Opinion+Question+4

Describe the most important issues to look at when voting for a public official and the most important personal qualities a candidate should possess. Why are these issues and qualities so important?
When it comes time to choosing a candidate to vote for in the presidential elections, I believe that it is very important that a person knows what their candidate stands for and believes. Many times people simply vote for a person because they've heard good things about them, or think that the candidate has done a good job publicizing their campaign. I believe however, that it is important to look at what a candidates beliefs on certain issues in our country are. First of all, one of the most important questions to ask is, what are their feelings on the war we are in at this current time? If they become elected, are they planning to take out our troops immediately, or do they plan on continuing to fight? If they plan on continuing to fight, how long are they planning on staying in the war? Another aspect to look at is what their position is on abortion. I personally think abortion is wrong, and therefore would be much more inclined to vote for a presidential candidate who is Pro-Life. I believe that it is also important to know where a presidential candidate stands on issues such as illegal immigration, taxation, and health care.

When looking at personal qualities a candidate may poses, I believe that it is important they have certain characteristics. To me, it is important that the president is someone who is a natural leader, someone who handles pressure well, and works well with other. The president should be someone that people are naturally drawn to because of their good personality. The president should be able to compromise with others, but also not be afraid to fight for what they believe in. A candidate for president should also be confident in themselves, organized, and honest.

Finally, one more important thing that i believe you should look for when choosing a candidate for president is what religious background they have. I think that it is very important that the President be a Christian, as we are "One nation under God." The president should look to God in all that they do, and trust in Him to guide them in all of their decisions.

EK-SOTH

I think that there are many important issues to take into consideration when deciding who to vote into Office. The first issue is their opinion on abortion. Are they Pro-choice or Pro-Life? Do they basically support the murder of an unborn child that has the rights to life. The second issue is their policy on illegal immigration, what are they going to do to stop illegals from crossing the borders and making us pay higher taxes. The candidates normally say that they will lower taxes, but how can they do that if American citizens are paying for 10 illegal immigrants to have the ability to walk into a hospital and receive help that we pay for. Another Issue is foreign policy and the war in Iraq. I think that we need to keep our troops in Iraq and fight not only for our freedom but for the innocent people that are dying everyday because of terrorists. I think the these are all things that you need to consider whether you have conservative or liberal beliefs.

ES-SOTH

I think an important issue is low taxes. Because we spend most of our time worrying about how high or low it’s going to be. Another issue would be the war in Iraq. I say they should stay cause if we go home it shows a sign of weakness so then we become a target to other countries. The personal qualities I would want in a candidate would be like honesty, trust-worthy and a Christian. I think if we had a candidate with those qualities then our country would be so corrupt in some things we do.

EY-SOTH

There are many important issues that the candidates that are running for president want to cover. One of these issues is the War in Iraq. Many Republicans believe that the troops should stay in Iraq while the Democrats believe that we should withdraw the troops. There are many problems with withdrawing troops. For example, if we leave Iraq then we risk the chance of being bombed again by terrorists. Another problem is that we still haven't captured Osama Bin Ladin and we risk the chance of him plotting against us if we take troops out. There is also a problem if we leave the troops in Iraq: it costs so much more money and the country is in debt. I would like to know where the candidate stands on this issue.

Another major issue is abortion. I would want to know where the candidate stands on abortion. I believe that abortion is exactly like the Jewish Holocaust, a mass killing, except this time we are killing babies. These babies are a gift from God and mothers and families are murdering these gifts because they don't value them. I believe that it is important for the candidate to recignize that killing thousands of innocent children is wrong.

There are many qualities that I would like to see in each candidate. I would first of all like to see one that is a Christian. I think that a Christian leader would be good because their faith can lead them to make good decisions about issues such as abortion. (This is just a generalization. This does not apply to ALL Christians.)

I also believe that the candidate should be very organized and a very good leader. If the candidate isn't a good leader then we have a problem because he/she may not be able to handle tough situations that come their way during a presidency.

