BEN IS AN OBAMA CONVERT!!! OMG WHAT?!?!?!

I believe, and have for a while, that Obama will better restore the opinions foreign countries have regarding the United States. He has 85% approval ratings in France, and is about 70% worldwide. Those are the kind of ratings it will take to get the United States back in its recently historical role of leadership. McCain is too old, I have recently seen footage of him giving a speech in which he lost his train of thought, and I watched him stumble pitifully through some questions presented to him. This does not lessen my opinion of McCain, but it does make me worry about him being president. Obama will also undoubtedly spend leagues more money than McCain will on R&Ding alternative sources of energy. Offshore drilling should be allowed in my opinion, but it isn't really a long term solution. I am undecided on what I believe with regard to abortion. But, I do know that if I were to have information ahead of time alerting me to the fact that my child was going to have downs syndrome or be retarded, I would want to abort the child. It is an unfair burden to place on the other children to grow up with such a sibling. I do believe that homosexuals should be allowed to wed. I think that historically it is true, marriage has been between a man and a woman. The term marriage by definition connotes the union of a man and a woman. However, times change. The way I see it, seeing as how homosexuals are currently afforded all of the rights of married people, they just don't get the certificate, not getting this thing over with (and believe me, it will never be over with unless there is a concession) just gives them something to do and complain about. During John's high school graduation ceremony many of the immature students were tossing around beach balls, when one of them fell on the stage the receiving teacher did not confiscate or pop it, he just through it back. This is what needs to happen with homosexuals. They already have the rights, give them the damn paper and stop wasting time discussing it. Long term, I am unsure of the consequences of bringing homosexual lives more out in the open. Undoubtedly letting homosexuals marry will eventually have an impact on how they are viewed by the non-gay populace. But, I believe that if we do have a homosexual revolution, so to speak, it will end in the same way that the hippie revolution ended. AIDS and stds will be rampant, and there will be a flocking back to heterosexuality and monogomy. As for foreign policy...Obama does not know nearly as much as McCain, no one argues that. The question is...what good is the knowledge McCain is holding in his head? Does knowledge have anything to do with a current ability to judge what is best for the United States at this point. Obama being one of 6 senators to actually read the report on the situation regarding our entering into a war gives him an additional boost. My ability to do business and operate in foreign countries will be increased by a president who brings respect back to the United States. As far as economic policy goes...We are in such an egregious amount of trouble that it has become evident to me that we are do for some sort of ubiquitous capitulation. I do NOT believe that the raising of taxes by Obama will help us whether this current crisis, in fact it will most definitely make it worse. However, the long term consequences of continuing to let the value of the dollar drop (this happens as a result of the U.S. Government having a large deficit) will be far worse. I think that instead of putting off the inevitable, we need to shake out the wrongs now and get it over with. Besides, history tells us that democratic candidates are rarely elected two years in a row, while republican candidates are more than not. Does this mean I think Obama will not be elected more than once? No. I point this out in order to say why I believe this to be the case. Republican candidates always run on a ticket of lowering taxes, people like lower taxes. When democratic candidates get elected it is because of issues revolving around the republican candidates and the state of the country. Republican candidates have a built in advantage in their wish to always lower taxes, and they know this. As anyone who has lived more than a few decades knows, the world functions cyclically. I believe that Obama getting elected, and raising taxes for the next 4 or 8 years (or longer if legislation is passed inhibiting a "quick fix" coming in with a new president), will be the price that we have to pay in order to receive a stable and strong currency, and lower taxes in the future. Why would I rather have lower taxes in the future than now? BECAUSE...ALL OF THE GRANDKIDS WILL HAVE JOBS AND BE MAKING LOTS OF MONEY IN 9 YEARS. AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALL BE IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING STINKING RICH!!! As a family, I would much rather pay higher taxes when our incomes are much lower, than be having to go through this rebuilding process when I am making millions of dollars.

Disclosure: My choosing Obama for president is a result of my belief that his policies will lower the deficit and set us up for low taxes and a Republican president who is economically conservative down the line. If this viewpoint changes then so will my presidential choice.

That's my two cents.