If Obama is re-elected...

[JoeyStylez]

A question for those here who will not be voting for Obama.

If he wins re-election, will you support him? Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't? Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

This is a serious question, try to give serious answers.

[Warfish]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

A question for those here who will not be voting for Romney.

If he wins election, will you support him?

If he earns it, as I see it, based on my ideals.

Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't?

Depends on the policy.

For example, if 100% wealth redistribution "works" to solve X, no, I still wouldn't support it.

Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

I expect them to "work with" Obama in the exact same way the (R) House "worked with" Obama to this point.

I.e. when they disagree on policy, there is in unbreakable impasse and Government does nothing (as it should).

This is a serious question, try to give serious answers.

Serious as a heart attack.

[quantum]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

A question for those here who will not be voting for Obama.

If he wins re-election, will you support him? Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't? Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

This is a serious question, try to give serious answers.

absolutely not. losing an election doesn't mean complete capitulation, and the abandonment of your principles.

[Trades]

Originally Posted by quantum

absolutely not. losing an election doesn't mean complete capitulation, and the abandonment of your principles.

Exactly but I also won't be rooting for "America to lose" which I think is what the OP is trying to get us to say. Sadly me rooting for "America to not lose" is often me rooting against Obama's policies since I feel many of them are to the detriment of America as I believe it is/should be.

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

A question for those here who will not be voting for Obama.

If he wins re-election, will you support him? Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't? Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

This is a serious question, try to give serious answers.

Let's put it this way -- I'll respect him a hell of a lot more than you respect US soldiers who fought in Vietnam.

[JoeyStylez]

Originally Posted by Trades

Exactly but I also won't be rooting for "America to lose" which I think is what the OP is trying to get us to say. Sadly me rooting for "America to not lose" is often me rooting against Obama's policies since I feel many of them are to the detriment of America as I believe it is/should be.

Yes that's what I was trying to say. I don't expect anyone to suddenly become his supporters, but we all want America to be great. When Bush II was re-elected, I prayed I would be wrong about what would happen. I was to an extent (we all managed to survive his second term), but I was right about him continuing to be complete garbage.

Regarding Warfish's answer, sad to say he may be right about Congress and their anticipated unwillingness to work with Obama if he stays. At some point they're gonna have to compromise with him. The average American voter is stupid, but sooner or later even they will realize that the political games have to stop and work needs to get done.

[jetman67]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

Let's put it this way -- I'll respect him a hell of a lot more than you respect US soldiers who fought in Vietnam.

Soldiers should always get the support of everyone. I believe we had no business being in vietnam, BUT the soldiers didnt have a choice, just like the soldiers in Iraq didnt have a choice. When the government says WAR, right or wrong, the soldiers have a duty to obey their orders. In turn we have a obligation to support the soldiers, pray/hope for their safe return.

[doggin94it]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

A question for those here who will not be voting for Obama.

If he wins re-election, will you support him?

I'm not sure what this means. Will I accord him the respect every president deserves? Absolutely; I do now. Will I insist that my congressional representatives enact his policies simply because he was reelected? Absolutely not; I'll continue to do what I do now, evaluate each on its own merits.

Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't?

If they're enacted? Absolutely.

Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

I would hope that the GOP members of Congress would work with him for the benefit of the country. I would also hope that Obama would work with the GOP members of Congress for the benefit of the country. Bipartisanship and compromise only happens when it's a two way street, and both Democrats and Republicans should recognize that neither party has a monopoly on good ideas and both have important contributions to make.

[Trades]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

Yes that's what I was trying to say. I don't expect anyone to suddenly become his supporters, but we all want America to be great. When Bush II was re-elected, I prayed I would be wrong about what would happen. I was to an extent (we all managed to survive his second term), but I was right about him continuing to be complete garbage.

Regarding Warfish's answer, sad to say he may be right about Congress and their anticipated unwillingness to work with Obama if he stays. At some point they're gonna have to compromise with him. The average American voter is stupid, but sooner or later even they will realize that the political games have to stop and work needs to get done.

Sometimes the right thing is to do nothing. This whole theory of "at least they are trying something" when that something is hemorrhaging other people's money a never before seen pace (TRILLIONS) to little or no effect then compromise on more of the same is stupid.

Obama and the Dems have been unwilling to work with the Republicans too. The 3 tiered checks and balances were set up to cause only the best legislation to get through rather than to allow for people to compromise to get their pet projects into legislation. It is a balance of power. We aren't supposed to just enact every idea these tools come up with. There is supposed to be lengthy debate to pull people across the lines not just compromise for the sake of compromise.

Now ask what America being great means to each of us and I am sure you will get a different answer with some intersecting points from every poster here. Personally, as a Libertarian, I think it is all about freedom. There is way too much government in our lives as it is and it is holding back American opportunities. Remove the road blocks keep and simplify regulations, laws and codes to make everything workable.

I am sure many of you feel there isn't enough government in our lives (because they have done such a great job so far).

[Warfish]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

When Bush II was re-elected, I prayed I would be wrong about what would happen. I was to an extent (we all managed to survive his second term), but I was right about him continuing to be complete garbage.

