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

[Lapey]

You mean seek out one that agrees with you and your confessor? I know we are not to question a candidate on what they profess in faith and are to leave it between them and their confessor or spiritual advisor. I’m not sure or not if the same is to be extended to non candidates and their confessors and spiritual advisors though. But I know the interpretation of the Catholic bishops’ Faithful Citizenship guide sure gets a lot of differing interpretation here.

No to your first statement, I mean someone who will teach the faith in truth. And yes faithful Citizenship gets mixed reviews, because it is written to not ruffle the feathers of the politicians. I preach on the political hot topics, always in truth; but I have to temper the message to not endanger the 501 C3 status. This is where the confusion sets in. I’d rather give up that status, which is where I think we are heading, praise God!

I was talking a little tongue and cheek in a sense at information volunteered by the poster I responded to.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

One of my few caveats about the GOP; too much libertarian influence.

To me that is the only reason I even pay attention to the GOP. If it wasn’t for the libertarian leanings, I wouldn’t even pay attention to them.

 

[buffalo]

Romney - in a nutshell

GOP

1.Pro-Life
2. Pro- Marriage (one man and one woman}
3. Lean toward smaller government (principle of subsidiarity)
4. Against adding more people to government dependency

 

[scipio337]

He is for extending the temporary Bush tax cuts when they are set to expire again. …

We’ve been over this before. Not extending a cut is actually a tax HIKE.

You’ve never answered my question Matt, what on earth is the $48 billion the “Buffet Rule” raises over 10 years going to do, compared with the $6 TRILLION in spending increases (not new spending) President Obama proposed in his 2013 budget over the same period?

Hey, we can pay the interest national debt for one weeks with that extra money.

politifact.com/ohio/statements/2012/apr/23/rob-portman/rob-portman-says-buffett-rule-would-raise-just-eno/

Hallelujah!!

 

[johnnyjones]

I’m voting for Romney. I can’t pull the lever for a man that puts NO restrictions on abortion and is ok with “partial birth abortion.” What Catholic would want as president a man who upholds the scraping out of women with human life inside them. His name is Obama.

 

[dreamurlife]

I’m tossed up as to who to vote for. As a practicing Catholic, I am pro-life all the way. I am also against any kind of government that wants to support abortion through funding or any other way. However, Republicans are generally in favor of the death penalty against convicts, and so does Mitt Romney, according to this and other videos/documents… rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/10/romney-town-hall-crowd-applauds-death-penalty/

As a practicing Catholic who is pro-life, and supports life from the MOMENT of conception UNTIL the death of an individual, voting for Republicans, who are pro-life pro-death penalty, or voting for Democrats, who are pro-choice and anti-death penalty, it seems as though I can do neither.

Both sides are killing innocents. Republicans kill the convicted, and Democrats kill the unborn. Both are wrong to me. Jesus forgave all who sinned against Him, yet He chose to not give in to popular demand at the time. I support the pro-life statuettes of the Republicans, and am sure Mitt Romney will do a good job pushing his party’s agenda into Congress. I support the idea of the Democrats helping release innocently convicted individuals from jail and their methods of helping the poor. Sure, I don’t agree with everything that he has done, but he is merely human.

My ideal candidate for election? Allow the Pope to run for president (completely absurd in its concept and practicality but it is the truth). I do what I can for my fellow people, and help all those in my path. I try and bring them the light of His Holy Church, and spread love as much as I can.

A Catholic should not worry about who is in the office of the president, he/she should worry about what he/she can do more for a total stranger who might be homeless, hungry, naked, about to die… etc…

Jesus said “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple… So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Book of Luke 14:26-33)

Give all you can to Him, and you will be His disciple. Jesus was a radical for his time. We need to be radicals for our time. Conservatism and Liberalism are going to get us nowhere. Unless we renounce everything we are, then we are not His disciples.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Intrade currently gives better than 75% odds that the lemmings will get their wish. So all you people who still think Romney’s going to win, how do you explain this? Do people just like to throw their money away or what?

Wish I knew…

 

[Richca]

I’m tossed up as to who to vote for. As a practicing Catholic, I am pro-life all the way. I am also against any kind of government that wants to support abortion through funding or any other way. However, Republicans are generally in favor of the death penalty against convicts, and so does Mitt Romney, according to this and other videos/documents… rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/10/romney-town-hall-crowd-applauds-death-penalty/

As a practicing Catholic who is pro-life, and supports life from the MOMENT of conception UNTIL the death of an individual, voting for Republicans, who are pro-life pro-death penalty, or voting for Democrats, who are pro-choice and anti-death penalty, it seems as though I can do neither.

