Now I will address your well thought out points if I may:

‘As a Libertarian, I believe the ONLY requirement of the federal government is to protect me from harm.”

You personally? How noble of you? How about our interests overseas?

With your isolationist beliefs we should not have entered WWII since they were coming for us. The old saying, and I’m paraphrasing here…When they came for the Jews I did not nothing as I was not a Jew. When they cam for the gypsies, I did nothing as I am not a gypsy etc…..When they came for me, there was no one to do anything for me.

“As the world continues to lapse into utter chaos, do you feel that our military is prepared for it?”

Prepared for what? If it comes to it the draft will be implemented again, then your children or relatives can continure to fight in the war Bush II wanted. Also, we created a lot of the chaos to begin with. I’m pretty sure we provided Bin Laden with arms and training in the 1980′s. Look it up.

We didn’t send enough troops into Iraq to begin with and are constantly reminded of their enlistment rates. So, this one should be a no-brainer.”

Who said we should have sent in any troops? How about if we were able to get a coalition of the willing to lessen the burden on our troops. The military is now accepting non-high school graduates into their ranks….desperate?

2. Cut social programs.
“Specifically, which one? Funding for social programs grew exponentially under Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. Our government has spent more money on social programs in the last eight years than any other time in history.”

Agreed, there is a lot of pork in the programs. So both sides are to blame here huh? In the same time how has our spending on military kept pace? You never hear of a Republican looking to cut military. Especially any Republican that used to work for Halliburton.

“A Republican president did more for AIDS relief in Africa than any other politician in the world.”

hmmm, interesting. Do you have specifics? I though Bush was busy waging war and looking for the evil doers.

3.
“Marriage is not a right. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are.”

Who are you to say that marriage is not a right? As a libertarian you want the government defining marriage? Seems counter to your core belief of non-interference.

“And Obama opposes it, too. And Obama didn’t take to the floor of the Senate and decry the marraige amendment act as “antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans”. John McCain did.”

Obama is the lesser of 2 evils. I don’t really care for either.

“They believe all life to be precious. I think it is a noble outlook, but flawed. While I don’t support overturning Roe v Wade, I certainly don’t see the harm in trying to lessen the number of abortions per year. ”

Why not lessen the number of abortions? Do the world is grossly overpopulated as it is. What is one less unwanted child? That, by the way, you and I have to pay for (i.e. welfare, govt. assistance, etc…)

“I would just rather see it done outside of government interference or influence.”

fair enough? So let the states decide then? I would agree with that.

4) Non-Usage of embyonic stem cells that may cure a myraid of diseases.
“John McCain supports stem cell research. He just doesn’t support creating a life simply to destroy it for research. And I don’t support federal funding for it at all. Not for ethical views, but due to the fact that it is more wasteful governmental spending. 12 states currently fund stem cell research (and half of them are embryonic), and what massive discoveries have been made?”

tell that to Christopher Reeves, oh wait a second….. Also ,we fund for cancer research, but last I checked that is still uncurable (e.g pancreatic, lung etc…)

“Please, I would really like to know so I can research it. I would be willing to change my own opinion if there have been major discoveries made. The key word in your statement for me was “may”. When it “does”, then maybe I would consider it.”

People want to believe the gov’t is doing all they can to cure diseases. As for major discoveries, they will come in time. I’m sure Jonas Salks had his detractors as well. And last I checked Polio was not a major problem, in this country at least.

5) .Skepticism of global warming and it’s consequences.
“Please look up John McCain’s stance on this. He is right there with you.”

McCain will do nothing about Global Warming, same as Bush who he voted 90% the same way on for all issues. Look that one up. He may think one thing but his actions tell the tale.

6) 6.Shoot first ask questions later mentality (i.e. Iraq war).
“Please look up the statements of prominent Democratic leaders between 1998-2002 regarding Iraq. They were behind it until it became poltically unpopular. Then they all ran for cover. Clinton believed that Iraq had WMDs when he left office.”

Re: Clinton : But he had NO PROOF. That is the difference in presidencies. With his lack of proof he did not take action. Seems prudent to me. I sometimes think I can fly, but without proof I may think twice before jumping off a building. My point is, there are some things you can not take back. You commit to fight, you fight. But you had better be damn well sure. And you better have some backers willing to help.

“Hillary and several other Democrats believed that they did when we invaded (I can provide quotes if you need them).”

So what, she was supporting her president. And as information changes, opinions change too. Still was not her decision to invade. She was never commander in chief last I checked.

