Photo: BBC

Obama 08

I usually vote for the Republican or Libertarian candidate for president, but this year I will be voting for Barack Obama. One reason is I’m really curious to see if having an African-American President will affect the racial dynamics in the U.S. But I will also be voting for Obama because the Republicans at the Federal level have lost my support due to the fiasco in Iraq, the warrantless wiretapping, the initiative to build a wall along the Mexico border, the Valerie Plame scandal, the controversy over the dismissal of U.S. attorneys, etc. The Chicago Tribune wrote about why they are endorsing Obama this year. The have never before endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate.

An excerpt from their October 17, 2008 article.

The Republican Party, the party of limited government, has lost its way. The government ran a $237 billion surplus in 2000, the year before Bush took office — and recorded a $455 billion deficit in 2008. The Republicans lost control of the U.S. House and Senate in 2006 because, as we said at the time, they gave the nation rampant spending and Capitol Hill corruption. They abandoned their principles. They paid the price.

We might have counted on John McCain to correct his party’s course. We like McCain. We endorsed him in the Republican primary in Illinois. In part because of his persuasion and resolve, the U.S. stands to win an unconditional victory in Iraq.

It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush’s tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them. He promises a balanced budget by the end of his first term, but his tax cut plan would add an estimated $4.2 trillion in debt over 10 years. He has responded to the economic crisis with an angry, populist message and a misguided, $300 billion proposal to buy up bad mortgages.

McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate–but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin’s exposure to the public. But it’s clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment’s notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.

[Update: I also forgot to mention the detainees being held in Guantanamo Detention Camp in Cuba and George Bush's position on torture.]

The Guilford County Libertarian Party will hold its regular bimonthly meeting on Thursday, June 22 at 7:00 pm at The Green Bean, 341 S. Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401. Discussion topics will include:

–County and city issues
–ballot-access fundraising phone calls
–Fun Fourth booth
–letters to the editor and press releases
–candidate recruitment
–board appointments
–other topics

Please join us if you can.

Grean Bean

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