Obama vs Romney, who are you voting for and why?

[JMJSHJ]

SG, I hope the thread doesn’t turn into this huge debate about single issues such as gay marriage or abortion. We’re supposed to be giving reasons why we are voting for our selected candidate. Sure they can be valid reasons for some on which they base their vote. But the specific debating of gay marriage and abortion choice has been debated on other threads by opponents and proponents alike and I am sure will continue to be until the end of time on earth. But just quickly in reply. I don’t know I’m starting to think that I guess I just might never agree gay marriage harms the family. I’ve listened to opinions and arguments but have yet to be convinced. Regardless of whether or not they’re legally allowed civil marriage or to be united in civil ceremonies or even in ceremonies in those faiths which would allow it, a gay couple is not going to reproduce offspring anyway. But in places where gay adoption is allowed, they help the family when they take on the responisbilty of parenting children. Such couples do provide an intact loving family for their adopted children. And some of the children they provide loving homes for might even be heterosexual and go on to reproduce.

For somebody who is going to vote for Obama because he is going to provide adequate health care, you sound like a single issue person too. Of course it begs the question CMatt how you can truly say you favor it for people when you would be in favor of having a baby conceived in rape be denied his/her life and thereby their health and yet allow the perpetrator of it be allowed to live.

Do you not see the disconnect?

 

[bellasbane]

I will vote for Obama because the alternative is frankly scary.

 

[Lapey]

Yet many Catholics support candidates looking to gut the poor so the rich can line their bank accounts.

This is a strange thought I present to you here, can you please try for once to think for yourself without spewing MSNBC and democrat talking points? Are you really this naive???

 

[wondrousgnat]

Romney, but he was my very last choice among all the Republicans in the primary. I am very disappointed in the party.

While Romney has publicly supported abortion Obama opposes the Infant Born Alive Act. And his opposition to Church rights.

 

[bellasbane]

interestedman;9816900:

Yet many Catholics support candidates looking to gut the poor so the rich can line their bank accounts.

This is a strange thought I present to you here, can you please try for once to think for yourself without spewing MSNBC and democrat talking points? Are you really this naive???

These aren’t MSNBC or Democratic talking points, it is a reality that exists right here on CAF.

Many Catholics on this forum say they will vote for a candidate based on social issues like abortion and gay-marriage regardless of the impact the candidate’s policies will have on the elderly, disabled & poor. They will do this for prudential reasons, because these social issues “trump” any economic issues that may sway their vote in the election.

 

[Jeffrey]

Better than forcing ppl to help ie - stealing thier hard earned money. LIFE TRUMPS ALL!

These aren’t MSNBC or Democratic talking points, it is a reality that exists right here on CAF.

Many Catholics on this forum say they will vote for a candidate based on social issues like abortion and gay-marriage regardless of the impact the candidate’s policies will have on the elderly, disabled & poor. They will do this for prudential reasons, because these social issues “trump” any other issues that may sway their vote in the election.

Furthermore, anyone who tries to argue with them gets accused of failing the test of being a faithful Catholic.

 

[bellasbane]

Better than forcing ppl to help ie - stealing thier hard earned money. LIFE TRUMPS ALL!

Who is stealing your hard earned money?

 

[jediliz]

These aren’t MSNBC or Democratic talking points, it is a reality that exists right here on CAF.

Many Catholics on this forum say they will vote for a candidate based on social issues like abortion and gay-marriage regardless of the impact the candidate’s policies will have on the elderly, disabled & poor. They will do this for prudential reasons, because these social issues “trump” any economic issues that may sway their vote in the election.

The elderly, disabled and poor will suffer the msot if Obamacare becomes reality and they are forced to purchase health insurance they CAN"T AFFORD and then are FORCED to PAY a FINE, I mean a TAX.

And believe it or not, abortion targets the poor and disabled…BEFORE they are born!

So, excuse me if I care about the life issues just as much as the poor and disabled. We can’t help the poor, elderly and disabled if they can’t afford this “tax” they might ahve to pay!

