I have never been surprised by Obama's success, and thought he would win before he announced his candidacy. I can't believe everyone thinks it is a big deal that a Black man won the Democratic nomination. I wonder what is going to happen when he becomes President. The last President extended the power of the office greatly, and with Obama's popularity and the news media's general love for him, he will be able to extend it further. He may be seen as above criticism. While I don't see him as the anti-christ, I believe that we will fail to hold him accountable. I already have been disappointed by Obama, but many still think he is different. The fact is Obama does not have much of a political record. Sure, he is the only major candidate who hasn't faced a scandal.(Biden is a plagiarist, McCain was involved in the Keating 5, and Palin, like to fire people). I have watched the PBS documentry on him and McCain and his speech has really changed since he was at Harvard. A friend of Obama, even admited that Obama should run before he had a voting record to defend.

If Obama does what he says he will expand the Federal government, and play Robin Hood. He probably won't raise taxes alot, but he will increase debt, not that it wouldn't increase under McCain, but it would less so. Of course he has had some meeting with certain people, to assure them, he won't change their programs, NAFTA.

Now I like Robin Hood as much as the next guy, but he was an outlaw. Can the government do an outlaw's job? Besides is it constituional to tax one class of people, to give money to another?

I realized you can't rely on the news media, nor the entertainment media to inform you about candidates. Not even the candidates own tv spots are helpful. I decided to go straight to the web sites of the candidates to see what their plans are.

At first the websites look similar, after you get past Obama's page asking for money. Under the issues tab, we see some of the same issues, although Obama has more, and starts with Civil Rights(his list is alphabetical). They both include ones the other doesn't. These show their party's varying concerns. While Obama has things like civil rights, women and social security as issues, McCain has the 2nd Amendment, judical philosophy and human dignity and rights. Also, Obama has faith as an issues, which is surprisingly short, and is mostly about how is speech on face that stressed his lack of it as well as it's historical importance.

Each candidate has an energy plan, despite what people from both sides want you to believe. Both want a cap and trade system, both want a tax credit for clean cars(Obama's plan gives more money, for less specific thing), and to encourage alternate energy sources. One phrase caught my attention while reading Obama's plan. He supports a Windfall Profits Tax. What is that? I looked it up. It would be a tax on the profits of oil companies, American oil companies only. Making it essentially a excise tax. That would give the foreign oil companies an advantage. Of the major oil companies. Only ExxonMobil is American. Shell and BP are foreign and most of the world's reserves are state owned(77%). Also, McCain puts more emphasis on nuclear power, and expanding drilling.

On Taxes they seem to have different approaches. Obama seems to be buying votes with tax cuts. He says he give $1000 tax cut to middle class families. Thats a unfair if you ask me. A percent driven income tax requires you to work to get more money. A flat rebate, just gives everyone money, no matter how hard they work.

On trade, McCain talks more of protecting Americans from globlization, than encouraging trade. Obama however wants to reform "free trade" treaties, to give Americans the advantage, and use taxes to discourage outsourcing.

I would like to take this time to give my opinion on outsourcing. How come people complain about how America is so much richer than other nations, and yet are against sharing jobs with them? Who are we to say that we deserve our jobs more than other people? In China, they do the same day's work for less than we would do it in an hour. They are grateful for those jobs, because they are the best they can get. With out them they would be poorer. Time to stand up to labor unions, who are not defenders of American rights, but self serving monopolies that need to be regulated. Even an uncorrupt union's purpose is to get it's members the most money, for the least work.

I will continue later with national security, but I suggest  you read the details of each canidates plan's.

I am tired of the opinion of pundits, and decided to ask you for yours. Who are you voting for and why?