2008 Pre-Med Presidential Election Poll

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Who would you vote for?

  • John McCain

    Votes: 70 33.3%

  • Barack Obama

    Votes: 140 66.7%
  • Total voters
    210
  • Poll closed .
D

Dr.D-man

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
476
Reaction score
2
I want everyone to vote! Who would you vote for? Barack Obama or John McCain. Feel free to discuss why.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Neither. Why? They both suck.
 
I'd have to look more into their stances and make a last-minute decision. I'm a republican and against a lot of what Obama wants to do, but I don't get a good feeling from McCain either, especially because of his foreign policy.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Quadratic said:
Neither. Why? They both suck.
Click to expand...

Well, the experts say that McCain is counting on Clinton to win if McCain stands a chance at the presidency. I, personally, like McCain. The immigration policy, as Armyboud has pointed out, is not so much a problem in my book. If they are already here, why not make them pay taxes as citizens instead of letting them remain illegals?
 
I didn't mean his immigration policy so much as it seems to me like he wants to continue Bush's policy of trying to strong-arm countries like Iran instead of improving relations with them.
 
Ya know, I really want to like Obama because he is an excellent speaker/motivator, very charismatic, and speaks of "Hope," but that and 99 cents will buy you a cup of coffee.
 
armybound said:
I didn't mean his immigration policy so much as it seems to me like he wants to continue Bush's policy of trying to strong-arm countries like Iran instead of improving relations with them.
Click to expand...

Well, that's a whole different topic! Maybe we can delve into that later...
 
armybound said:
I'd have to look more into their stances and make a last-minute decision. I'm a republican and against a lot of what Obama wants to do, but I don't get a good feeling from McCain either, especially because of his foreign policy.
Click to expand...

I'm Republican and proud of obama....partly bc romney is out.
 
Dr.D-man said:
Crimeny, they were opposites! Where do you stand on fiscal policy?
Click to expand...
there's like a continuum of evils here though. I liked Romney, but since he's out you move to the person who sucks least.. that might be Obama, it might be McCain.. I'm not sure just yet.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I tend to side with Republicans, but there's no way I'm going to vote for a guy that basically wants to continue with the Bush foreign policy
 
amwatts0322 said:
second
Click to expand...
huckabee sucks too :)
gatorsbball said:
I tend to side with Republicans, but there's no way I'm going to vote for a guy that basically wants to continue with the Bush foreign policy
Click to expand...
I hear you there. but the question to me is can I live with someone trying to take my guns away and force us into some horrible healthcare system..
 
This poll would be more appropriate 4 months from now. Obama hasn't won the nomination, and the candidates haven't had any debates. Heck, Obama hasn't produced much besides feel good inspirational speeches and threats of bombing pakistan if they do not cooperate.
 
gatorsbball said:
I tend to side with Republicans, but there's no way I'm going to vote for a guy that basically wants to continue with the Bush foreign policy
Click to expand...

He is the only realist we have! He knows we must stay there (after Bush got us there) so we can keep America safe form terrorism, is that such a bad thing?
 
pntgrd said:
This poll would be more appropriate 4 months from now. Obama hasn't won the nomination, and the candidates haven't had any debates. Heck, Obama hasn't produced much besides feel good inspirational speeches and threats of bombing pakistan if they do not cooperate.
Click to expand...

Sure, but I wanted to get a feel of this specific race could turn out.
 
Does every naive premed want universal health care?
 
armybound said:
I hear you there. but the question to me is can I live with someone trying to take my guns away and force us into some horrible healthcare system..
Click to expand...

True

Honestly, I don't really care for any of the candidates. All of them have proposed policies that I just can't agree with
 
gatorsbball said:
True

Honestly, I don't really care for any of the candidates. All of them have proposed policies that I just can't agree with
Click to expand...
the one thing, though, that keeps my somewhat interested in Obama is knowing that there have been many attempts at re-instituting an assault weapons ban which haven't gone through. I also think that a new president wouldn't be successful in completely changing our healthcare system in just a few years.

so he might not be that bad.. if he can't actually enact any of his stances.
 
armybound said:
huckabee sucks too :)

I hear you there. but the question to me is can I live with someone trying to take my guns away and force us into some horrible healthcare system..
Click to expand...

