What is the single most important issue to you this election year?

[Hugabear]

Iraq?

Health care?

Education?

Immigration?

Global warming?

Some other issue?

Just curious, if there are any single issues that are deal-breakers for people here. That is, if a candidate agrees with most of your views, but not on that one issue, then they won't get your support in the primaries.

For me, this is a tough one. I would say Iraq, but I'm almost resigned to the possibility that none of the Democratic candidates except Kucinich would really bring them home soon. So right now, my primary issue is health care. It's a friggin joke that the richest country in the world can't afford to offer basic health care to all of its citizens.

[KansDem]

1. Supreme Court

:scared:

[Hugabear]

4. Very good one

I think that alone makes it imperative that we don't allow the rethugs - especially someone as anti-woman as Huckabee - into the WH.

[HeraldSquare212]

2. War, war, war nt

[BOSSHOG]

3. #1 - the attack on our constitution by whiny religious zealots

followed very closely by the war, the economy and health care. But without the consitution it doesn't matter what 2, 3 and 4 are.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Iraq/Iran/Pakistan--we need someone with excellent judgment and

a diplomatic bent.

[Lasher]

6. I don't know if it's the main one for me but the economy is right up there

Particularly if you consider deficits/national debt part of the issue as I do.

[Faygo Kid]

7. Consigning George W. Bush and his neocon, anti-New Deal philosophy to the dustbin of history

It's time to move on, and to discredit and reject utterly this ugly episode in our history.

We may never recover from this first catastrophic presidency in our history, but I look forward to trying. It's probably too late on the environment, but may not be in terms of our economy and simple principles of justice.

[RuleOfNah]

8. Crime is campaign issue #1 for me.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/RuleOfNah/1

[blondeatlast]

9. I have no deal breakers or makers. I'm leaning to a candidate but comfortable with all of

them enough to be certain I'll vote Dem in November.

[Yael]

10. Healthcare, the war and restoring the Constitution

Equally

[Triana]

11. The CORE of all other issues is corporatism/corporatocracy - which affects ALL the rest...

...the corporate stranglehold on our gov't - which is why we've seen NO or only regressive progress on ALL of those other issues.

It is the CORE issue. Edwards is the one addressing it.

[RuleOfNah]

15. corporate stranglehold

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4064675&mesg_id=4064675

:party:

[Triana]

39. Exactly - I wish Naomi Klein would run - she's got their number...along with

Edwards and Kucinich - any or all of them could clean up that mess and shut out the robber barons.

[catnhatnh]

12. In my heart-return to the rule of law...

...In my head the coming economic meltdown...
Editted to add:The first is my dream,the second regards my survival.

[Uncle Joe]

13. I believe if global warming isn't addressed in a serious manner, nothing else will matter.

Thanks for the thread, Paint It Black.

[Raine]

35. I agree

and I never can understand why this isn't at the top of more people's most important issue.

[road2000]

38. I third it...

followed by every other issue Al Gore has spoken out about.

[radfringe]

14. getting the f**king republics outta the f**king whitehouse and congress

[BeFree]

16. Counting the votes as cast

And allowing a semblance of trust back into elections.

Otherwise the rest of your list don't matter for squat.

[Hugabear]

18. That can only happen once we have power

Thus, it's not really much of a campaign issue for me. One can only hope there will be such an overwhelming rejection of rethugs that it won't be close enough for the GOP to steal. And if the GOP is determined to steal the election one way or another, then promising to fix the process really won't matter.

[BeFree]

23. Only?

We have the power, but we ain't using it. We are allowing our votes to be managed by frigging machines and suspect election officials.

We either rise up and save our votes or you can kiss it all goodbye. Nothing else matters. Not one damn thing. Nothing will ever get done as long as the crooks know our vote doesn't matter. Right where we are today, with GWB leading the way, and you right in behind him, enabling his lead.