Obama promised the health care bill would be available for viewing before it was voted on. Well, that NEVER happened!

I believe it was Pelosi that said “we have to pass it to see what’s in it”

So, sorry, I am not voting for the president that got this bill passed without letting people know what was in it BEFORE it was passed!

 

[livnlern]

Obama worked against, spoke against, and voted against the IL Babies Born Alive Act, which even NARAL accepted

This alone speaks volumes about Obama’s character. How could anyone in their right mind vote to allow a living baby to die. .

illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/01/top-10-reasons.html
Obama, the sole verbal opponent to the bill stated:
" … I just want to suggest…
Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a - child, a nine-month-old - child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place.
A ban to stop aborted babies from being shelved to die would be burdensome to their mothers. She alone should decide whether her baby lives or dies.
What we are doing here is to create one more burden on women, and I can’t support that…"

And don’t forget that women can vote while babies can’t.
How can we, as practicing Catholics support someone who thinks this way? What does this say about how he thinks in general?

 

[Cinette]

The elderly, disabled and poor will suffer the msot if Obamacare becomes reality and they are forced to purchase health insurance they CAN"T AFFORD and then are FORCED to PAY a FINE, I mean a TAX.

And believe it or not, abortion targets the poor and disabled…BEFORE they are born!

So, excuse me if I care about the life issues just as much as the poor and disabled. We can’t help the poor, elderly and disabled if they can’t afford this “tax” they might ahve to pay!

Obama promised the health care bill would be available for viewing before it was voted on. Well, that NEVER happened!

I believe it was Pelosi that said “we have to pass it to see what’s in it”

So, sorry, I am not voting for the president that got this bill passed without letting people know what was in it BEFORE it was passed!

 

[bellasbane]

The elderly, disabled and poor will suffer the msot if Obamacare becomes reality and they are forced to purchase health insurance they CAN"T AFFORD and then are FORCED to PAY a FINE, I mean a TAX.

And believe it or not, abortion targets the poor and disabled…BEFORE they are born!

So, excuse me if I care about the life issues just as much as the poor and disabled. We can’t help the poor, elderly and disabled if they can’t afford this “tax” they might ahve to pay!

Obama promised the health care bill would be available for viewing before it was voted on. Well, that NEVER happened!

I believe it was Pelosi that said “we have to pass it to see what’s in it”

So, sorry, I am not voting for the president that got this bill passed without letting people know what was in it BEFORE it was passed!

No need to apologize. You are perfectly within your rights to believe what you do.

I just happen to see things differently and do not buy into the scenario you describe. I live in Massachusetts where people who make up to 130% of the poverty level get free healthcare through Medicaid. Those who do not qualify get subsidized coverage based on their income level. Nobody pays a tax unless they refuse to pay into a system that is there for them when they need it. That is reality.

I’m sorry that Romney, who has given all of this to us through Romneycare, would deny it to the rest of the nation by repealing Obamacare. It just doesn’t seem fair to the poor, sick and elderly who happen to live in states where the ruling party thinks access to food, housing and health care are not life issues.

 

[irishpatrick]

I will vote for Obama because the alternative is frankly scary.

**Okay, and your post again proves that the unborn will continue to be slaughtered until the day comes when the left loves human lives more than it hates/fears Republicans! **

Despite the lies from he left, Republicans care as much, or more, about the poor and needy. And, despite what the left has managed to lie about, Republicans do NOT want war, nor are they the big-bad-evil monsters so often depicted by those on the left. In fact, a great many millions of people on the right USED to be Democrats until they saw that the party did not support their values.

Let’s examine it (with just a few points):

• The GOP was the party that freed the slaves. (The Dems fought against it in their way)
• More Republicans (by percentage) voted for the civil rights act, than did Democrats.
• The GOP has consistently fought to save unborn lives. The Dems rabidly fight to keep the slaughter going.
• The GOP consistently fights for traditional marriage. The Dems rabidly fights to redefine traditional marriage.
• The GOP believes in following the First Amendment as intended, especially the little part about, “…freedom of religion, and no laws prohibiting the free exercise of…” The Dems believe the First Amendment is there to be used as they see fit, and they especially ignore the religious protection clauses.
• The vast majority of Americans do not understand that the Republicans were the first to fight for women to get the vote, and that was against the strong objections from the Democrats.

