and that is your choice....but IMO I do have some issues with him. I don't think he is evil, but I don't think he is wonderful either

Obama gave us freshness compared to the old coots we kept voting in. He has high ideals and expects humans to act civilized towards each other. He is not a warmongerer nor is he hatemongerer like we have become accustom to. His liberal ideals are spackled with self responsibility. He sees the world as a community not a spattering of warring nations. He sees all humanity in one.

Facing what he faced here coming in, he is doing the best we could expect from any president.

There is nothing wrong with him apart from him being an imperfect human just like all of us.

but yet there is talk of going to war with Iran and N Korea????

either way....that is how you feel...I don't share the same feelings. and I don't like Bush either.

What other philosophies do we have in a democratic republic?

rather idealistic, and I seriously doubt he actually holds those opinions and visions. It's not the type of thing that makes someone a viable candidate in this country unfortunately.



Best we could expect considering what our choices were. I prefer to expect a bit more than that.



Being dishonest (and in all fairness he couldn't have gotten elected if he honestly told people what was going to be happening over this first year) is not a quality I respect.

Seems more logical than voting "personality".Thats how we got "Bushed". Twice.

rush`s oxy contin abuse? lol

They are rather numerous but the ones I tend to identify most closely with include some parts of both liberal and conservative philosophies. And a recognition that the world is not black and white but full of color. Though people tend to gravitate toward opposite polls there are still many variations and those that open their eyes can see them.

I have NO problem giving credit where credit is due and even posted a story (surprisingly people didn't post in much) about him on D-Day because I thought it was moving. but I won't sit qquietly either when I don't agree with something else. just like with anyone....I'm the same

as well as I can see things wrong with blaming one man for the past economy but the present sitiuation...the president has nothing to do with. the bills go through the House and the Senate then signed into law by the president. that's how this country works. it's not ONE person to blame. they may be partially to blame but not fully to blame. and I have said this MANY times

Again Davey, I agree with the sentiment of what you are saying but you basically (perhaps inadvertantly)just admitted there is only liberalism or conservitism.You believe in a mix. Thats great. But as I have said already, in a democratic republic the two governing philosophies are liberalism or conservitism.The way all democratic republics are. A person can certainly believe in a mix of the two philosophies (and most people do) but there are still only these two philosphies regardless of how many parties there are. That is what I am saying Davey.No matter how many parties you have it will still come down to these two governing philosphies.Some may be more moderate than others but it still comes down to those two philosophies

I diaagree with most of what you said here.

What I listed were differences I have seen from what we had before, not what he would describe himself.

I do not believe he was dishonest at all. He told us it was going to be bad, he told us it was going to get worse before it got better, etc... So there was no dishonesty there. He hasn't even been in office for 6 months yet and he is already being blamed for all of our problems since Reagan.

Do you think though..that parties claiming being "conservative" are not conservative whatsoever?

Example: The Republican Party. They have decided on the path (in a downward spiral) of neo-conservatism, which is a lot different than the original "conservatism".

This is why they are failing, they wrecked and dismembered the party and it has nothing to do with what the dems say or not say, it has everything to do with sharp disagreements within the GOP.
Once they get rid of the neocons such as Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingritch and similar , the GOP could have a chance to become strong again.

Until then....enjoy of being ripped into pieces.

I am neither conservative nor a neo con.

For all those saying Obama is destroying the economy, how many of you guys voted for Bush? You know, the guy who "inherited" a budget surplus (which is a debatable statement) and turned it into record deficit. Yes a lot of conservatives blame the majority Democratic Congress for those issues (the Dems only had a majority the final 2 years, the Republicans held both presidency and congressional majority for 6 out of his 8 years). And even when the dems did have the majority they didn't have enough to override a veto.

I don't hate the totality of the private sector, but the conservatives who want deregulation, and who are always saying the gov't needs to get out of the way of the private sector....the private sector solves everything. You guys do realize the private sector, along with a complicit government, is at fault for a lot of this mess. Even Greenspan who championed the deregulation now admits he was wrong to trust the banks and lenders.
Obama hasn't completely been the breath of fresh air that a lot of people were hoping for. He's flip flopped on more than one occasion....pst..here's a secret...THEY ALL FLIP FLOP when it's convenient..it's politics.



A rise in racial tensions? In what way?
Shoot down Korea's missles...how? There's still debate among experts whether a total missle defense system is even feasible. It's not like Korea launched missiles at us I believe that the missiles used in the tests so far were short range. There was no chance of us shooting them down before they hit. And if we tried to shoot them down and missed? what then, it would only embolden the N.Koreans as well as the terrorists we have been fighting for many years.

As for us attacking N.Korea, sure, sounds great if the world consisted of us and them, there's also China who holds most of our debt. China is N.Korea's ally, this is an area that must be tread very carefully.

Erosion of bill of rights? Aren't the conservatives the ones gung ho about the patriot act?

There's plenty of blame for both sides but face facts the conservatives lost the election due to a shoddy performance for 8 years. Like anyone in their right mind was going to ask for 8 more years of the crap we just went through.