Both sides are killing innocents. Republicans kill the convicted, and Democrats kill the unborn. Both are wrong to me. Jesus forgave all who sinned against Him, yet He chose to not give in to popular demand at the time. I support the pro-life statuettes of the Republicans, and am sure Mitt Romney will do a good job pushing his party’s agenda into Congress. I support the idea of the Democrats helping release innocently convicted individuals from jail and their methods of helping the poor. Sure, I don’t agree with everything that he has done, but he is merely human.

Pope Benedict XVI “There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.”

 

[gamewell45]

Since the biggest maker or breaker for me in elections is the candidates position on organized labor, I’ll be casting my vote for Barrack Obama. I just don’t trust Romney given his track record on organized labor.

 

[rlg94086]

The GOP will cut funds for grants which go to charitable organizations which means less funding for programs assisting the poor. My previous job was cut do to the removal of a governmental grant- thankfully I had left a few months earlier.

Charitable organizations like Catholic Charities depend heavily on governmental funding. Bush actually did RELATIVELY well for this (for a GOP), You get a tea-partier in a position to effect change in funding and it would be BAD news- well, for the poor that is.

Church collections and donations just don’t it- not by a long shot.

The GOP is no friend of the Social Work profession- by-and-large, from the BSW caseworker, the MSW clinician, the private practitioner, or the college professor.

First of all, donations would be better, if our government didn’t get these organizations addicted to government funds and lull people into a false sense of “charity” based on taxing other people.

Secondly, I guess you better get some training to switch into a different field…like I did. If you are going to sit on your butt, hoping that some great social work jobs will come your way, you will be needing further social assistance yourself.

 

[buffalo]

I’m tossed up as to who to vote for. As a practicing Catholic, I am pro-life all the way. I am also against any kind of government that wants to support abortion through funding or any other way. However, Republicans are generally in favor of the death penalty against convicts, and so does Mitt Romney, according to this and other videos/documents… rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/10/romney-town-hall-crowd-applauds-death-penalty/

As a practicing Catholic who is pro-life, and supports life from the MOMENT of conception UNTIL the death of an individual, voting for Republicans, who are pro-life pro-death penalty, or voting for Democrats, who are pro-choice and anti-death penalty, it seems as though I can do neither.

Both sides are killing innocents. Republicans kill the convicted, and Democrats kill the unborn. Both are wrong to me. Jesus forgave all who sinned against Him, yet He chose to not give in to popular demand at the time. I support the pro-life statuettes of the Republicans, and am sure Mitt Romney will do a good job pushing his party’s agenda into Congress. I support the idea of the Democrats helping release innocently convicted individuals from jail and their methods of helping the poor. Sure, I don’t agree with everything that he has done, but he is merely human.

My ideal candidate for election? Allow the Pope to run for president (completely absurd in its concept and practicality but it is the truth). I do what I can for my fellow people, and help all those in my path. I try and bring them the light of His Holy Church, and spread love as much as I can.

A Catholic should not worry about who is in the office of the president, he/she should worry about what he/she can do more for a total stranger who might be homeless, hungry, naked, about to die… etc…

Jesus said “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple… So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Book of Luke 14:26-33)

Give all you can to Him, and you will be His disciple. Jesus was a radical for his time. We need to be radicals for our time. Conservatism and Liberalism are going to get us nowhere. Unless we renounce everything we are, then we are not His disciples.

How many states have the death penalty?

 

[dreamurlife]

States currently with a death penalty according to this site: deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-and-without-death-penalty

(Also note that there is the death penalty for those in the US Military and those convicted of federal crimes)

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

Richca- Don’t get me wrong, over the two candidates, I support Romney, if only for his pro-life stance. Also, in the state of Massachusetts, there is a ballot question (question 2 for any MA residents out there reading this) that is advocating for doctor prescribed suicide. I am totally against this as well and it is a movement started by Democrats. I said I was torn where to vote because I don’t believe in either party.

Pope John Paul II stated in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae in 1995 that capital punishment can scarcely be condoned in today’s modern society.

The catechism of His Holy Church states that the death penalty may be allowed if the “guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined.” How often do we hear someone who was given the death penalty wrongly, especially since in today’s society, incarceration is a much more humane option.

 

[mlz]

Catholic teaching says not to vote for those that support intrinsic evils such as homosexual marriage, abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Obama supports all of the above and he supports the religious liberty infringing HHS mandate which has 29 lawsuits, many from the Catholic dioceses and institutions. Bishops have also spoken of the problems with the Obama health care law which has lack of conscience protection and allows federal funds to pay for abortion among other issues

Agree with the above.

