trust any of them. I like when he was saying teachers need to teach not just to the test we need art back and things like that. I could care less about gender, race, or celebrity endorsement. I like Obama simply because he's different. I tend to be more liberal than republican but neither party is me 100%. I was glad when Hillary started running being a woman but I didn't vote for her. What I don't like is if she were to become president we'll have about 25 years of the same 2 families running things.
Hillary has called me twice today to remind me to go vote! LOL Her last message said that voter turn out is low and she needed me to go vote for her. I guess she didn't know that I voted earlier today and it wasn't for her. LOL I think this is the 5th call I have gotten from her and/or her campaign.
I got one piece of mail from Obamas side. No calls.
I got two things in the mail from McCain. No calls.
I haven't had a call from Hillary, but I have had 5 or 6 calls from obama, 1 from his wife (michelle), 2 or 3 from mccain and 2 from his wife cindy. It is so funny to be in a state that matters this go round!
I did vote, democratic..new for me. So I am going to go caucus tonight...woo hoo...i am so excited!
I cannot believe that Hillary is still in the race. I figured after Ohio, Texas, and my own lttle state of Rhode Island with 32 delegates, that she would be toast. Who is voting for her? Everyone I talk to dislikes her as much as I do. I chuckle when I hear her talk about "our administration", referring to her husband's years as President, and her "thirty five years of experience". MY husband did thirty years in the military? Does that make ME a veteran, and a card carrying member of the VFW? ha ha!
My boss went and saw Obama last Saturday when he was in RI. She said the security around him was incredible. Someone told her that he has more protection than any other candidate in history. No one was allowed to carry a purse in, and everyone was patted down before they entered the auditorium.
It will be an interesting year. I still hope that somehow she gets defeated, and I CERTAINLY hope that Obama doesn't ask her to be his running mate! Ugh!
I wanted to vote in the Democratic primary, too. I have never in 38 years, voted for a Democrat, but I was willing to, to take a vote away from Hillary. I was going to disaffiliate afterward. Well, because I am a registered Republican, I couldn't vote in the Democratic primary. I could have if I had changed my affiliation to Democrat or Independent 90 days prior.
Hol, where you live, do you have to actually mark it somewhere, that you are Republican or Democrat? Here in WI, I've never had to do that, and I've bounced around quite a bit, with who I vote for.
In a primary, though, you can only vote Democrat or Republican. It's a straight ticket sort of thing, so if you'd want to vote for a Republican senator and a Democrat presidential candidate, you couldn't. You can walk in the door and vote Republican or Democrat. It wouldn't matter whether or not you'd filed a piece of paper or not.
For the main election, though, you are free to vote for whatever parties you want to and aren't held to only Republican or Democrat.
Hol, I think MANY people did what you are talking about on Tuesday. The thinking is that she will be easier to beat than Obama, so many people want her on the ticket for McCain.
They just asked me when I went in to vote if I wanted D or R.
We actually have different voting locations for d and r. But you can go to whichever.
I saw the caucus, we had 207 voters there, 100 of them voted for Hillary, they were hispanic, white, female, and finacially well off.
The obama side was black and young.
Different voting locations? Wow. We do everything in one location, for all elections. There are multiple polling locations, all over town, though.
We just have so many people that I think it shortens the lines. In houston there were just shy of 2 million democratic votes cast on tuesday, the republicans only had about a million. That means we had less that 70% turnout.
Wow! Sheboygan only has 50,000 people! I can't comprehend polling places for 2 million!
At our polling places, they have two tables, staffed by 2 women each: A-L, and M-Z. The A-L line was long and the M-Z line was short, during the time we were waiting to vote for president last time. LOL! As new people came to the line, we were all telling them that if they were M-Z, they could go right in, but if they were A-L, they had to wait! Wouldn't have mattered to me, if I was married or single. My last name would still be A-L.
Doesn't surprise me that republicans had less turn out. What was the point? If we had not had a local tax levee, I wouldn't have went at all. There was only one other race that had more than one person listed on my screen! So that one race and the tax levee was really the only thing that mattered that I voted on!
Oh, I forgot..... anyone know why Hillary won't release her tax return? There was a big article in my paper today about the two of them and the campaigns their running and it mentioned again that she hasn't released them. It stated she said they would be released around April 15th?? Now, I am sure all it would take is one phone call to their accountant and a copy could be ready in less than an hour.... so why not do it? I know it was mentioned at the debate and she gave some lame answer about how they will be, but she doesn't have time right now or something to that effect. If anyone thinks she is going to go rummaging through her files and pull that one out to release, they are nuts. Her being so secretive about it and not doing it is leading me to really wonder about something I really don't even care about. LOL
It is weird I agree Vicki, but you know they have 15 years on file. And really I think they have been open before then. I think it is more a matter of she wants the bid first, or she will hold on to whatever shred of privacy she has.
Dawn we have so many polling centers, so they can so the same thing. Our polls probably saw about 2000 people. But we only had 300 come to the caucus. Our nearest elementary school has 800 students k-5, our high nearest high school has 2000 students. We have 5 high schools in the district, and we aren't even Houston ISD. I think the houston population is over 4 million and closer to 6 if you add the surrounding not incorrporated towns. It literally takes a minimum of an hour (no traffic) to drive across houston. The loop is about a 2 1/2 hour drive around (that is a guess i have never done it..lol). But even from that our suburbs have filled in, so you travel another 20-30 miles in each direction after leaving city limits before you find some country.
I grew up in a town of 356 there were only 180 in my school k-12....it is a big change!
Wow. That is HUGE!
These are WI's biggest cities, as of 2006.
Milwaukee: 602782
Madison: 223,389
Green Bay: 100,353
Entire State: 5,556,506
WI Quick Census
Texas: 23,507,783
Quick Census Information
When they are giving the population of houston, they are just giving inside the inner loop.
That is part of why our hurricane evacuation was such a mess. Too many people on the same roads!
And I complain about the number of cars on the road, in Sheboygan! LOL! I probably should be counting my blessings.
LOL i should take some traffic pictures for you
Honestly though I live in the suburbs, I just don't go out in bad times. Today I am headed to the rodeo, I know it will be crazy, so I will go to a park and ride and use the bus
I live in a very small town; around 7500 people. We only have two polling places; the town hall and the fire station. We never have to wait in line to vote.
Dawn, in Rhode Island, you have to be registered as either Republican, Democrat or Independent. If you are either Republican or Democrat, you can only vote in THAT primary. If you are an Independent, you can vote in either primary (but not in both in the same election). However, by voting, for instance , in the Democratic primary, that now automatically registers you as a Democrat (OR a Republican, if voting in the Republican primary). To remain an Independent, you must sign a paper disaffiliating back to Independent on your way out of the polls. In general elections, you can vote for whomever you choose, regardless of party affiliation.
Because I am a registered Republican, I was not allowed to vote in the Democratic primary. It was pretty clear that McCain was the Republican candidate. I just wanted to go cast a vote for Obama, to take one AWAY from Hillary. I just cannot stand anything about her. And, ditto on her tax returns. I am sure that one phone call could have produced it. It is just typical of the way the Clintons have always done things. They are totally amnoral and crooked.
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