It must be deeply painful then, to have seen the past 4 years how Obama has basicly been Bush II's third term. Obama even has his own Iraq (incld. mismanagement and a cover up blamed on bad intel) in Libya. Obama has his own Medicare Part D in Obamacare. His own domestic failure and cover up in Fast & Furious. His own abuses of civil liberties (using all the same policies Bush II did). Etc, etc, etc.

Obama, for those who wanted more Bush, but prefer their Bush to wear a (D) instead on an (R).

Regarding Warfish's answer, sad to say he may be right about Congress and their anticipated unwillingness to work with Obama if he stays.

I can only hope. Our Federal law-creating Government works best when it doesn't work at all.

Imagaine if all these laws and regulations we already have were actually enforced and efficient! But no, that doesn't win elections, so instead we get a few dozen NEW laws and regs that will quickly not be enforced, and the cycel of Government existing only to create more duplicitive unneeded laws continues, and every law results in less personal freedom and liberty for the individual. No, I'll take utter 100% gridlock over that any day. If it's important enough, they'll find agreement, if not, I prefer nothign be done. Nothing is betetr than the wrong thing.

[chiefst2000]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

A question for those here who will not be voting for Obama.

If he wins re-election, will you support him? Will you hope that his policies work even if you think they won't? Will you expect the GOP members of Congress to work with him to benefit the country?

This is a serious question, try to give serious answers.

To answer plainly it depends. If he wins I would expect GOP members in congress to continue to check his power. We have seen what Obama does with full control of the house and senate and the resulting legislation has been terrible. If he changes his ways and looks to actually work with Republicans on compromises so be it. The problem is that he has shown no interest thus far in his presidency in doing so.

When it comes down to it however regarding the fiscal cliff Republicans will have to give in on the tax hike on small business that Obama is proposing. They will need to extend the Bush rates on middle income earners and the portion affecting 200K+ income people will revert to Clinton era rates. If that happens beware of the blowback that will hit the stock market. When Dividend and Cap Gains rate are set to jump people will be forced to liquidate holdings to take gains at the lower rates. The stock market will come down hard on this "forced selling" scenario.

[JoeyStylez]

Doggin, I agree with everything you said.

Warfish, you bring up a good point about Obama being just like Bush. Is it possible that he had no other choice, being that he knew the GOP would fight him at every turn? What I mean is, is it possible he decided to continue several Bush policies to get in the good graces of the GOP and (hypothetically) make it easier for them to compromise with him? I could be wrong, but that kind of reasoning makes political sense, no? Besides, say what you want about how Obama handled the end of the Iraq war, at least he didn't put us there in the first place.

Trades, I'm wondering if you feel the way you do...and I suspect many other Republican voters feel the same...why wasn't Ron Paul the GOP nominee? His views are much more closer to yours than Mitt Romney is. Romneycare ring a bell? I've said several times that I like Paul and would've probably voted for him had he won the nomination, and I'm not the only liberal who thinks that way.

[Trades]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

Trades, I'm wondering if you feel the way you do...and I suspect many other Republican voters feel the same...why wasn't Ron Paul the GOP nominee? His views are much more closer to yours than Mitt Romney is. Romneycare ring a bell? I've said several times that I like Paul and would've probably voted for him had he won the nomination, and I'm not the only liberal who thinks that way.

Probably because I am a Libertarian not a Republican though my Libertarian ideals lean more toward the Republicans because I feel more strongly about the conservative fiscal part of the platform than anything else. As much as I like a lot of what Ron Paul and Gary Johnson stand for I am realistic and feel that Romney is a realistic compromise when compared with another 4 years of Obama while my 2 favorite candidates are not really viable options at this time.

[JoeyStylez]

Originally Posted by Trades

Probably because I am a Libertarian not a Republican though my Libertarian ideals lean more toward the Republicans because I feel more strongly about the conservative fiscal part of the platform than anything else. As much as I like a lot of what Ron Paul and Gary Johnson stand for I am realistic and feel that Romney is a realistic compromise when compared with another 4 years of Obama while my 2 favorite candidates are not really viable options at this time.

Please don't take this as a personal attack, because it's not, but I really can't stand that line of thinking. If enough people vote for a particular candidate, it would absolutely be realistic. At some point, us voters HAVE to get past the D or R mindset. I don't blame you for thinking this way, hell I did the same thing in 2004, but this mindset really has to change. We all deserve to have more than just two choices.

[Trades]

Originally Posted by JoeyStylez

Please don't take this as a personal attack, because it's not, but I really can't stand that line of thinking. If enough people vote for a particular candidate, it would absolutely be realistic. At some point, us voters HAVE to get past the D or R mindset. I don't blame you for thinking this way, hell I did the same thing in 2004, but this mindset really has to change. We all deserve to have more than just two choices.

I agree but it isn't the votes that will get use there it is the media and they aren't about to sway from the party lines. I voted for Perot in 92 and he actually showed some decent numbers for an independent but then in 98 when there should have been some traction we went right back to the 2 candidates. One thing Perot showed us is that if a 3rd party does get votes if they don't have the draw to get votes from both sides it is the same as giving your vote to the guy you really don't have things in common with.

Why wasn't Gary Johnson invited to the debates like Perot was? He has a good platform. I think the internet is helping get out different views but it is going to take someone with a lot of money and fortitude to really push a 3rd party.