What bothers me most is that as a recent convert I’m so disappointed that many Catholics simply either don’t know the teaching of the Church or don’t care to follow it. It seems to me as if Catholics view these teachings as optional and view their own opinions as equal to that of the teachings of the Church which makes them “pope” so to speak. What are they thinking!!! We must trust Jesus and his Authority given to our Church leaders and follow this. To do otherwise is almost like “spiritual suicide”. Jesus founded His Church, His Authority and through this is His leadership and therefore where we go to decide HOW to vote. Please dear brothers and sisters in Christ… please don’t sit on the sidelines and not vote…you have a responsibility to vote and please, please consider the strong teaching of the “non negotiables”…killing innocent lives through abortion, voices that never are given the right to be heard as well as the teachings basic to marraige a foundation of life and the right to practice your faith freely in this country…these are already being threatened through this Administration. All the other "good’ they have done or not done would never measure to these stronger positions of our Church. I will be voting for Mitt Romney.

My prayers for His Church and our country,
mlz

 

[JimG]

States currently with a death penalty according to this site: deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-and-without-death-penalty

(Also note that there is the death penalty for those in the US Military and those convicted of federal crimes)

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

Richca- Don’t get me wrong, over the two candidates, I support Romney, if only for his pro-life stance. Also, in the state of Massachusetts, there is a ballot question (question 2 for any MA residents out there reading this) that is advocating for doctor prescribed suicide. I am totally against this as well and it is a movement started by Democrats. I said I was torn where to vote because I don’t believe in either party.

Pope John Paul II stated in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae in 1995 that capital punishment can scarcely be condoned in today’s modern society.

The catechism of His Holy Church states that the death penalty may be allowed if the “guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined.” How often do we hear someone who was given the death penalty wrongly, especially since in today’s society, incarceration is a much more humane option.

Several points. First, as shown above, the death penalty is a state by state issue, whereas the Supreme Court has made abortion a national issue.

Second, abortion kills about 1.2 million per year. Does the death penalty take that many lives? Kansas has a death penalty, but I can’t remember the last time there’s been an execution.

Small number of convicted criminals given the death penalty; over one million abortions per year.
Abortion takes priority as an issue.

Obama is firmly, radically, totally committed to abortion rights.
Romney is not perfect on life issues, just 100% better than Obama.

Obama is threatening the religious liberty of Catholic institutions and employers.
Romney is not.

Obama will make the depression longer. Romney will shorten it.

 

[St_Francis]

…Both sides are for killing innocents…

Whoa! Wait! Those who are sentenced to the death penalty have been convicted of serious, usually heinous crimes–they are *not *innocent unless wrongly convicted.

And *no one * is for applying the DP to those who have been wrongly convicted.

It is true that some Republicans are for keeping the DP, for those who have committed particularly bad crimes; however, most Republicans are aware of the problems with it and wpuld like to avoid wrongful convictions.

Just please don’t say that those who are guilty of heinous crimes are innocent and compare them to unborn babies–there is no comparison.

Nor is there a comparison morally: the death penalty has never been considered intrinsically evil the way abortion always has been.

I am not saying we should have capital punishment, just saying that there is not a lot of euivalency between the two issues.

 

[datritle]

You’re going to get a lot more Romney supporters because the vast majority on this forum are political conservatives.

But I’m voting for Obama: Wow there are so many reasons it’s not even close for me. Here are several but not an exhaustive list.

If we don’t change the House of Representaives, I want a check and balance to the Tea Party and much of what today’s Republican Party stands for.

Obama finally got something done on healthcare. The sick with pre existing conditions before Obamacare could be denied health care coverage. And too many people in the richest nation on earth have gone without adequate healthcare because they do not have employer health care coverage or do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. This has always been a disgrace to me when other industrialized countries have been able to provide their citizens with universal healthcare and the richest on nation has failed miserably at doing so. Obamacare is not perfect. I’d have preferred single payer or a public option. But is better than the status quo.

I totally reject the Paul Ryan budget which was supported by nearly every Republican. I want Paul Ryan nowhere near the White House. Like Sister Simone of the Catholic faith and the other nuns on the bus, I will not sit back and do nothing to try to stop such severe cuts to programs affecting the poor. I completely reject a philosophy that it is moral to cut food stamps, to cut healthcare and programs like Headstart. While the Republicans increase defense spending and refuse to even come to the table if it means asking the wealthiest among us to pay a little more in the form of a tax rate increase. I will not stand aside while the Republicans try to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and the middle class without asking more sacrifice from the rich. I also oppose the Medicare plan Ryan had in his budget.

Obama inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Look up how many jobs per month we were losing before he took office. We’ve been gaining jobs for many months under Obama. No one claims we are where we need to be but the economy is turning around compared to where it was and I’m willing to give it more time.

The auto industry is alive.

The Iraq war is over. And Obama has a plan in place to bring troops home from Afghanistan. While Romney did not even mention Afghanistan in his convention speech. The expense of these 2 wars has been tremendous. And I fear the same neo cons who advised George W Bush advise Romney.