I missed this post. I like the my guns and the health care policy I pay for, both of which are MAJOR deciding factors in my decisinon.
 
armybound said:
the one thing, though, that keeps my somewhat interested in Obama is knowing that there have been many attempts at re-instituting an assault weapons ban which haven't gone through. I also think that a new president wouldn't be successful in completely changing our healthcare system in just a few years.

so he might not be that bad.. if he can't actually enact any of his stances.
Click to expand...

What else does he have? Hope? That' good for nothing.
 
Dr.D-man said:
I missed this post. I like the my guns and the health care policy I pay for, both of which are MAJOR deciding factors in my decisinon.
Click to expand...
it's a big deal to me too. check out my last post

what else Obama has is a change from the last 8 years. I'm tired of Bush. I was a big fan at first and I voted for his re-election but I'm so tired of the war-mongering. I do believe in Iraq and know the importance of finishing the war, but starting crap with Iran is just unnecessary. Obama would possibly be able to improve relations with a lot of the countries we're now estranged from (in the middle east, south America, and Europe)
 
Dr.D-man said:
He is the only realist we have! He knows we must stay there (after Bush got us there) so we can keep America safe form terrorism, is that such a bad thing?
Click to expand...

I can't say that our involvement in Iraq and in the Middle East has been completely futile, because we have accomplished a few good things, but at what cost? There are other concerns we need to be focusing on
 
Dr.D-man said:
Well, the experts say that McCain is counting on Clinton to win if McCain stands a chance at the presidency. I, personally, like McCain. The immigration policy, as Armyboud has pointed out, is not so much a problem in my book. If they are already here, why not make them pay taxes as citizens instead of letting them remain illegals?
Click to expand...

This is true because the democrats typically screw their momentum up, as did Gore and Kerry in the last two elections. McCain is counting on that. Barack would not screw up, or at least not in the magnitude that Hillary would. That said, I don't agree with either one of them. Obama is walking socialism. And McCain has no shame, practically letting the GOP perform fellatio on his face just to win the White House. I respect his military service, but his Congressional record is too shaky to be trusted.
 
Even if I agreed with most of Ron Paul's views (which I do not), I would not vote for him because most of his vocal supporters are insane, fringe, and/or obsessed.
 
I actually like Ron Paul on most things. Key disagreements:

1) Major deregulation-I'm not sure if the states should have deregulation of certain utilities. We don't want another Enron.

2) Foreign policy-Get out of the war, fine. But he argues a policy of non-intervention, which is hard to do since we've been intervening for the past century. It's going to take more than him (and Western society) to undo a century's worth of damage. We can cut back but not to 19th century levels. It's simply impossible in today's world.

He's right though on the economics though. We are closing in on 60 trillion in total debt and obligations. Overall, I'd rather have him than the choices that we've been presented with. I'm probably gonna go independent.
 
Quadratic said:
I actually like Ron Paul on most things. Key disagreements:

1) Major deregulation-I'm not sure if the states should have deregulation of certain utilities. We don't want another Enron.

2) Foreign policy-Get out of the war, fine. But he argues a policy of non-intervention, which is hard to do since we've been intervening for the past century. It's going to take more than him (and Western society) to undo a century's worth of damage.

He's right though. We are closing in on 60 trillion in total debt and obligations. Overall, I'd rather have him than the choices that we've been presented with. I'm probably gonna go independent.
Click to expand...

I actually don't have as much of a problem with these as I do with his wanting to go back onto the gold standard
 
Yeah, the gold standard is part of the extreme right platform (which he is). But he knows that we aren't going to get back on a gold standard anytime soon. That's why he really ran on a "less spending, less borrowing" strategy.
 