So, we see that the GOP has fought for slaves, fought for women, fought for minorities, fought for unborn life, fought for traditional marriage, fought for freedoms and especially rteligious freedoms, fought for lower taxes for everyone so people can enjoy the fruit of their own labor, and fought for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Yet, history classes no longer teach truth–so the left manages to spin the truth into a new and perverted reality, and in the meantime they have managed to paint the GOP as this monstrous party. Incredible.

 

[CMatt25]

Are you saying that if we vote for Romney and he forbids gay marriage, those gay individuals will then give up, marry heterosexuals, and raise a family???

My husband and I are heterosexual, both of us worked hard all our lives until he became disabled and we have a disabled child as well that means I need to stay home to care for them both. We are now poor. It had nothing to do with gays or with not having an intact family.

And no, I don’t mean poor with cable TV and smartphones, etc. I mean the three of us live in a single room, the person who owns the rest of the house rents it to us and he has internet so we get to use that and that’s it.

Zenith, your family story is a reminder of how so many are just one illness, one disability, one misfortune away from being poor. It is why social and economic justice, issues of the poor, of the sick, of the less fortunate, are first among many issues which I consider in deciding for who to cast my ballot. But certainly far ahead of making sure for instance the rich get their tax cuts. Which is one not even on my radar screen. In any case God bless you for sharing with us your story. You are not alone. I’m going to keep you and your family in my prayers and may God bless.

 

[Jeanne_S]

These aren’t MSNBC or Democratic talking points, it is a reality that exists right here on CAF.

Many Catholics on this forum say they will vote for a candidate based on social issues like abortion and gay-marriage regardless of the impact the candidate’s policies will have on the elderly, disabled & poor. They will do this for prudential reasons, because these social issues “trump” any economic issues that may sway their vote in the election.

You are fooling yourself,if you think Obama and his socialist agenda are going to improve anyone’s economic plight. Romney/Ryan are willing to dig in and do what needs to be done to save Medicare,SS.If you care about your children and grandchildren,enjoying the benefits and freedoms that are the core of this country’s greatness,don’t vote for Obama.Quit drinking the koolaid. Look what is going on in Europe,is that what you want?

 

[qui_est_ce]

You are fooling yourself,if you think Obama and his socialist agenda are going to improve anyone’s economic plight. Romney/Ryan are willing to dig in and do what needs to be done to save Medicare,SS.If you care about your children and grandchildren,enjoying the benefits and freedoms that are the core of this country’s greatness,don’t vote for Obama.Quit drinking the koolaid. Look what is going on in Europe,is that what you want?

Spain has 22% unemployment. The government is going broke because it isn’t getting enough taxes due to this unemployment. We are headed along the same path unless we get employment up. Obama has proven he is unable to get the numbers up. Romney has a proven record on making business work, and he is for changing the current healthcare system. He is addressing the unsustainable Medicare and SS programs.

Unless we address these issues, things will get worse. And it’s always worse for the poor first.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Spain has 22% unemployment. The government is going broke because it isn’t getting enough taxes due to this unemployment. We are headed along the same path unless we get employment up. Obama has proven he is unable to get the numbers up. Romney has a proven record on making business work, and he is for changing the current healthcare system. He is addressing the unsustainable Medicare and SS programs.

Unless we address these issues, things will get worse. And it’s always worse for the poor first.

Amen!Too bad so many refuse to see the reality of the situation.I really don’t get it,it is beyond frustrating!

 

[He_Man]

These aren’t MSNBC or Democratic talking points, it is a reality that exists right here on CAF.

Many Catholics on this forum say they will vote for a candidate based on social issues like abortion and gay-marriage regardless of the impact the candidate’s policies will have on the elderly, disabled & poor. They will do this for prudential reasons, because these social issues “trump” any economic issues that may sway their vote in the election.