I’m glad because of President Obama children of immigrants, young people who know our country as their home and who pledge alliegance to the same flag I do, today are not living in fear of deportation.

Osama Bin Laden was found under the direction of this Commander in Chief.

There’s more but that’s quite a number of my reasons.

Bingo! you said it all.

 

[dreamurlife]

Let me reiterate several things I’ve said…

I support Romney over Obama. I always have. However, I would not vote for EITHER if I had that choice.

Abortion does take more lives than the death penalty, that is fact. However, that does not mean it is less of an issue. I support all life equally. I don’t care if the death penalty was in just one state and only affecting one individual, I’d still be against it.

In an ideal world, there would be no abortions, everyone would be fed, clothed, and have a roof over their head. But the fact of the matter is this is not a perfect world. We, as Catholics, have to accept that although we have a right and obligation to stop abortion, we cannot condemn those who do it. Jesus teaches us to forgive, and so I do. I love my enemy, I do not curse them or wish to force my beliefs upon them. I want to teach them and guide them to the light of His Holy Church. Jesus ate with lepers and did not curse them for being lepers and ask them to change did he?

People must come to the Church willing, and they will. But until then, we must do what we can by spreading the Church’s message, not forcing it upon others.

Romney is 100% going to fight against abortion and I applaud him, but if we take their right away, we are denying them choice. Would you like it if a group of Mormons protested outside your house every day and night because of your beliefs? No. I don’t expect you to yield to them either if they did. We can only save those who wish to be saved.

God protects His children in ways known only to Him regarding innocent lives lost to abortion.

This is just my thoughts on the matter, that is all.

 

[JimG]

Let me reiterate several things I’ve said…

I support Romney over Obama. I always have. However, I would not vote for EITHER if I had that choice.

Abortion does take more lives than the death penalty, that is fact. However, that does not mean it is less of an issue. I support all life equally. I don’t care if the death penalty was in just one state and only affecting one individual, I’d still be against it.

In an ideal world, there would be no abortions, everyone would be fed, clothed, and have a roof over their head. But the fact of the matter is this is not a perfect world. We, as Catholics, have to accept that although we have a right and obligation to stop abortion, we cannot condemn those who do it. Jesus teaches us to forgive, and so I do. I love my enemy, I do not curse them or wish to force my beliefs upon them. I want to teach them and guide them to the light of His Holy Church. Jesus ate with lepers and did not curse them for being lepers and ask them to change did he?

People must come to the Church willing, and they will. But until then, we must do what we can by spreading the Church’s message, not forcing it upon others.

Romney is 100% going to fight against abortion and I applaud him, but if we take their right away, we are denying them choice. Would you like it if a group of Mormons protested outside your house every day and night because of your beliefs? No. I don’t expect you to yield to them either if they did. We can only save those who wish to be saved.

God protects His children in ways known only to Him regarding innocent lives lost to abortion.

This is just my thoughts on the matter, that is all.

If my beliefs included the belief that it is fine to kill over a million innocent children a year, I would surely expect somebody to protest.

 

[dreamurlife]

Whoa! Wait! Those who are sentenced to the death penalty have been convicted of serious, usually heinous crimes–they are *not *innocent unless wrongly convicted.

And *no one * is for applying the DP to those who have been wrongly convicted.

It is true that some Republicans are for keeping the DP, for those who have committed particularly bad crimes; however, most Republicans are aware of the problems with it and wpuld like to avoid wrongful convictions.

Just please don’t say that those who are guilty of heinous crimes are innocent and compare them to unborn babies–there is no comparison.

Nor is there a comparison morally: the death penalty has never been considered intrinsically evil the way abortion always has been.

I am not saying we should have capital punishment, just saying that there is not a lot of euivalency between the two issues.

I am not saying they are innocent by any means. I’m saying they are human and deserve to be treated as such. If your son or daughter or cousin or mother or father or friend etc… was convicted and found guilty of murdering three people in cold blood, and they confessed, do they deserve death? No. They need help, through therapy, in jail, maybe never to be released into society.

But who are we to say that someone cannot change? Look at the disciples? Are they without sin? Every human sins, but we can change with effort and will power. I am not saying that the death penalty is entirely wrong, but the death penalty has been given to those who haven’t deserved it in the past, if only in 1/100 cases (this statistic is based on nothing just as an example).

What I’m saying is the loss of an innocent life is a loss of an innocent life regardless of the age, no matter the cause.

 

[dreamurlife]

If my beliefs included the belief that it is fine to kill over a million innocent children a year, I would surely expect somebody to protest.

Exactly. As I’ve stated above, we have a right, and obligation, to protest. But do we have a right to force our beliefs on them? I pray every night for the end to abortion, but I pray that people will all unite one day in agreement.

I am just a 19 year old thinking aloud though. These are my opinions, and I stand by them like I stand by my Church.