Illegal immigration...have you even seen McCain's former votes and bills on the subject? (he has supported mass amnesty in the past)

And how is this supposed to be paid for? Mandatory health care insurance is like what happened when Auto insurance was made mandatory, let the ass rape begin! Here is some logical thinking, what justifies the high cost of doctor's visits? What justifies the over the top costs of medication? What justifies us handing money to someone else so they can garner profit from us while we have to eat a deductible at every visit? Not all health care is the same.

Socialized medicine does not work. Why do think so many Mexicans rushed our boarder during the swine flu epidemic? If their health care is so cheap why didn't they go to a doctor in Mexico? Now who paid for all that illegal alien health care?

Until you can offer a way to pay for it that does not mean additional taxes and makes sense forget it. It can't happen because of how much it will impose on an already money hungry congress.

Mexico healthcare system:


Mexico’s Health Care System in Plain English

Mexico fosters three unequal, yet parallel systems of health care. There are six government-run social security institutions that provide care for approximately 50 million of Mexico’s gainfully employed. The uninsured poor, comprised of about 40 million Mexicans, receive limited health-care benefits administered by the Ministry of Health of Mexico. The private sector, which represents about 3 million Mexicans, is comprised of individuals whose health-care funding is met through private insurance carriers. We will limit our discussion to the two health organizations that are accessible to travelers and expatriates living in Mexico.

Social Security
The largest and most notable social security organization is the Mexican Social Security Institute or IMSS. The IMSS is available to foreigners residing in Mexico and is funded by contributions from employers, beneficiaries, and the Mexican Government. (Click here to learn how to apply for IMSS health insurance.)

Hospitals and clinics that provide medical care for Social Security recipients vary in quality. While major urban institutions may provide adequate to advanced tertiary care, rural hospitals often have outdated equipment, long waits, and inadequate staffing. MedToGo did not review Social Security doctors or hospitals for this guide, so if you choose to see an IMSS doctor, you will have to do your own research. Please note that in the IMSS system, you cannot choose your primary care provider. Therefore, your access to care (and hospitals) is regulated by your assigned physician.

Many of the doctors we have listed in this guide see patients in an IMSS clinic as well as a private practice setting. One way to circumvent the IMSS referral process is to see a doctor with IMSS privileges in private practice. Then, have that doctor refer you to the best IMSS facility for care (through the IMSS system). Social Security costs for medical care and prescription drugs are far lower than in the United States.

The Private Sector
In general, private medical care in Mexico is preferred; up to 25 percent of patients with Social Security benefits or no coverage at all prefer to pay out of pocket for private care. Since health care in Mexico is generally much less expensive than in North America, cash payment is still an affordable option. The cost for a general medical consultation may begin as low as US$20 (of course, costs rise in major cities and tourist destinations). Very few Mexicans have private health insurance, but this sector is growing.

Private hospitals in Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City offer some of the most advanced tertiary care centers in the world. Tertiary care is advanced care (i.e., cardiovascular evaluation and surgery, neurological evaluation and surgery, orthopedic surgery, hemodialysis, organ transplants, among others) that requires highly specialized skills, technology, and support services. Most of the doctors in these hospitals have had excellent Mexican medical education, and many have trained abroad in Europe or North America.

Be warned: most private hospitals do not accept any form of foreign health insurance, and require cash or credit payment prior to admission or treatment. However, if you are injured or in grave health, a private hospital will attempt to stabilize your condition and then transfer you to a government or Social Security hospital.

There are also very good medical centers in many smaller cities frequented by tourists. Private “hospitals” or clinics in rural destinations tend to be owned by groups of local physicians with varying levels of training. Their facilities and technology are typically outdated, but are adequate to manage minor illnesses.

Patients with advanced care requirements should always be transferred to one of the tertiary medical centers listed in the Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide. You should consider any hospital with a 4/5 or 5/5 MedToGo rating as advanced (see book for rating system criteria). Because of the great variability in physicians and hospitals, we highly recommend that you use a reference such as this guide prior to consulting with a private, rural physician.

Ministry of Health
Nearly half of Mexico’s 100 million inhabitants have no health insurance benefits at all. Their preventive care is limited to vaccinations and oral rehydration programs for children. Care in this sector is extremely limited. For example, infant mortality is ten times higher here than in the parallel private sector. Red Cross or Cruz Roja hospitals service the poor and are accessible to anyone in Mexico regardless of their ability to pay. We cannot recommend that travelers seek care in this sector unless there are no other options.


Travel Insurance
Expat Insurance
Global Insurance



Now, Canada has universal healthcare and so does England and they have had for a long time. I works for them. It is not perfect as none will ever be but it does work.

Not at all I said they were numerous. Simply too much so to list out. What I was saying was that the philosophy I identify with has elements of both parties. Not all of have that and some include beliefs that would not be found in either party including but not limited to the extreme of anarchy and there is a communist party and the list goes one. I just don't identify with any of those ideals. That you can only see the black and white of it doesn't really surprise me, but it does disappoint me. If people can begin to see all the variations that are possible then we are doomed to this endless cycle, which will eventually collapse in on it's self... assuming we are not on the brink of that now.

call me whatcha like just call me

Don't worry. I have your #

I kinda take offense to this lol. I am far from republican.