What is your biggest issue this November?

[goju]

For me, its the war. I want it stopped, I want us out, I want an end to the bloodshed. That is why, if he could win, I would vote for Nader. Conversley, if Kerry would toughen up on getting us out, I would be volunteering every free minute and dollar to his campaing.

Nader cant win and please dont attack me on his other issues. I realized a few weeks ago that I am single minded this election. I have resigned myself to voting Kerry but I hate, really hate, the thought of putting someone in the white house that wont get us out of Iraq as soon as is logistically, not politically, feasible. The only comfort I take is that Kerry wont pick any other fights around the globe that are unjust.

I have been talking to alot of friends and family lately and none of them seem to be on the same page as me. I cant believe that with everything that we know and everything that has happened that more people arent outraged by this war. To me, that is the only issue I care about.

When I hear a few dozen people disagree with me, I tend to think I might be off track. So, is it just my circle of family/friends that dismiss the war as a necessary evil? What single issue motivates you?

[rainy]

1. Real Change from corporate rule to people rule

I know that's dreaming but it is the only solution to today's ills as I see it.

[bowens43]

2. removing bush.

[rainy]

3. The war is part of the Corporate picture and therefore would

end if Corporations did not have so much power in this world.

[jjmalonejr]

4. Rebuilding America's relationship with the world

We need a president who will lead, not bully.

[democratreformed]

9. This is mine too. It's so much more than the war.

It's the attitudes that brought about the war. It's the ease with which so many supported it.

I keep remembering that, when I was studying the history of the Democratic party, a recurring them seemed to happen every so often in elections. That them was isolationism versus (what was it called) globalization(?). Anyway, there have often been struggles between one group that thinks the U.S. should be supreme and ignore the rest of the world and another group that thinks we should work together with the rest of the world. I think that's part of what's happening now. The Repubs think we should be in control of most of the rest of the world and whoever doesn't like can just be damned. If we don't like something, we'll just send our kids over there to kick some ass and bring 'em into line. That's why all the war news needs to be good news. God forbid we should appear to be losing. Their arrogance and ego could NEVER take that.

I guess my main issue is foreign policy. I don't think we can get by on the "Billy Bad Ass" mentality much longer.

On edit: Oh, and I think many of our domestic issues can be more easily solved when we work on this one.

[jjmalonejr]

35. We are in almost total agreement

[Yogi]

5. Jobs

n/t

[goju]

8. Hard to put jobs in second place

Im ok job-wise but I know too many people who arent. Reasonably well paying jobs with benefits should share top priority I guess. Frustration is setting in!

[mongo]

6. Preventing the US from becoming a Christian Theocracy

[flordehinojos]

7. The biggest issue for me this November is,

booting Boy Bush back to Crawford -- everything else will follow in place...
;)

[Upfront]

10. Hell No!

I am in complete agreement with you, and I understand your question. You are on the right side.

[Doosh]

11. it's the economy stupid

[leftynyc]

12. Supreme Court nominations

n/t

[sangh0]

13. Kerry' s phony smile

When will the people wake up and realize it's fake??!!!

[no name no slogan]

14. War, healthcare, corporate power in that order

Even though I'm unemployed, the war and our bloated military budget are #1. Unless we end the war NOW and reduce the $$ we spend on useless weapons, we won't be able to AFFORD anything else. The Pentagon budget eats nearly 1/2 of the total budget each year. We simple cannot afford to keep it in its present state.

After that, it's gotta be healthcare. I have a non-covered pre-existing condition, so I can't get "insurance" from most carriers. My COBRA benefits from my last employer cost $400/mo. My unemployment is around $1400/mo before taxes, and my mortgage is $900/mo. Thank Allah I'm married, otherwise I'd be screwed.

As Dennis Kucinich has said, we're already paying for single-payer universal healthcare, we're just not RECEIVING it.

Corporations have way too much power in this country, and control the heirarchy of both major parties. Until their power is reined in, we truly cannot live in a free country. Why should a non-living entity have more rights than you or I?

Still, I'm voting for Kerry, even though he won't do much about any of these three, according to his current positions. Yay.

[Killarney]

15. the insane tax cuts and the inept foreign policy

I think Bush is too extreme. He went to the extreme with his tax cuts and he went to the extreme with the neocon PNAC agenda.

[bushwakker]

16. Just give us the truth

[cprise]

17. Corporate power

...and related to that: MEDIA REFORM

[RuralRtWise]

18. Regaining power

Without power we are just street protesters. It's all about power and using it to make change.

