I think in time you and the rest of the western world will come to accept the idea that Islam is our enemy! Give it some more time. But you and they will come around.

But my main concern is we got two idiots that the parties offered up and somebody is going to vote for both of them. One will win. They change daily to keep special interests happy and get their vote.
Both are useless IMHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both will not help the economy and both will bring on Globalization as well as other non American results. Come on is this the 2 parties have. Why can't w eselect the ones to run?

Of course all the issues listed are important.
The question then becomes which is most important?
I would add domestic energy policy to the list.

Let's start with domestic energy...

• we need to drill for our own oil instead asking the rest of the world to increase their supply
• not only does that help with the market but it stops us from indirectly financing terrorism
• we need to build more nuclear power facilities
• And, we need to bring those alternative energies to the market place
• all of these things will create good paying American jobs
  Right on the Mark: Oil, Oil Everywhere (but not a drop to waste)

Taking care of that one issue helps with a couple of issues.
It helps us fight terrorism by cutting off its funding.
Helps with healthcare --- which I'm sure you really meant health insurance because with more folks working & making money they certainly should be able to afford health insurance.
Of course the economy --- more jobs equals more spending equals a dollar value that should begin to increase
And, it addresses our lack of a coherent energy policy.

Now let's look at [illegal] immigration...

• Right on the Mark: The Immigrant Song
• Right on the Mark: The Immigrant Song (reprise)
• Right on the Mark: The Immigrant Song (reprise part II)
• Right on the Mark: ICE, ICE Baby
  
  Quote:

  Duncan Hunter told us the importance of a border fence during the May 15th South Carolina debate. Yeah, and I want to get into this, Chris, because you know, I built the border fence in San Diego. When I built that fence, we had massive illegal immigration across the border. We built the border fence; we reduced illegal immigration and smuggling of narcotics by more than 90 percent. And the crime rate in the city of San Diego fell by 50 percent. A reduction in illegal border crossings, a reduction in the smuggling of narcotics, a decline in criminal activity & creating new job openings is what border security & ICE collectively does for America.

• Right on the Mark: Just Here For A Better Life
• Right on the Mark: A Hummer, Illegal Drug Smugglers, And A Dead Border Agent

That pretty much explains my position on [illegal] immigration in a nutshell.
As you see, this one issue addresses the economy, terrorism & national security.

Climate change is another issue I have strong feelings about...

• Right on the Mark: Global Warming
• Right on the Mark: Live Earth
  
  Quote:

  I recently read that climate change is now being blamed for the fall of the Neanderthal. They never learned to adapt to their changing world. Apparently we haven't learned from history & are headed towards repeating it. I think it's about time we start focusing on how we can adapt to this warming instead of thinking we can change the climatic course we're on. If we don't learn to adapt we could become a footnote in history just as the Neanderthal.

• Right on the Mark: B.A.G.
• Right on the Mark: Getting Hot Over CO2
  
  Quote:

  The idea that CO2 is a pollutant almost brings a tear to my eye. I suppose oxygen will be the next gas to have a scientific consensus that it's a pollutant. You know, it's essential in all fires. If we could only eliminate oxygen we could stop all those wild fires raging in Florida & California.

The climate change issue in the end will be about raising revenue & globalization.

As for Iraq --- it's probably about time to come home but neither candidate is going to do that. They'll both talk with their advisors & the generals on the ground & they'll ask for more time & both candidates will give it to them. It looke like Iraq is starting to take a more active role in their own security. They've even talked about a timeline for withdrawal. I would like us to leave behind an able government. Although, I don't know if that's possible. For those who think we went there for oil --- I wish we'd just take the oil & come home then so I don't have to pay $4 a gallon.

There you go --- just a couple of issues takes care of the rest of the list.

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"To educate a man in mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." --- Theodore Roosevelt

Gordon

Did you watch this?

NO, I hadn't seen that until now. Although, I've heard Pickens speak on several occasions. He's also running some ads with the same basic message --- but focusing more on wind & solar; not so much the natural gas. The man knows what he's talking about. If you consider his points & add in more domestic oil production --- which by the way comes with huge amounts of natural gas --- we actually could come very close to energy independence. Any domestic production of oil, natural gas, wind farms, etc. is good for our economy & takes that money out of the hands of those who wish to do us harm.

How 'bout T. Boone Pickens for president...?...

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"To educate a man in mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." --- Theodore Roosevelt

I have had differences with him myself. But he is on the money here. And I'm glad you agree. I am not against more drilling in the U.S. but he's right that we can't drill our way out of this problem. And I think all this focus on drilling is a PR campaign to gain the public's support for government giveaways to energy companies. And that is what ticks me off. There are millions of acres of leases that are not being drilled now. So why the pressure for new leases? I think because the energy companies see the recent increase in oil prices as an opportunity to take advantage of American fear. They want environmental standards for refining to be lowered. They want cheap leases. They want more tax breaks. Generally speaking I am for low corp. taxation. But that is a matter of principle for me. I don't think it should be gained by manipulation.
We should be offering tax credits for every effort that home owners make to get off the grid. Geothermal for your home is about $10,000. You should be able to deduct those costs from your taxes for example.

The poll failed to mention 'securing our borders'... but I picked the immigration issue instead.

Note: the poll was only meant to hopefully generate discussion on the issues that we consider most important to us in determining who we will vote for this election cycle. I realize it isn't perfect. It wasn't intended to to be.

It's interesting to see the responses that everyone has shared so far....thank you!

There's much to be debated about the current land leases & whether or not the amount of oil there is profittable enough to warrant drilling (Remember, it's business & profit rules the day). While in those restrcted areas we know that the amount of oil would sustain drilling for quite some time. Plus, those restricted areas are said to have loads of natural gas as well.
I am for bringing every possible fuel to the market place, to include more domestic oil, so we can actually see a true free market system & the competition that goes with it. The lower the corporate tax the lower the cost to us --- because we all know that corporations don't pay taxes --- they just pass that overhead onto us through higher prices. So when politicians say they're going to make corporations pay --- what they really mean is that they're going to make us pay.

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"To educate a man in mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." --- Theodore Roosevelt

I feel the same way about the tax code. Its a catch all for lazy pols. Tax breaks for this and that is the only way they address the costs of anything. College prices out of sight. Both the leading candidates have one answer. Increased tax deductions. While we continue to ignore our own debt. I listened to McCain yesterday. He is doing so much pandering its ridiculous. He sounds as if he wants to give everything to everyone. What did Tocqueville talk about? Our government bribing us with our own money. Well its even worse. They are bribing us with money borrowed from our kids future. And like the pigs we have become we line up at the feeder.

Mikeyy --- I'm beginning to worry. You & I agreeing on an issue. This is scary. Could the end be just around the corner.

Now if we could just get our leaders to do the same --- maybe something positive would get done.

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"To educate a man in mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." --- Theodore Roosevelt