Shouldn't the crux of the argument, at least in these forums, lie at the healthcare debate?

If the right people are elected, all of your prospective careers would be altered to some degree. In some cases, you would become nothing more than a pawn in the biggest bureaucracy ever, in another you would experience reform without over-regulation or socialization. In another, you might see the happy medium between gov't intervention and private economic benefits (those including the stimulation of innovation as well as financial means).

I'm not sure which candidate offers exactly what options, but I do know I'm not willing to vote for someone who promises to change the path that has led America to have the BEST healthcare system in the world, by far.

I'm not saying the system is perfect, but if you look at the parts that seem to have the most kinks and downsides (i.e. medicare), you'll find that socializing medicine is not the best choice. We already have it in one form, and it is a nightmare.

Whether in regard to financial security of the patient, nurse, or physician, or in regard to the innovative solutions that have made American healthcare great: Private business beats bureaucracy, everytime.
 
Stevie Wonder about Obama:

"When I hear him speak, I hear Kennedy and King."

For the record I have no idea who I would vote for, but I gotta agree with Stevie. The conviction in Obama's voice is compelling and inspiring. I don't know if I agree with all of his points of view, but he seems to be strong, dedicated and smart enough to make some great changes in America.

Obviously the healthcare issue is a big deal, but could it possibly get any worse than it is now? Malpractice premiums are going up and reimbursement is going down. Private insurance companies get away with murder, literally and figuratively as they deny patient's necessary treatments and deny doctor's bills. The doctors I work for employ a full time staff just to fight insurance denials and collect on unpaid bills. Maybe some changes and a little regulation wouldn't be that bad?

Once again, I'm mostly naive and uneducated about what Obama's plan hopes to accomplish, and I don't know for sure how it will impact us as future physicians, so please don't bash. If anything, educate me. All I know is that it is a bit more flexible than Clinton's plan, i.e. it isn't entirely universal.
 
HumidBeing said:
Clinton>Obama>McCain. IMO
Click to expand...

I second that. As much as I want to support Obama, he's too inexperienced. He's basically empty policy wrapped in hope. Maybe in 4-8 years he'd make a good president.
 
Wow... I would think medical student wannabes would vote based on facts.

McCain is no saint, but clearly the lesser of two evils. Anyone who thinks McCain would be another 4 years of G.W. obviously hasn't heard his criticizms of the current administration.


I refuse to vote for some N00B upstart "community organizer" who's all talk, no experience, and setting some very expensive goals for himself. But that's the problem, i guess, people are swayed by schnazzy language, and it doesn't take much else.
 
Malpractice is a big issue for me too (S. Illinois is the @#$%hole of medical malpractice lawsuits). This hasn't been talked about much. The Republicans tend to be more in line with my belief system socially and economically (I like to keep the money I slaved through organic chemistry to get), but I have kind of lost my trust in their ability to effectively lead the country. Nothing against McCain, but if Obama is the nominee, I'll vote for him. Now if Hillary is the nominee (which is appearing less likely), I'll strap a McCain/another old white guy sticker to my car and drive it proudly.
 
armybound said:
you're crazy ;)
Click to expand...

Dr.D-man said:
No way! Why?
Click to expand...

No, I'm not crazy. I'm logical.

One thing that I predict is that whoever wins this election will wind up being the loser. Americans tend to expect immediate gratification, and so many aspects, on both domestic and foreign fronts, have been so mucked up these past several years that there will be no quick fixes. Not only do we expect quick results, we also have short memories. The problems will not be improved quickly enough and our blame will land on the Chief Executive at the time. The winner is likely to have his political career ruined by "winning" the election.