[tedoll78]

19. Supreme Court nominees..

it pretty much covers all other issues, especially since the big issues are always invariably resolved in court..

[Seabiscuit]

20. Seeing Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Rice

in iron shackles.

[Green Lantern]

21. corruption

I agree with all the goals expressed here, but I am afraid that we will not succeed in restoring democracy of we do not deal with the greed, graft and corruption in gov't. It is that which makes all else possible, the wars, the tax mess, the loss of jobs etc etc.

We have a process which needs restoration before we can effectiveily deal with the other issues (other than dumping Bushwa and sending him where he belongs-perp walk)

So the issue for me is corruption.

[question everything]

22. The Supreme Court

One or two justices will retire and Bush wants new ones in the mold of Scalia.

This can influence our lives for many years to come.

Whatever other issues people have, including the war in Iraq - at some point they will reach the Supreme Court.

[CaTeacher]

23. my biggest concern is peace in

the Middle East--which will only be found by helping the Palestineans create a viable state.

[cynthia]

24. a government for the people

not the corporations. Right now they run everything, and the loopholes have to be closed so that the economy will turn around.

[IndianaGreen]

25. The war and the PATRIOT Act

and they will remain issues even in July 2005, during the Kerry Administration.

[auburngrad82]

26. The dismantling of the government

My big concern is to stop the dismantling of government programs that have meant so much over the years. Every week the Bush administration is rolling back some environmental protection statute in the interests of their big business contributors, working to destroy social security, civil rights and medicare (all democratic party creations) and increasing the deficit that our children and grandchildren will have to deal with for decades to come. We need to get them out of Washington before it's too late.

[MichiganVote]

27. Don't be surprised if

John Kerry does pull out of Iraq within a year. To rebuild relationships among internationals, share and share alike will be part of the bargain. It will happen. Watch and see.

[randr]

28. The most important issue for me is to

remove the incompetent, immoral, self serving cabal that has not only taken our country from us but has convinced a large portion of our population that they have any integrity at all.
I have come to understand that one difference between the Dems and Reps is that the Dems are not afraid of the man behind the curtain.

[Zynx]

29. Iraq is the biggest reason I am going to kick Bush out of office.

However, VERY close behind it are the budget and healthcare. We need to turn around our long-term fiscal situation in order to preserve this nation's economic health and something must be done about the healthcare crisis in this country. Those are the reasons that I will vote FOR Kerry rather than just against Bush.

[Toronto Ron]

30. It's everything. All the above:

These fucking oilmen don't give a shit about anybody or anything other than the money/power possessed by them and the other few hundred Ken Lay types in the country.

[bigwillq]

31. Economy, jobs, education, health care, environment

human rights, national security would be on the top of my list. Clearly, I am more concerened about domestic issues.

I am however concerned about this war because it affects are domestic issues.

Imagine if we had that $125+ billion to spend on say education or health care. Pick your issue and that money would go to good use.

I guess if we didn't go to war in the first place that maybe our deficit wouldn't be that high.

I didn't want to go to the war in the first place but as of this moment, I'm still uncertain what our next course of action should be in Iraq.

[blindpig]

32. the environment

As bad as the war is, and it is really, really, really bad, what bu$h is doing to the environment will be harder to fix, if fixing is possible. I would include Corporatism/trade here. Kerry has an excellent LCV score but his stand on corporatism/trade is much less satisfying. Nonetheless, one hell of an improvement.

[skygazer]

33. For me, there is no one issue

It's too big, there's too much of concern going on. The war is obviously a top priority. Unfortunately, I don't see any way we can just get out now. We've destroyed a country, right or wrong (IMO, wrong) and it would be morally wrong to simply leave it in chaos. That said, we are making no friends there and need to enlist international help to ease our position as military dictators, something Bush can't do because he has no international credibility.

But the domestic situation is just as important - health care, the economy, the environment. So I guess my big issue is getting Bush out of office because nothing will change with him there. Will it with Kerry? I don't know but I think to some extent. What I hope is that we can learn from all this and dispel some of the horrible apathy that grips the American people. So many people don't vote, don't care. Maybe THAT's the biggest issue.

[LiberalPersona]

34. Two things

1. The energy crisis, which Bush would never acknowledge and do anything about.

2. Our rights to privacy, which bush is causing to deteriorate.