I am just now finding this Q. You posted while I was sick and not participating.
I voted for Barack Obama. I am a non partisan voter. I choose who to back by individual qualities rather than party.
When GW ran, I was opposed to him immediately. When he won re election I was dumbfounded by the blindness of so many.
I did not vote Obama only because he is a democrat. There were a lot of men and women tossing their hats into the ring at the same time Obama surfaced. I followed debates, and weighed what each candidate stressed as their areas of highest concern.
Over his presidency, there have been times when I shook my head and went, “Tsk tsk tsk”. Mostly the man has impressed me. He has pulled together a good body of support in spite of rigorously engineered republican opposition. As previously mentioned, who a President chooses to advise and support him is crucial to their success. I think Obama has made some pretty good choices there.
One very important thing Obama has done has been not about what he did for our country directly, but what he has done for the office of President of the United States. He has restored an air of integrity to a position which has been bastardized by so many of his predecessors. No floozies, no drunken tangents, no spouse abuse, no paternity issues, no staring blankly into space when faced with crisis situations. He faces danger, opposition, and obstacles with dignity, calm resolute dedication, and a desire to be fair and final.
He has tackled a great many issues, and occassionally there will be some which even cause him to say, “Well, that probably should have been handled a little better.”
He is a very intelligent man, but he has the ability to speak in such a way that people with even marginal education levels can grasp what he’s trying to impart.
No matter who is in office there are those who will launch verbal attacks to discredit the one currently in office. What was the main complaint the first few weeks of Obama’s presidency?
“He still hasn’t completely quit smoking”, and, ” Dear gawd, his wife wore sleeveless to meet the Queen!”
Have you watched Farenheit 911? It says a lot about how previous international dealings were focused mostly to personal profit/benefit.
In comparison, I see Obama heavily focused on home, and issues directly facing the people who populate the country he was voted to care for.
In regards to the VA, as a veteran of the US Navy, I can say with firsthand knowledge that those issues existed well before Obama took office. I feel it is his willingness to deal with such situations which allowed those issues to gain public attention, at long last.
I don’t agree with Barack Obama 100%, but then, I don’t believe Michelle does either.
Just because I stronly opposed GW, and strongly support Obama does not mean the next presidential election I will be voting for a democrat. If Hillary runs, I will be seeking another option for sure. I think she has a lot of skill and experience, but I do not believe she has what is neccessary to run the most influencial nation on Earth.
Without a doubt, whoever I support MUST be someone who can keep their cool under pressure, but not because they are sociopath, such as at least one political powerfigure of the recent past.
A capacity for diplomatic relations is important.
Who they choose to seek advice from is crucial.
Always there is lots of hype. Watch closely when someone says they plan to tackle a particular situation. Do they support that with deep research and data with which they are familiar, or do they wave around a thick file which may or may not be blank inside, and expect you to be convinced without really detailing anything?
I am glad you want to make an informed decision. I have given you quite a lot of my own thoughts here, you asked. Don’t decide according to how someone else feels though. I wrote all of this so you could see where my head is on the subject. You have other input here also. Use it to get an understanding of what makes sense to you, not to follow or oppose someone due to how you feel about that individual. Savor the advice and passion from each person who will speak up, then look at what makes you feel the same way.
I wish you good luck in following events and people to make your choices.