Comments about ‘Utahns rate debate as dead even’

Barack Obama is substantial - intelligent and decent. I'm heartened to find out that others have come to recognize that too. If any of you are tempted to refer to him mockingly as the 'messiah', or any of the other disparaging terms I've heard thrown around - please don't. I realize it's rare to have a politician in our midst who seems lacking in self interest and power mongering; but hey, let's just take a moment and appreciate it.

I read Obama's last book. My impression was he is a decent guy, very smart, and not beholden to the same special interests as most politicos. My main concern is that he is promising the world to everyone during this campaign. There is no way he can deliver on every promise he's making without bankrupting the country even more than we already are.

He also disappointed in that he stopped taking the high road. For a guy trying to push a different kind of politics, he seems to be listening to all the standard Demo advisors. If he really stuck to his principles and quit playing the attack/counterattack games with the GOP, he'd be blowing them away.

All in all, I like a lot of what he stands for, but I'm not sold on a lot of his policies and promises.

Going up in Chicago and seeing firsthand how the system works there, it doesn't surprise me to see individuals being caught up in Obama fever. What most Utahns don't realize is how Obama got to where he is today. Yes, he is smart but he also uses Chicago style politics to eliminate his opponents. I won't be voting for the man and no debate performance will change my mind. If you want someone with Obama's tendencies and have him infuse the USA with socialist ideas and policies--go for it but this man will never get my vote.

with Madden. Alas, no politician has been what we as a nation deserve since they started taking a paycheck. Each year its like choosing our executioner. Sadly, we've picked a slow, agonizing death for our last four years.
So despite his flaws, I think Obama is breath of fresh air. While still not what we deserve, he's miles closer than McCain. And light-years beyond Bush.

I'm sure I will be accused of being close-minded, but I could never vote Democrat. I will either vote GOP or just not vote. I don't agree with the Democratic platform on abortion, gay marriage, gun control, drug policy, capital punishment, etc., etc.

I realize that many of our fellow Utahns that run on the Democratic ticket do not necessarily agree with their party's official positions on these issues. However, I cannot support a party in any way whose views are so different than mine.

Sorry people, can't vote for Obama who was raised in Indonisa till he was 10 years old, and was in Rev. Wrights church 20 years.

Maybe those numbers reflect something other that what is thought - those that tend to favor McCain didn't bother watching the debate. Not sure what that says about us, but my wife and I went and saw "Forever Young" instead.

I'm not interested in a man that can't take a stand in so many roll call votes, and I don't buy the "nuanced message" theory either. A president is a leader, not a messenger, and I see no leadership in the right direction.

He's dead wrong on the right to life, and when everything else is jumbled, or nuanced if you prefer, it is enough for me that he also is wrong on national security and yes, wrong on the economy, wrong on education and wrong on health care. Wrong on Social Security.

Fighting President Bush - right or wrong - at every turn simply because democrats can't afford to let the President have a single victory, is not my idea of a change for the better.

He talks the talk, but look at who he walks with. Ayeres,Rizzio, Wright & his 2 fincial advisers, both of whom took money from Fanny Mae & Mac I Will never vote for his left socicalist ideas

You right wing sheep are a joke. Be sincere, do you you really want 4 more years of what the last 8 has been all about? How much further do you want to slide down the tube? How much more will your family budget take? How many more wars do you want to send our young fathers and mothers too? How much more do you want to pay for gasoline? How much longer do you want to either go without health care or pay exorbent premiums? How many other porior friendly countries do you want to alienate? Get over it, it's over for your party.

I agree with most of the earlier comments. It all sounds good from Obama, but who is going to pay for it? Lots of big ideas with nothing concrete to back them up. It can't all be financed on the backs of "the rich." They're already footing most of the bill and will just ways around paying even more. The real cure is to get the average American to start living like an average American and start working harder, saving more, and whining less.

I sway to the right, but this year it is Obama for me! I hope he wins especially with how incompetent McCain was at the debate. I only hope that more Utahns wake up and see what a incompetent ticket the republicans have put together this year.

Be fooled or get tricked into voting for this man. It's all about word and more word. Seriously what experience does this candidate have to qualify him for the White House? Nothing! Wake up Utah!

I live in Texas now but am originally from Utah. I watched the debate and found Obama to be quite boring. He talks and talks but doesn't say anything. McCain is much more interesting to listen to. How about Obama saying, "I have a bracelet too!" We cracked up - so childish! I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding both candidates. I agree with "Chicago Politics". Don't be deceived by the "Korihor" characteristics of Obama. Makes a good presentation but doesn't say much. Everything I can find on him resonates with Socialism and very left-wing policies. The main stream media is covering for him big time. That same media is smearing Sarah Palin and literally making fun of her goodness. BUYER BEWARE is all I can say!!

Let's admit it. Obama would turn this nation into a socail republic. I am a liberal but I am not that liberal. There is no such thing as bottom up economics. It is nothing but code for socialism. Trickle down economics works, but it is not perfect. If anyone complains about it then they need to visit other countries and see how their bottom up economics works compared to our trickle down economics.

Also where does Obama get off thinking he can handle the economy better than McCain. Neither of them have ever run a business. They both don't know what they are doing. McCain at least has a better tax plan.

If you want to improve the economy just get rid of coporate and capital gains taxes and you will see an influx in investment into this country.

Well, I know where all of the right-wingers hang out on Saturday night. I'm sure all of the people here who use "socialism" as a scare tactic really enjoy driving on paved and lit streets, checking books out of the public library, and knowing they can call the fire department if their houses are burning down.

As Grimble mentioned before all of the comments here were deleted for some odd reason, nations in Europe (which what I assume Liberal is talking about when (s)he talks about people "need[ing] to visit other countries") enjoy longer life expectancies, a lower infant mortality rate, more paid vacation time each year, and guaranteed health care without being up to their eyeballs in Chinese debt. Of course, here in America all of these things would be part of some evil conspiracy. Meanwhile, spending $700 billion in taxpayer money to clean up Wall Street's mess and protect their golden parachutes is patriotic.

These boards are going to be a lot of fun to read after Obama wins...

I'm going to vote for Obama. He is positive, he speaks his mind in a manner that doesn't tip-toe around important questions & I think he can really do something to turn this country around..

McCain is/was with the Bush administration, supported a lot of the really bad ideas & I just refuse to support him. His manner reminds me of Bush too much to trust him. Yes he has some experience - but just because you have experience doesn't mean you'll do a good job.

I believe that Obama actually cares about the American people and not so much the big corporations, and lining his pockets with underhanded deals. Obama all the way for me.

You left wing sheep are a joke, too. So eager to blame everything on Bush, who although not a great president, cannot be the reason for every ill in this country.

The Dems had 2 years at the helm of Congess and did NOTHING! I don't need 4 to 8 years of that. And exactly which countries did we alienate? Iran? Iraq? Libya? N. Korea? They already hated us. Are you really willing to pay the price to be their friend? I'm not.

Obama won...

Those who find Obama interesting or "refreshing" ought to think about his past and his promises for the future. He is one the least experienced senators in Congress, missing close to 100 votes during his "tenure". He has proposed virtually nothing or led anything in his life.

For his promises: he is on record as being so opposed to the Defense of Family Act (which Bill Clinton signed into law) that he vows to eliminate it.

From the Democratic Party Platform: "We oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and all
attempts to use this issue to divide us."

Glad to see that Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly are still reading the DNews and commenting on Obama.