Topic : A Barack and McCain...

Obama could possibly "ruin" the US, but not from refusing to wear a pin or stating his allegiance.  We agree that it's a trivial matter, except I attach an iota of significance to it (as yet another example of flip-flopping as seen in his refusal of public campaign finance) amd you do not.

If Obama ruins the country, it could be that he's a junior senator from Illinois with no experience, no grasp of foreign policy (we could see a mushroom cloud over DC, courtesey of Iran), and repeating an inept energy plan, like his Dem counterparts in Congress who impede domestic drilling (which is why we still pay over $4/gal for gas).  He could withdraw troops from Iraq too early, and all the infrastructure we've worked for (Iraq has a Navy, new schools, and businesses) and tax $$ to fund it, falls to Iran-funded Iraqi insurgents, overrunning the area with madrassas and jihadist violence.

If McCain ruins the country, it would be from inability to grasp economic plans (an area he's admittedly weak on), but his energy plan would help alleviate the devastation.  Also, the Supreme Court judges he appoints could end up "ruining" the country, depending on how they interpret the Constitution and set a precedence for using it as toilet paper-so to speak.  Also, on how sturdy his spine is to stand up to Congress and how easily molded he is by those around him.

Time will tell, but both have a potential for "country ruining" as exacerbating our situation and doing more harm than good. 

The pledge isn't just words, it is a promise.  It may be a choice of a person if they want to pledge allegence to our country or not, but if you are wanting to HEAD that country, don't you think that you should at least feel comfortable enough to promise your allegence to it?  The very fact that he choses not makes me wonder why he would want to run a country he doesn't believe in.  He has a minister who teaches racisim and a wife who hasn't ever been proud of our country (and she wants to be first lady of somewhere she is ashamed of) and he has ties to extremists in the family he does talk about along with muslim upbringing.  Now I am all for freedom of religion but why would we want someone with a muslim upbringing to head our country while we are at war with a muslim country?  Could you imagine someone who's has family ties in Japan running for president during World War 2?  It speaks out as conflict of interest!  This is a time for a strong leadership.  Bush is not a popular president and I do understand why people feel that way, but he at least took a stand on terrorism when we had it on our soil.  It hasn't happened again on our soil, has it?  Yes our budget has been blown beyond help. I wonder how good of shape the country would be in if  Gore would have gotten voted in to office in 2000 instead of Bush.  How would he have handled 9/11, hurricane Katrinia and all those other disasters that helped ruin our budget?  Would he have secured our country?  Would he have been able to and keep the budget?  Would he have "gone over and talked with them" like Obama claims he would?  My question to Obama is how would he handle another terrorist attack if it should happen? 

Bush also gets the blame for the gas prices.  I googled it and you know what?  Gas prices only raised $1 in the first term of Bush.  It wasn't until 2006 when demorcates (yes I voted them in too) took over senate that the gas prices raised so dramatically (Almost $3 a gallon since Clinton was in office).  The economy is bad because WE THE PEOPLE have caused it to be.  We want cheap, so the imports from China shut down our factories.  It is the US citizens who are making China rich enough to afford those very wepons we worry about now.  We need strong and smart leadership, but we also need to take on protecting ourselves from financial downfalls.

I will be voting for John McCain in the fall. He isn't my first choice and I must admit I'm not too excited about the upcoming election, but with the choices we have I feel he is the most qualified. I just hope people will really listen to the issues and not just vote for someone because he can give a good inspirational speech.

I don't care if Obama wears a pin or not. I just don't feel he is experienced enough to head the most powerful military in the World or the most powerful country in the World. Plus I don't trust his judgment, I can't get over the Reverend Wright comments. There is an old saying, show me who your friends are and I'll show you who you are. I can't believe you would sit in a church for 20 years with a preacher who is preaching hate and not be so offended that you would get up and walk out. I think  deep down he either agrees with Reverend Wright or wasn't offended at all. 

He's just another politician, he will say anything to get elected, just like they all do. Trust me nothing is going to change when Obama being elected except we will have less disposable income because we will be busy paying for the Democrats socialist programs.   

OK, you have a point, not wearing a pin doesn't mean you aren't a patriot.  I am sure we all understand that part. 

Now lets change it a little.  Say someone who is wanting to marry you says to you that they want to be your husband but doesn't want to wear the wedding ring or have vows because it isn't important to their love for you, they just want to go in and sign a certificate to become your husband.  Would you trust that he loves you beyond doubt?

Obama wants to move into the head of our country.  He doesn't want to say the pledge.  His refusal to wear the pin isn't as important as the not saying the pledge in my eyes.  The pledge is a promise made to the country that you accept this country as your own, as your only country, much like wedding vows are a promise to accept this person as your own, to become one with him/her.  If he is unwilling to take these vows with the pledge, I question why, and how could we want him in the most powerful position in our country.  The pin is like a wedding ring, you wear it to show others that you have given your allegiance to that country.

Very good analogy!

I don't have a major problem with him not wearing the pin, maybe it's because my husband doesn't wear his ring, I guess that's an issue for another board LOL. I do however have a problem about him not saying the pledge. I didn't even know he refused to say it, I guess I should read the earlier posts. Was that covered in the mainstream media?

My father in law who use to teach middle school at a low income school once told me that when his students refused to stand for the pledge he would tell them as long as the government is paying for their lunch they better stand and give honor to that flag. Yeah he was old school, but don't worry he's no longer teaching.

What is Obama's reason for not saying the pledge? If he is elected is he going to have a problem with saying the oath of office? 

I had to research this. There is no incident of Obama refusing to say the pledge. There is a video of him without his hand over his heart at a Steak Fry (?) event while the National Anthem was being sung. Although, military code states the hand should be over the heart unless you are in military attire, historians have stated that this practice has been debated and dying out for a while. Actually, ALL the people in the picture are violating the code as they are not facing the flag, but holding their hands to their hearts with their backs to the flag. 

The whole issue is moot. It never happened.