Of the three viable candidates, Clinton is the most capable of handling the job at this time. She is highly experienced in the political world and would be a strong, capable, and respected leader in world affairs. She would also be capable of working with both houses in order to get versions of legislation passed to help work us out of the economic disaster that we're quickly falling into while pulling much of the rest of the world along with us. This is more than an internal problem. We need a person in office who has international respect can quickly work this on an international level as well as internally. Obama is charismatic, and is respected on that level, but doesn't have carrot and stick ability already built up that Clinton has. McCain has respect as a person, but is too closely aligned with Bush's failed war policy to gain the international cooperation and trust that is needed.

I like the public personas of both Obama and McCain. McCain has it over Obama in that he is able to state the policies he believes in, but there are too many areas in which I disagree with him. Also, his election would send a message to the world that we have not yet learned our lesson about cooperation and respect of other nations. He would be seen as the "same ole same ole", although better spoken. Our international image has become so tarnished that it is in severe need of repair in order for us to strengthen our future.

Obama has done a superb job of actually getting people fired up and becoming active in politics. He's fantastic at this! It's something our country really needed, but Obama is a tasty waffle. His words are mouth wateringly attractive, but more holes than substance. When he does say something solid, it's a slightly modified rehash of his opponent's proposals. He has the capability of charming on the international front, but he's building his reputation without the "stick" that needs to go with that. Foreign leaders are not fools. They are in business for themselves, not the U.S. He would have a beautiful honeymoon with our own congress, but be too conscious of image to make the necessary impact during his tenure. He is "popular guy" at the party because he fashions his persona to match what those around him want to see. Somewhere under all that image work is the real person and real ideas that he tries hard to not let others see. If he can develop substance, then somewhere down the line he could be great leader. That doesn't happen over night. The best that could happen to him is to lose this election & continue to develop himself for a few years. Then he might be a great and long remembered leader. He's not ready for this job. In the meantime, he could make an absolute fortune as a motivational speaker. He's honed and primed for that.

Clinton has substance, brains, and balls. Those are her strengths and weaknesses. She has the capability to work with congress and internationally to accomplish things. Her proposals will not make it through congress intact because the issues are too great and members fear sweeping changes. No one's will. That's the nature of the beasts of republics and democracies. Those characteristics that are necessary in a leader are also what are holding her back because those are shown on the outside. She is a woman. Our electorate would choose a woman who had those characteristics on the inside, but wants softness on the outside. She has been unable to portray that image for an extended time. Another thing holding her back is that her voice has been shot lately. It is such a silly thing, but I'd wager that the sound of her voice is losing her votes.

I do not think she is capable of destroying the health care system. The insurance industry is too powerful to lose out on that. I like her ideas about student grants and loans. Education costs are skyrocketing right along with medical costs. Even once we have completed our own educations, whether or not we are physicians, the costs of both of these will have great impact on all of us.

Of all the candidates, it gives me greatest joy to see Huckabee trounced. His sales tax proposal would never make it through congress. If it did, we would have a giant Russian style underground economy. He became so hung up on defending that that he could not pull back to see the tarpit it would sink us into. This man is a preacher in politician's clothing. As much as some people would like it to be, this is not, nor should it ever be, an Evangelical Christian nation.
 
Add me to the list who isn't too optimistic about any of the candidates...but I'll go with McCain based on health care policy. Health08.org is a great site to compare each candidates' proposed health care plans. The AMA has also made some recent proposals to address problems with our health system (can't find the link, but it's on the AMCAS site I believe), and these proposals are very similar to McCain's plan.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

fxryker
Neurodiversity poll results
Replies
2
Views
985
waspoppen
W
Mr.Smile12
  • Poll
Poll for 2024 applicants: Geography and school choices
Replies
1
Views
571
Nontrad_FL_LGBT
N
LordDerpulus
Upper Division Biology Elective P/F, Withdraw, or Gamble?
Replies
5
Views
546
Muq
M
H
Failing an elective class impact acceptance?
Replies
1
Views
384
Goro
Goro
U
Medical School Elective Development
Replies
1
Views
579
Blueprint Med School
Blueprint Med School
Top