Palin notwithstanding, what's the difference between

[XemaSab]

Obama and John McCain?

What would be different today if McCain had been elected? :shrug:

[jpgray]

1. Many, many things.

Not so much on Afghanistan, but on domestic issues? The differences are more than I could count. I have no overflow of respect for Obama's third way politics, but McCain would certainly be worse.

[XemaSab]

4. Can you provide a few specifics?

I'm feeling really down right now, and I need something to remind myself of why I'm still a registered democrat. :(

[jpgray]

7. Sure

The stimulus was extremely valuable for state governments and the unemployed; it cushioned what would have been a precipitous decline in employment. Dodd-Frank is riddled with flaws, but has its bright spots. Inserted in the bill is a mechanism for seizing, breaking up and selling off too big to fail institutions. It at least contains size caps and some limits on proprietary trading, though these are weak. It also created the CFPA which will be invaluable in combating predatory financial practices. There are naturally the Sotomayor and Kagan appointments, which at least hold judicial ground that otherwise might have been lost.

That's off the top of my head. The above is better than nothing, while McCain would have provided nothing or worse than nothing in many cases.

[XemaSab]

11. Thanks

:hi:

[MindandSoul]

14. And ending DADT and healtcare reform would not even have been considered!

[BzaDem]

2. Have you heard of the judicial branch of our government?

You know, the one ENTIRELY appointed by the executive?

They said there was no difference between Bush and Gore. 2 wars and 2 Supreme court justices later, Bush's appointees were able to author Citizens United. The biggest corporate electioneering empowering decision in generations, and one that will be with us for at least a generation.

Wanna see what a Republican replacement for Kennedy (for 30-40 years) will do? You're playing with fire.

[TheWraith]

3. What's the difference between George Bush and Al Gore?

They're all the same, right? :sarcasm:

I'm honestly disappointed to hear you perpetuating this nonsense. I thought you knew better.

[XemaSab]

6. I'm not perpetuating anything

I'm just asking. :shrug:

[TheWraith]

9. The difference should be glaringly apparent.

If we had President McCain, we wouldn't have ended combat operations in Iraq. Or a timeline for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Or the banning of recission. Or the extension of SCHIP. Or banning pre-existing conditions. Or banning lifetime caps. Or repealing DADT. Or passing the Lily Ledbetter act. Or appointing two new left-leaning women to the Supreme Court. Or reversed the Bush restrictions on stem cell research. Or passed the recovery act which saved millions of jobs. Or passed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and waste in defense procurement. Or initiated the closure of Gitmo. Or expanded Medicaid to 133% of the poverty level. Or expanded hate-crime protections. Or set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Or...

I could go on like this for awhile.

[cyr330]

5. Don't fool yourself. . .

It would be much, much, much worse. I am fucking tired of having to hold my nose when I vote, so I am in agreemment with you about how dismal Obama's first time has been up to this point. Nonetheless, let's not try to fool ourselves into believing that McCain would be no worse than Obama. In fact, that motherfucker would be 20 times worse!

[Skidmore]

8. Oh, if only a 1000 unrecs were possible.

for this inanity, I'd use them all and beg for more.

[cali]

10. really? you actually don't know?

that's quite remarkable.

[XemaSab]

12. I'm having a depressive moment

:(

[FiveGoodMen]

13. If McCain had been elected, this site would still oppose the wars.

The main thrust of Obama's presidency has been to make Dubya's policies acceptable to "Democrats".