I also believe that the president should be honest. If they aren't honest with their workers and the people they govern over, then they will not be trusted and no one will support them. These are all good qualities that every candidate SHOULD have. (Not all of the candidates have these qualities, sadly.)

SB-SOTH

One of the most important issues for the candidates is the war in Iraq. Most Americans want out of Iraq, but our troops are still there. Another issue for many people is religion. One candidate, Mitt Romney, is a Mormon. Some people won’t vote for the best candidate just because of their religion. In my opinion, we should just vote for whoever we think is the best option. Another is illegal immigration. People will look to the president to stop illegal immigrants from coming to the United States. The last issue for me is gas prices. Many Americans cannot afford to be paying $60 every time they fill up their car. We need someone to step up and lower the gas prices. In my opinion, those are the most important issues when looking to vote for a candidate because those are the key issues for many Americans not just me. We need a government official who is ready to step up and take control of the whole situation in the U.S.

Some qualities in a public official are: Speaking abilities, quick thinking and dedication. If a public official can't speak on live television or debate then they aren't fit to be where they are. All public officials have to think of plans quickly because there are many problems that arise every day in the US. You have to be dedicated to your country if you are going to be a leader. You have to be able to come with the bast plan for the US. Without those qualities, no person would be able to rule our country because we have such needy people here. We need them to have the ability to control those and worry about what's important to the U.S.

SR-OSL

I think the most important issue to look at when voting for a public official is their religion. If you were a Christian you would want the candidates to be Christian also. If a candidate were part of the Islamic religion you would feel that this person would base their laws on their own religion. I’m sure the other religions that aren’t Christian feel the same way about our Christian candidates.

Qualities found in a candidate need to be positive. The candidate’s attitude needs to be supportive of our nation or wherever he/she is serving. Candidates should show some sense of a democracy and not a dictatorship. All these issues and qualities are important because you don’t want a candidate to have a bad attitude to your nation.

AM-OSL

I think the most important issue to look at when voting for a public official is their religion. If you were a Christian you would want the candidates to be Christian also. If a candidate were part of the Islamic religion you would feel that this person would base their laws on their own religion. I’m sure the other religions that aren’t Christian feel the same way about our Christian candidates.

Qualities found in a candidate need to be positive. The candidate’s attitude needs to be supportive of our nation or wherever he/she is serving.

JS-OSL

The issues that I think are most important when voting for a candidate is their perspective on the Iraq War. If he/she is a Democrat they would want to pull out the troops. I don’t think that would be a good idea because it might repeat another 9/11, Al Qaeda could attack in a different part of the U.S. than New York. They could bomb the White House. There are many different possibilities could come out from pulling troops out of the war. Republicans wouldn’t want to pull troops out, hopefully, to prevent all those things that I listed. This is so important in voting for the right president for the United States.

Personal qualities a candidate should possess, I think, should be faith in Jesus Christ. I believe a candidate should have this quality because I think I would be good for our country to know that there is someone else, too, beside them. Also, they would make good decisions for our country and that is what we need right now especially in the Iraq war.

Some another important quality that a candidate should possess should be good speaking skills, organized, hard-working, and they should be prepared for anything. So much can happen in such a little amount of time, the president needs to be ready for any problems that come his/her way! These qualities are so important because they are needed to run our country!

LLR-SOTH

To me, the most important issues to look at when I’m looking for a public official would have to be those on American healthcare insurance and the cost for education. I feel this way because education in America is very expensive and the reason some people do not go to or finish college. If the cost for education went down in America, more people could go to college, find a good job and be able to lead a successful life, instead of living on the streets. Healthcare is very expensive in America and so is insurance for it. Many people struggle with their health and insurance is difficult to get at a good price. These are so important to me because they have a big impact on all Americans and can make a big difference on our nation.

