Thanks, GeekyPenguin, for asking without snippiness. :)

It doesn't bother me because I am not opposed to the death penalty. To me, there's a difference between ending the lives of those guilty of heinous crimes and those who are innocent of any crime.

Now it's my turn not to be snippy but to genuinely wonder how someone can view the killing of little ones as having nothing to do with one's self.

Issues that influence me..
 

I think my President has to have a back-bone and stand up for what he believes to be the best route for his country to take, regardless of if its popular...this also means you have to trust the President..because all you have is their word.

There are many issues on the table..but for me the top 3 that will swing my vote are

Gay Marriage, The approach to the war on terror, CONSISTENCY, and Abortion. Everything else including the economy is secondary...because even if the economy is in order..when there's an attack on the homeland..all that goes down the drain.

P.S. Laura Bush is soo classy and she seems like a warm lady... I don't know if I want to look at Ketchup for 4 years:p :eek: :D

See, I think that if you're going to use the dignity of human life argument, you should also be opposed to the death penalty. That's why I've always thought the Catholic church was infallible in their position on life issues - no abortions and no death penalty. There's no hypocrisy there.

I agree with what you're saying about the "dignity of human life" argument -- I don't think it's correct to say that someone can give up his "dignity of life" and deserve the death penalty. I mean, if you think human life is sacred, it makes sense that all human life is sacred.

However, I am against the death penalty and am pro-choice. I'm sure people disagree, but I don't find that contradictory at all.

Re: Issues that influence me..
 

And what about the BLACK ISSUES young lady? lol

Re: Re: Issues that influence me..
 

Young lady.. my relationship with God and my beliefs in him matter MUCH MORE to me than the color of my skin. Hoped that answered your question.

Thanks for not being snippy-

It has to do with me in the sense that I would never do it-- but it has nothing to do with my decision because if someone chooses to do that, they can answer to God and their conscience for making (in my eyes) such a horrible choice. Believe me-- I think killing a baby (and yes I believe that a fetus is a human being) is one of the worst things someone could ever do-- but this country is based on freedom and sadly, people are free to make the choice of abortion and I cannot take that away from them. Hope that helps! :)

anti-abortion, and against stemcell research
for death penalty on a state-by-state basis
(i don't think abortion & the death penalty bear the same
moral implications.)
for marriage being defined on a state-by-state basis
against increased taxes on higher earnings
(i don't think democrats fare well with long term
money management.)
for creating a stable gov't in the Middle East
anti-Janeane Garofalo
against privitization of social security
against a nat'l health care plan
for smarter gun control
for swifter and more decisive action the next time someone in africa decides to try and wipe out a people. (anti-UN/pro-UN-reform)

Strangely enough, some of the things that matter the most to me are the ones that I won't base my vote on.

I'm pro-life, but Roe vs. Wade will never be repealed. I'm against gay marriage, but at the same time I don't think the gov't should be regulating marriage...

So I finally decided I'd base my vote on who supports the space program. I like getting paid.

I'm voting for Kerry/Edwards because:

1) I don't think Bush has done much of anything to benefit the economy IMHO.
2) We are giving our money to rebuild Iraq but we keep cutting money that should be given to our public schools.
3) On that note, our public school system needs some major revamping.
4) I am pro-environment.
5) I am against the war in Iraq.
6) I am 100% pro-choice.
7) I am against the Patriot Act.
8) Unemployment is the highest in a while. We need to improve the job market!

The only thing that may be un-Democratic about me is that I am pro-death penalty.

Interestingly enough, many of these reasons comprise exactly why I can't vote for Kerry - now, I might not vote for Bush either (chalk up another wasted Libertarian vote! j/k Russ), but:

1.) Democratic economic policies give me shivers right now - so bad.
2.) Disagree w/ the entire premise - the entire thing is a false dilemma, it's not either/or
3.) Agree, but it's a state issue in many cases.
4.) Agree, to a point
5.) Life for millions of people is better w/out Hussein. Now, we're knee-deep, the worst thing to do is pulling out.
6.) I am also 100% pro-choice, luckily I don't know that there is a conservative enough Supreme Court possible to repeal Roe v. Wade.
7.) Implementation will be key; the concept is slightly askew, but the capability exists for some serious damage - I worry less about the President's role in this, though.
8.) Jobs and the economy have little to do with the sitting Prez, that whole "cyclical system" thing - however, I think the conservative, Republican concept is still the smarter long-term strategy.

Abortion, Universal Health Care, and social issues. I also believe in a balanced budget when the economy isn't in a major slump... if you spend more, you have to tax more (as much as it sucks to have so much taken out of my already small paycheck, I'd rather have that done than stop supporting programs that can help people with even less money than I).

I'm voting for Bush solely based on the military. After living through a 15 month deployment this strengthed my decision. I think that Bush gets a bum rap for all that is seen in the media. My husband just brought home four disks full of pictures that made me change my mind...nothing that has been shown on tv. I don't really care much for the other issues, because it's really just talk. Plus, there is just something about Kerry that I don't trust...whenever he's on TV my son cries. Bush will be here in Germany this week for the 1AD Homecoming Celebration...can't wait to hear what he has to say.

Am I the only one who can't wait for the election to be over? :(

aj

abortion and gay marriage.

i was raped when i was 15 and could very easily have become pregnant. luckily i did not, but if i had, it would have absolutely ruined my life. especially in cases of rape, i believe abortion should be legal. there is no way i could have provided for a child when i was still a child myself, and it would have just been one more strain on the welfare system. there are cases in which abortion is the best option.

and gay marriage becuase refusing them the same right as anyone else is blatant discrimination. public officials are relying on a religious definition of marriage when the constitution clearly states that there shall be a separation of church and state.

what kind of stuff made you change your mind? It actually surprises me how much hostility there is toward the war..yet many people in the military are voting for Bush.