“And President Bush screwed it up. ”

Finally we agree! You just summed up his whole presidency in 6 short words. If they ever mint a coin of him that motto should appear on the back.

“John McCain said so. He was just as frustrated as we were, and he called Rumsfeld the worst Secretary of Defense in history.”

So, because McCain said so. Listen, McCain is more of the same.

Thanks

Do you really believe that weak cheese? Now I am going to vote for McCain just because I want Curt Schilling and his ketchup sock to stay rich. And it’s all because of that completely idiotic post you just made. Keep straight ticket voting. That’ll fix everything.

9/11 went down on the right’s watch…… not by accident since it resulted in Dick Cheney’s old buddies at Halliburton making billions and billions and billions of dollars ………… and oh yeah Bush’s old oil cronies also got even more filthy rich because of it …….. When the oil man and the defense contractor were elected, the country was doomed.

And so it will be with this dimwitted old man and the bimbo ….. don’t let Curt lead you like sheep into the continued destruction of this great country …….. we can’t afford more bloodshed ………. not even fake blood on a dirty sock

2. Global warming
If people belive in it and want to do things to help the environment, that’s fine. But their solution is government taking over and telling us what we can and can’t do under the guise of “saving the environment”. That’s bringing us one step closer to socialism. If I want to drive an SUV, or whatever that is supposedly harmful to the environment, I should be able to do so without government interference. Unfortunately, McCain buys into the global warming alarmism.

3. Class warfare
What’s with politicians playing off of the jealousy some have of the rich? Unless you’re rich, why do you care how much taxes they pay?

4 Other canidates
Mr Schilling, could you please add something about third party canidates such as Chuck Baldwin or Ralph Nader? I wish the others could get more attention and consideration from the voters. It’s hard to believe how so many people out there belive the myth that voting third party is throwing your vote away. Unless you live in a battleground state, you’re throwing your vote away regardless of who you vote for. A vote for Baldwin, or some other third party canidate, would at least create the possibility of an alternative to the coke/pepsi canidates next time. I encourage everyone in MA, which is going Obama no matter what, to at least consider a third party canidate.

Let’s take this on an issue by issue basis, based on your view of Republicans:
1. More military.

As a Libertarian, I believe the ONLY requirement of the federal government is to protect me from harm. As the world continues to lapse into utter chaos, do you feel that our military is prepared for it? We didn’t send enough troops into Iraq to begin with and are constantly reminded of their enlistment rates. So, this one should be a no-brainer.

2. Cut social programs.
Specifically, which one? Funding for social programs grew exponentially under Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. Our government has spent more money on social programs in the last eight years than any other time in history. A Republican president did more for AIDS relief in Africa than any other politician in the world.

3. More intrusive of people’s rights towards gay marriage and when, or if, they can terminate a pregrnancy.
Marriage is not a right. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are. And Obama opposes it, too. And Obama didn’t take to the floor of the Senate and decry the marraige amendment act as “antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans”. John McCain did.
They believe all life to be precious. I think it is a noble outlook, but flawed. While I don’t support overturning Roe v Wade, I certainly don’t see the harm in trying to lessen the number of abortions per year. I would just rather see it done outside of government interference or influence.

4.Non-Usage of embyonic stem cells that may cure a myraid of diseases.
John McCain supports stem cell research. He just doesn’t support creating a life simply to destroy it for research. And I don’t support federal funding for it at all. Not for ethical views, but due to the fact that it is more wasteful governmental spending. 12 states currently fund stem cell research (and half of them are embryonic), and what massive discoveries have been made? Please, I would really like to know so I can research it. I would be willing to change my own opinion if there have been major discoveries made. The key word in your statement for me was “may”. When it “does”, then maybe I would consider it.

5.Skepticism of global warming and it’s consequences.
Please look up John McCain’s stance on this. He is right there with you.

6.Shoot first ask questions later mentality (i.e. Iraq war).
Please look up the statements of prominent Democratic leaders between 1998-2002 regarding Iraq. They were behind it until it became poltically unpopular. Then they all ran for cover. Clinton believed that Iraq had WMDs when he left office. Hillary and several other Democrats believed that they did when we invaded (I can provide quotes if you need them). And President Bush screwed it up. John McCain said so. He was just as frustrated as we were, and he called Rumsfeld the worst Secretary of Defense in history.

Thanks for clarifying your ignorance early in your post so I could read with a smile on my face your complete and utter lack of insight on the race for President.

JJ