Originally Posted by W.E.B. Du Bois

I used to be a hardcore Obama supporter. Obama was like a knight in shining armor to me. Everything I respect in a politician: intelligent, eloquent, a uniter, also given that I am multiracial and so is he, I saw myself in Obama. His inexperience is a drawback, but that seemed be outweighed by other factors.

The recent Rev. Wright split has taken the shine off of Obama's armor in my view, and I've been in favor of staying in Iraq for a while now. I'm now trying to decide who I should support based upon policy.

The two main issues are this:

The right economic policy (Obama's)

or

The right foreign policy (McCain's)


I am not sure which I should prioritize. The poor and working class of our country need healthcare, but the people in Iraq need us to stay. I am not sure which one is more morally correct to prioritize. I think most people on this forum do not support staying in Iraq, but I'll just throw this out there anyway. Which issue is more important: making sure we get it right in Iraq, or getting the poor of the US healthcare?


WEB

-------------------
edit Dilemma solved for the moment

I've decided to vote for Obama, barring any unforseen events.

Months ago, before this controversy broke out, I talked to a poor guy in Maine and several other people and maybe persuaded them to vote for Obama. I've already cast my lot in with them. If I changed my vote now, then I would have mislead those people. I owe it to them to vote for Obama.

So, if nothing really huge happens, I'm voting Obama.

Originally Posted by TeaSea

You know, your reason for staying in Iraq is the only good one I've ever been able to think of. We created that mess, we are obligated to fix it, if possible. That is a big if.
Anyway, don't ask me why, but I suspect that Obama has just as well-developed a sense of moral obligation as we do - and he will not just precipitously pull out. The humanitarian cost would be too great.

As for healthcare, that is a very important issue to me, but what is even more important is education. Due to funding cuts, the 4th and 5th grades of the public elementary school my granddaughter attends will be combined next year into one classroom of 40 students. And this is Oregon, a state with a public education system envied by most other states.
Along with education, the other issue I would place above Iraq is alternative energy research and development.

Obama's pastor doesn't bother me, although I know he has been damaging. I don't think he has ever been a significant factor in Obama's life or opinions. Obama had long been an adult when their paths first crossed. And he's been a very busy man since then. Also, the media has, of course, picked the very worst examples it could find of remarks that pastor has made. I would guess that neither he (the pastor) nor his church are fairly depicted by those remarks.

Obama is going to be here, at the coliseum, on Friday. Tickets went on sale this morning and were all sold out long before I got home from work. Wish I could go, but I gotta work.