[spector]

Gary Johnson will be one to watch: http://ouramericainitiative.com/

Experience? Yes. Two terms as a governor of a border state (NM)

Business skill? Yes.

End the war on drugs and foreign imperialism? Yes.

2A rights? Yes.

Freedom? Yes.

Inexperienced candidates with hard-line stances on abortion (Cain is against it even in rape and incest?! What century is this?!) aren't going anywhere. I hope he gets to debate, at least. I'd like to know more about his stance on the drug war and foreign military spending.

I wonder why the Rs keep propping up these candidates when there are so many better ones out there.

 

[spector]

The unborn child in those situations is still innocent and undeserving of the death penalty. There are people alive today who voice their thankfulness that even though that is how they were conceived, they were allowed to live.

But anyway, glad your horror at Cain's abortion stance wouldn't automatically preclude you from possibly voting for him, as evidenced by your desire to learn more of where he stands on other issues.

Regarding abortion: I am morally opposed but don't want the government involved. Especially the federal government. The thought of privacy invasions and people being imprisoned on anonymous claims -- who would complain about abortions if they were made illegal? -- scares me far more than people having abortions. Also, where would you draw the line between miscarriage and abortion, especially now that chemical abortion (RU-486) is a reality? I know a girl who got knocked up in HS and basically went on a two week coke and alcohol bender that ended in miscarriage. Is she guilty of murder? Manslaughter? What about the average woman that eats a crappy diet and doesn't avoid stress and has a miscarriage? Is she a murderer? Guilty of child neglect? How would you prove those things? I don't have those answers and I'm not about to lend my support to putting those people in a cage based on something so nebulous. I think we're going to have to accept the fact that if people want to terminate a pregnancy, they probably will. If there are moral consequences, let them carry that burden.

Regarding Cain's political involvement: I think anyone should have the ability to join a debate and have their voice heard. I also don't see abortion as a big issue . To the contrary, it's one of the most pointless and irrelevant issues in my mind. But people get worked up about it and I'm sure that a candidate with such a stance would have a VERY challenging time getting elected to President. For many, abortion is a make or break issue. Again, I think it's number #108,403 on the list of important issues, but many people will never vote for someone with Cain's stance on abortion and many people will never vote for someone who wants to remove all abortion restrictions. A good candidate will have to have a middle of the road policy on abortion to be electable, and that applies to candidates on the left and the right.

Many people fail to distinguish between a president's personal beliefs and his policy and also between government actions at the state and federal levels. If Cain's stance is that he is personally against abortion, that doesn't concern me. But if he uses that belief as a rationale for appointing nationalist judges to the supreme court, he will not get my vote.

 

[spector]

It IS the issue, because how can you pass an unenforceable law?

The whole abortion debate centers around when a fetus becomes a life. There are different opinions about it. Like I said, I don't know and I don't really care that much either. I don't personally like abortions so I don't encourage them or take part in them. But let's fix the monetary system, end all of our wars (drugs, terror, iraq, afghanistan, korea, poverty, obesity), return to federalism, end corporate and personal handouts and entitlements, stop big brother, get rid of the TSA, stop infringements on 2A, remove malum prohibitum laws from the books, make it more difficult for laws to get passed, reform the justice and corrections systems, get the insurance companies out of our medical system, substantially raise or eliminate most speed limits, lower the drinking age to 18, dismantle the department of education, and cure cancer and then we can talk about abortion. At the state level.

As for politicians making their moral beliefs law: I don't care if it's normal, it's not right. We a have a constitution partly for preventing emotions and passions from getting mixed into political action.

 

[spector]

What does a Senator or Representative do that qualifies them to be President?

Our fore fathers were farmers, businessmen, etc...

I know that todays national issues are complicated, but, I do not think they are beyond the ability of a clear thinking individual who has the capability to think for him/herself.

In short, any INTELLIGENT thinker, anyone with the ability to reason, and who cares about and loves this country, can do the job.

Exactly! I know Mr. Cain has a lot of business experience. The man has written a paycheck or two. This alone makes him a thousand times more qualified than Obama.

The government is not a business. What does "business experience" have to do with being qualified to be president.

An understanding for what small business owners -- who provide most jobs to the economy -- need. Specifically: a free market. Very few entrepreneurs or former entrepreneurs will push higher taxes and more government regulation.

I want a president/gov/leader that built a small business from nothing into something successful. As a fellow small-business owner,that tells me:
- Taxes and bureaucracy piss them off continually so they won't increase those things
-They understand that profit is a powerful motivator, and the driving force in our economy
-They know how to handle money