LXA- You're right issues are personal, but generally there are two sides and most people take a stance one way or another on the issue. It is good to know what issues the candidates support and oppose because most people choose the candidates based on that.
At its heart, the first post was my questioning of George Dubya's ability to handle the job he is applying for and I still don't believe he can. I think that this is evidenced not only in the debates, but also throughout the rest of the campaign, where George has shown time and again that he does not have the firmest grasp on his own plans and stances on each of the issues. To me the debates were merely an extension of this show of incompetence. This election should not be a popularity contest. The candidate should not be voted for because he comes across as "nicer".
AXO and LXA- The comment that I made about abortion was not really to discuss the issue or take sides on the issue but to say that George Dubya's proposed intiatives involve quite a bit of big government as well and quite a bit of governmental involvement in the personal lives of the "people". Both of the candidates are "big government" candidates. The difference is in where the government comes in. So this also should not be reduced to a race between the "Big government" party and the Small Government party.
I won't debate (particularly on-line) the abortion issue, because a discussion like that can only get ugly and it really is the individual choice.
Some one mentioned tax cuts. One of the (many) clinchers for me was that George Dubya never once refuted--though he had plenty of opportunity-- Gore's claim that the majority of his tax cuts would benefit only the richest 1%. He never refuted this claim, not during the debates, not in the days that have followed. That leaves the other 99% of us (and I am included in that number) receiving significantly less benefits from this billion dollar tax cut.
I think that we should just agree to disagree. I am not going to change your mind and you are not going to change mine. I find it rather frustrating to have these sorts of debates on-line without knowing anything about the people with whom I am debating. I by no means concede defeat, but I find the going back and forth here fruitless. I would like to thank mg433 (I hope you don't mind that I shortened your name.) for posting the website. Bottom line-people should make an informed choice.
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