[Johonny]

17. Well

I see the economy and the Iraq war linked. There's no way to restore the American economy and continue sinking 200+ million a year into Iraq. I also see the Global warming, alternative fuels and Iraq war linked. I see education and health care as side issues. Neither can be addressed so long as the country continues to waste money on pointless war mongering. As for corporations... I'm neither for or against them. I don't mind corporate welfare for say, just so long as America gets a better "deal" for it's corporate welfare. Right now American society gets very little loyalty and benefits back for the vast amount of corporate welfare we give out. So I guess for me no candidate can start to right the country without getting out of Iraq and getting out fast.

[Fresh_Start]

19. excessive corporate influence over US policies

its the overarching disease which created
Iraq
Health care
Illegal immigration
Global warming
abandonment of the mentally ill unto the streets
abusive welfare reform

[Bentcorner]

20. The economy and health care.

[BooScout]

21. That the Democrats win the WH

I can compromise on just about anything if I have to but the one thing I can't compromise on is the thought of another 4 years of a Republican WH.

After that most imporant issue. The economy is most important now. Signs are imminient that it's going to tank BIG TIME.

Iraq and Health Care are very important to me too........but the downfall of the American Economy could lead to unbelievable chaos if it happens.

[Dogmudgeon]

22. The destruction of the current form of Conservatism

What there is now is not conservative, but a monstrous hybrid of post-modern Fascism (in the sense of the original Fascisti), Marlboro Light populism, adolescent war fantasies, and Machiavelli -- topped with a dollop of Jesus.

--p!

[IDemo]

24. Restoration of balance of powers and the Constitution

[Xithras]

25. The economy.

Then Iraq. Then Global Warming. Then Immigration. In that order.

As for deal breakers, I cannot support any candidate that advocates the violation of our civil liberties. From the Patriot Act, to the abortion issue, to gun control, ANY candidate who advocates a reduction in personal rights and liberties in exchange for a "public good, safety, or morality" position automatically loses my vote.

[mike_c]

26. Iraq-- not the ONLY issue, but the top of the list, hands down....

Followed by foreign policy, health care reform, the environment, living wages and other labor issues, preservation of civil rights and constitutional democracy, limiting the influence of corporations in American culture and politics.... The list goes on and on, but Iraq and foreign policy are at the apex.

[TomClash]

27. The economy and real wages nt

[WritersBlock]

28. Re-instating the Bill of Rights and prosecuting Bush, Cheney, et al for their crimes.

Because if we don't do both of those, we won't have a country to worry about much longer. Or at least not one recognizable as the United States of America.

[Adsos Letter]

29. Supreme Court...

for a return to Civil Liberties, and...if the economy tanks in a serious way I want a SCOTUS that will safeguard us from assaults by demagogues (from either side of the aisle) who might wish to further suppress Liberty under the rubric of "economic necessity."

[mnhtnbb]

30. Restoring democracy. We've had two stolen elections; the media

are serving their corporate masters rather than providing the information to people which is necessary
in a true democracy for citizens to make informed decisions.

I only hear John Edwards, of the top three, coming close to any of these issues.

[11 Bravo]

31. SCOTUS

And that's why the "I won't vote for (insert Dem candidate here) in any event", are short-sighted.

[Raine]

32. Global Warming...

nothing else matters when the existance of our planet is at stake. I don't understand why I seem to always be one the very few to list this as the most important issue there is. :shrug: :-(

[Annces]

33. Getting a democrat elected n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. Common decency. A rare trait among world "leaders".

[pinto]

36. Overall, I'd say accountability. A vague talking point, I realize, yet this Administration

has run roughshod over any and all accountability - from foreign policy, to domestic policy, balance of power and basic governance standards that it seems a good starting point for a new Administration.

:kick:

[dkofos]

37. Legitimate elections!!

[FreeStateDemocrat]

40. Corporate control of the Democratic Party until we fix that all the rest is just political theater.

[LucyParsons]

41. Corporate control of our government

This is the root of all the other problems.

[OhioChick]

42. The Economy/Outsourcing. n/t

[ileus]

43. taxes....