AJ-SOTH

In my own opinion, I think that the most important things in a candidate is either their religion, or if they are willing to take care of problems in America. Many candidates have their own religion or no religion. Also, some candidates believe in Christ as our Savior, but then again many do not. If the Candidate respects our country and is willing to help the people, I am willing to respect that candidate. That is why I don’t have much respect for Barack Obama. He doesn’t even solute the flag. Or put his hand at his chest when we sing the National Anthem. If people don’t even respect the country that they want to govern, then they shouldn’t govern it. If a candidate doesn’t have respect, then why would they want to help the people inside the country. They don’t want to deal with big problems like abortion or no child behind. They just want power because it is a sinful world that leads up to greed. It is important to have special qualities in a candidate because we all want a President who will lead this country responsibly.

Abortion is a huge problem. It should not be legal what so ever. For God says that abortion is plainly nothing but sinful. If the person who got pregnant wants an abortion, they shouldn’t because if they let that person grow up, there is a chance that child can find God. Abortion is wrong. In my opinion, it is kind of like murdering because you are taking someone’s life away.

EF-OSL

If I were voting for a public official, there would be many issues that I would hope the candidate would try to cover. Issues such as abortion, religion, and the War in Iraq. Abortion is a huge problem in America. Many women feel that they need to finish their education before becoming a mother and many women are also being raped. That is not okay, it is murder. We become human being. I believe a candidate should be looking to abolish abortion, except in cases where the mother may be in danger of death.

Freedom of Religion is one of the reasons colonists came to the Americas from England, and it is a major part of the First Amendment. Today, we are not allowed to pray in public places, or put religious scenes or signs on government property. Yes, I see that the government cannot favor one religion over the other, maybe then we can put up signs for all the religions. Taking away our right to pray in a public place is against the First Amendment, which makes it unconstitutional.

The War in Iraq is one of the most important issue facing America today. I personally do not care if the candidate wants the soldiers there or not, but I do believe he should care about them. They are putting there lives on the line because they love our country. A public official should support these troops and try to raise funding to keep them going, or to bring them home.

These are the issues I would look for in a candidate if I were to vote for a public official.

RS-SOTH

I think the war in Iraq, abortion, health care, and taxes are important issues for voting for a public official (specifically voting for a president). There are so many people that do and do not want further involvement in Iraq. This is a big conflict between U.S. citizens. If this is not taken care of soon a huge brawl might break out.As president he/she must choose the right decision for the whole nation. Pro-life or Pro-choice, these few words have caused great controversy in the U.S. which makes it a very important issue. At the moment abortion is legal, but will our new president fight for it to be illegal? Health care is America’s leading concern, but all federal governments or states has failed to accomplish a solution. 31% of all adults do not have health care. Soon, many adults will lose their jobs because they are physically enable to work and they have to health care. The next president should deal with this. Today there is a double taxation of corporate profits; ** Congress promotes discrimination through the tax code, and extremely high taxes from income tax to corporation tax. There are taxes everywhere. Many candidates say they will lower taxes, but we need someone who takes action, someone who will keep their word. The eviction rate is growing because of all the taxes. A public official must not only have good solutions for issues but also good qualities. He/she must be confident, caring, trustworthy, enthusiastic, organized, and have perseverance. This shows a great leader, one who will achieve many great things. A public official must care for others, and not think of themselves. You must be able to trust he/she; they should be able to finish what they started. This is what I look for when voting for a public official. **

LG-OSL

I think health care is an important issue for voting for a public official, because if our country is going to live for generations to come we must keep our people healthy at all costs. The official running will also have to be truthful and not change what he/she stands for just to get votes. Also when the person running for office says they are going to do something just to please people then never even try to carry out their promises. Since the welfare of our country rests on the next generations to come, we must put heath care as one of the top priorities, and make it affordable to all because not all can afford it.

AV-OSL

The most important issues that I would look at is the war in Iraq and how the candidate will resolve the issue. No child left behind, I would like to know how the they will make this work for the nation, and abortion. These subjects that I choose are very import because these things are very big topics that are discussions in today’s society. The war in Iraq is huge, some people want the soldiers to come home others want them to stay in Iraq. Personally I want them to come home to their families. No child left behind is big as well, because most of the children in the U.S. are still not getting enough education to get themselves a job or any where in life. They can’t support themselves and they become homeless. This subject leads to other problems as well. Then there is abortion, I believe abortion should be illegal and no one should kill their child no matter what happened to the mother. That child doesn’t even have a chance to live and see the world and God created all humans for a propose in this world ( not to die in the womb ). This leads to what I would like to see in a candidate’s personality. I would like it if they were Christian because then they could pray to the same God as I do and could help he or she through the tough problems.This would help with some of the decisions he or she will make as well because they will thing about God and what God would do.

