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Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Worse than Mondale and Dukakis?

I voted for Bush in 2000 because well he was a bit different then, and I understand significant events happened. I voted for him in 2004 because there was nothing compelling about Kerry in my opinion, and I believed (still do) another 4 years of Bush was better than potentially 8 years of Kerry.

Now? I like McCain (liked him in 2000 when he was still a candidate) and I want to vote for him. But I don't like the direction the Republican party is going in, a direction where the extreme right and its desire to "instill its values" on America is dictating the course of the party. I don't like that McCain seemingly felt forced to select Palin as his VP because the far right insisted upon it. It's not that I disagree with their beliefs necessarily, in many cases I agree, but who am I to say that you should too? And, in my case, what does it matter? I mean, look, I don't want to belittle gay marriage. But honestly, what do I care? What do many of us care? You're running for President, great, don't tell me about whether or not gays should be allowed to marry. I don't care what the party platform is on that. Tell me about things that matter to me, that matter to all of us-economy, foreign policy, health care, education. On these issues, I almost fully agree with the Republican party but increasingly it feels like those issues are afterhoughts when they are pushing their agenda. And it really disappoints me. To that end, a part of me strongly leans toward voting for Obama hoping that a significant setback for the GOP will better them down the line.

So was it at the RNC that you heard McCain and the Rep. speakers talking about gay marriage? Is it even part of their platform or just a perception that is given from the left. If I'm correct McCain has said in the past he feels its a state issue.