You are falsely assuming though that this mean’s Romney’s presidency would hurt the economy, the poor, or the neediest among us. No conservative has claimed that, even though you apparently implied that.

Even if you "think’ Romney will be bad for the economy, what about the last 4 years has provided any evidence that Obama is good for the poor or the economy? It’s the slowest “recovery” on record, he’s failed his own litmus test on unemployment and the deficit, he’s gotten no budgets passed, and he’s accumulated more debt in 4 years than Bush did in 8 years and two wars. It’s like saying I’d rather watch a movie I can’t stand watching rather than try a new movie because the new movie may stink. yeah, but you saw the old one and you know it was terrible? The logic doesn’t compute to me.

Why would anyone who wants to help the poor look at Obama and say “he has.” By EVERY reputable measurable, he has failed the poor, hurt them, and increased their numbers.

I can understand why someone would endorse him based on on social issues, but for people who disagree with him on social issues (like Catholics should), can someone explain what about the last four years do you specifically believe has been good for the poor among us? What policies have helped the poor, specifically? And do you see the debt level as sustainable? By every account, he has hurt the neediest among us, at least to me.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Zenith, your family story is a reminder of how so many are just one illness, one disability, one misfortune away from being poor. It is why social and economic justice, issues of the poor, of the sick, of the less fortunate, are first among many issues which I consider in deciding for who to cast my ballot. But certainly far ahead of making sure for instance the rich get their tax cuts. Which is one not even on my radar screen. In any case God bless you for sharing with us your story. You are not alone. I’m going to keep you and your family in my prayers and may God bless.

Romney, of course, is not proposing tax cuts for the rich.

We are all just “one misfortune away from being poor”. Nobody has any guarantee of prosperity in this “Vale of Tears” (remember that?), and we all die in the end. In a material sense, there’s nothing “poorer” than that.

One “misfortune” that can push us into being poor is an economic depression. The current economy would be acknowledged as one if it were not for the “safety net” stuff. We would be seeing soup lines and old people begging. One “misfortune” that has done many is the housing devaluation. Some people have gone down (and in my opinion more will) due to the stock market gyrations. Some due to addictions. Many, many, many due to divorce. It’s not all due to medical expenses.

And we have now had four years of:

1. The government doing absolutely nothing for the truly poor; the ones who can’t help themselves.
2. A significant amount of subsidizing the rich and the middle class.
3. Discouragement of hiring and investing.
4. A stock market buoyed by artificially low interest, encouraging the volatile “carry trade”.
5. Continued substandard lending and purchase of those by FNMA and FHLMC. Truly amazing.
6. Obamacare’s reduction of Medicare reimbursement below that of Medicaid, which will truly be an economic shock to the elderly.

And that isn’t a threat of misfortune? It sure is in my book, and ought to be in the book of anyone who pays any attention to the economy at all.

 

[traillius]

The results of the poll, and the responses, are not surprising, since this is a catholic forum.
As a catholic, I cannot vote for Obama, due to the essential issues: abortion, euthanasia, marriage definition, and religious freedom. I cannot vote for a third party, because that would be in effect a vote for Barack Obama. Thus I am bound by conscience to vote for Mitt Romney. On the non essential but prudent choices, I would still be not voting for Obama, because I think his economic and foreign polices alike have failed the US.

 

[He_Man]

Amen!Too bad so many refuse to see the reality of the situation.I really don’t get it,it is beyond frustrating!

In a bad economy, the poor and lest stable among us always get hit first. Businesses can always lay employees off. Employees can’t lay anyone off.

Half the people who are voting for more unemployment and debt are the ones who are going to cry for help when it hits them, (or continues to hit them).

And they want some one to fix it then? Hard to have much sympathy, since we always get the President we deserve. My sympathy is reserved for the people who vote to change their problems, not continue them. I’ll always disagree with Obama on social issues, but at least if the economy was roaring I’d see why people would be swayed.

If we reelect Obama and the economy stays the way it is or gets worse, we deserve it and I will shed no tears for those who chose this fate for themselves. We get who we deserve.