AK-OSL

I think some of the important issues would be health care, international affairs such as the war, immigration, and education. As well as economy jobs. These are all important issues and they all must be taken care of one by one. In order for this to be done, I believe our public officials (especially the president) should be intelligent and patient. The issues need to be taken care of in an orderly fashion, but cannot all be done at once. Also it is important for the official not to breakdown under pressure or easily become overwhelmed. They need to be strong and be able to over come tough times. It also helps if they are surrounded by good advisors. For example, it is important for them to have a supportive spouse and in the presidents case, a wise vice president. Last but certainly not least, I believe it is very important for them to have God in there lives, to be a Christian.

All these issues and personal qualities are important to look at when trying to chose a public official. The issues are major conflicts our country is facing, and the personal qualities are crucial in solving these conflicts.

MB-OSL

I think that the most important issues would be the war in Iraq, and what religion they belonged to.

The war in Iraq has either caused thanks to President Bush, or complete complaining. However, whether the new official would keep them there, or take them out of Iraq, all that matters to me is that he/she respects and give thanks to all the hard work our soldiers gave. Some have died and some have been hurt, so I would be thankful to get someone who just gave them respect.

Another issue would be there religion. In the United States, there are many people who belong to many different religions, and then there are also people who don't belong to any religious group. Again, all I care is that the official would treat everyone equal, and giving everyone a shot at a decent life.

BM-SOTH

I believe that the most important issues for the presidential election in the 2008 will be the war in Iraq, abortion, and illegal immigration. The president will need to know what he (or she) will do about the war in Iraq and the constant battle with terrorism. Abortion is a big deal with many Americans so the person who is in favor with the people will get more votes. Illegal immigration is a major part of everyday news events and talk so the new president will need to attack and support his ideas on illegal immigration quick. Those three issues, I believe, will have the most affect on voters when they vote.

AA-OSL

I believe that the war is good. People think that it is all bad but President Bush asked us and we had all agreed with him. Our whole reason for going over there was so that we could liberate Iraq from the terrorists. All of the soldiers going over there did volunteer and that means we should leave it to them. Every candidate should be able to see this and respect his or her wishes. They should know what the cause of the war is and that we must liberate this world from all terrorist or the will attack us again and kill more people.

WH-OSL

The things I would be looking for in a government official when it was election time and I had to vote would be for would be they would make abortion illegal and stop people from doing it. Another thing I would look for is if the person running was going to lower the taxes on things because taxes can be a pain and make things way to expensive and over priced. Probably the last thing I would look for and the most important I think, would be to do their best to stop illegal immigrants from coming over the boarder because many people are getting mad that they are.

SM-OSL

The important issues to look at when voting for a public officials should posses are. If they are for or against the Iraq war. Some want to with draw troops others want to keep them in longer so I guess the thing the public is looking for is the official that is against the troops and want them home,or the official that wants the troops to stay. Also for me I would want an official against abortion because its a cruel and ungodly thing. Every child deserves a chance at life. The public official also would need to be trust worthy,honorable,and to have a plan on how to solve the troubles in the America. They also need to stop \a so many illegal immigrants from getting threw. The public official should also have some kind of religion in America there are so many different religions. Lastly the public official needs to treat every one the same.

CK-OSL

I think that one of the most important issues is the war on terrorism. This is a very important issue because it affects the safety of many people weather they are in America, or in Iraq, or any neighboring country and other tribes that are involved with nuclear weapons. The president has to have a plan on what move he is going to make and follow through with it. He also should no the consequences, weather well or bad, that could possibly happen with his decision. He/she should know that if he/she pulls the troops out of Iraq, what that could do to our country, and how he/she is going to fix whatever happens. The president I think should be a Christian. All the presidents before have been Christians, and I think that that has helped our country. I am not saying that this is how it has to be, but so far, they all have been and I think that has an effect on our country. This may be because I am a Christian and I see it in that point of view, but I think that others see it the same way. I also think that the president needs to do something about the “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” controversy that comes around at Christmas time. This has recently become a problem, and I think that someone needs to take a course of action before it could start a civil war, or something bad between the two sides. The president needs to be able to see both sides of any issue. If he always favors one side of an issue, without even taking the time to see other people’s point of view, he won’t be a very good president. These are a few things that I think a president should have in order to make a truly good president. I believe that all these issues are very important for the reasons that are listed above. This is what I think would make a great president.

PS-SOTH

I think that some issues to look at when voting for a public official include what decisions they make concerning abortion, the war, and such acts. For example, I believe that abortion and gay marriage should be prohibited. I believe the president and other public officials should make sure that the war is stopped in time before anymore lives are lost. Many American soldiers are dying innocent deaths in Iraq and Iran and other countries. I also believe that religious beliefs should be protected. We should have public officials who are optimistically attituded, responsible, and good leaders. They should have open attitudes to others’ ideas. I think these attributes in a public official are important to how our country properly function. These public officials such as mayors and representatives in the government help to influence the decisions made by the official federal government by the president. We need officials who are responsible and willing to represent us and our opinions honestly.

BH-SOTH

I think that one of the most important issues is their stance on immigration and whether they would continue to allow thousands of Mexicans to enter our country illegally or would they force them to come in legally and go through customs like you have to when entering another country. Important personal qualities would include whether they are Christan or not. These policies are important because if someone is not a Christan then there is less of a chance that they will rule unjustly and toucher the citizens of the U.S. and if they don't want to try to stop illegal immigration than our country will become overpopulated like china and people will run out of food because we wouldn't be able to feed the massive amount of people in the country. KR-SOTH

I think that the president needs to be a good leader. I think that the president should have a good idea and understanding about what they want to do with the war or with taxes. I also think that an important issue is illegal immigration. Another thing that I think that is important to know who to vote for is what their religious beliefs are. Sometimes if you know what their religious beliefs are than you might be able to tell what the person is like.

AS- SOTH

When it comes to voting for a president, I think that certain personal qualities are important. I think that the candidate must first off be a man of God. America was founded on basic Christian values and so I think that if the president is a Christian he will lead our country in a God pleasing manner. I also think that he should not have any criminal record for if he has a history of being a criminal he might lead our country in a non righteous way.

CE- SOTH

I think the most important issues that I look for when voting for a public official are the War in Iraq, I am not sure what the other issues are because I have not been paying attention to the candidates and the arguments and issues. I think that the war in Iraq is the biggest issue because many Americans want to end this war. The candidates are saying they will end the war because this will allow them to gain more support.

Candidates change their views as the popular vote changes.

MR-SOTH

I think the most important issues that I seem to notice when "voting" for the office is the money, the money that goes to the poor, the government, the bussiness and also the banks. I want to know what they would do to help the econimey. The money we give as a tax, where does it go? Does it go into a fund that can reduce the price on gas or electricity? those are just two questions i would ask the canidates. i also think that they would need to be trustful, keep there word on the foundations they give the money to. I don't what a president that "throws" the money away, i want it to go to places that can help our wold not destroy it. that is my opinion.

SL-SOTH

I think the most important issues to look at when voting for a public official is where he stands on the war on terrorism. Will he keep troops in Iraq for a long time or bring them home. This has to do with the safety and freedom of the American citizens, that is why it is important. It is also important to see where he stands regarding taxes. I favor low taxes and wouldn't vote for someone who favors a high tax increase. A candidate should also favor improving education in the United States because we are falling behind many other countries.

Important qualities to look at when voting for a public official are strong leadership skills to effectively govern his staff, people skills to be able to talk to people and he must be honest and have integrity so the American people can trust him. It is also important that he be a Christian. This country was built on "In God We Trust" and we need to keep that faith going.

MD-SOTH