January 17th, 2008
05:30 PM ET
15 years ago
America Votes 2008
Watch Thursday's highlight's from the campaign trail.
(CNN) - In the latest edition of America Votes 2008, all eyes and ears are on the campaign trail as the candidates work to rally votes in Nevada and South Carolina.
Related: Listen to CNN’s Bill Caiaccio and Emory University professor of politics Merle Black analyze the uncertainty in the GOP race.
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It is the democrats that make these campaigns so interesting. I am an independent voter and i can't wait until april to vote. Its sad that i have to wait that long. I'm sure Obama will be the democratic nominee so i'll just wait around and watch with excitement as he win all the other states. I will predict that Obama will win both nevada and south carolina. This will be fun to see. Vote Obama 08.
I would hate to be a republican this year, especially this year. With no clear cut positions it is difficult for people to get behind anyone. There is zero passion in the blogs or anywhere for any of these candidates.
I think it is unbelieveable how much the media is covering clinton and obama. I do not plan on voting for either of them, and I can't seem to get any news on whta edwards goals are. As for the republicans, no one really stands out. mcain did interest me, but he is so old, i don't care for hte other two.
charlotte is wrong all wrong!!!!
this is fun baby and the republicans will win!!
no social libs programs dear!!
no give aways!!
I would like to know how any of the Presidential Candidates will return America to a Goverment of the People, By the people and for the People.
I'm hoping someone on the evangelical Christian right can answer some questions that have been bothering me for quite sometime.
Around election time a central issue always seems to be abortion, same sex marriage, and the more general category often referred to as moral values. Having endured almost eight years under the Bush administration that was voted in on the promotion of these and other values, we have witnessed the following results:
In 2006 the US had the highest child poverty rate in the developed world. Military spending has increased from 400 billion/ year to 650 billion per year. Stuck in a war that has a cost approaching 500 trillion dollars. Almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed and more than 60,000 wounded. 700,000 Iraqis killed and 4 million refugees. Has intentionally neglected environmental matters for the profit of corporations. Nothing has been done to help the middle and lower classes- 90% of the population shares one third of the nation's assets. Highest percentage of population without access to health care in the developed world. We have found ourselves in a world of declining energy reserves and escalating energy costs, while making absolutely no efforts towards a sustainable plan.
Now I'm not saying abortion, same sex marriage, and moral values are not important. I respect these points of view and the values associated with each. But sometimes I feel that people can be so focused in one area while all other issues are ignored. Before you pass me off an ignorant Liberal sinner, please honestly consider the following.
Why is life in a foreign nation worth so much less than an unborn American child? Why do we care more about if Fred and Bill get married, than reducing the daily pressures of the average family with both a Mom and Dad? Why do we treat our veterans like trash when they return from a war that was sold on a lie? What makes a CEO worth 240 times more than their workers? How does a religious belief in the end of the world justify the neglect of the planet and the quality of life for future generations? Who decides that the wealth of a nation should be mortgaged to impose rules on a country or region with greater energy resources? These are just a few....
A group of people can claim certain values, but I believe their actions and eventually history will reveal who they really were. For the future of our World, the trick for voters will be figuring this out before having to endure it again. I don't think we can do this again.
I am not sure how the Republicans continue to support the policies of Bush. The woes of financial markets, record foreclosures, mounting deficit are not the only issues. High prices of gas and escalation of prices paid for imports have the forebodings of an economy facing recession. The poor economy and the failure to control spending are taking their toll on families across the country. We need change and a new direction to guide us to recovery.
Charlotte,
How could you be so wrong. How could you read all of these blogs and walk away without seeing whats happening. The only problem the republicans have now is the size of our field. Other than that we find this stuff exciting. I'm actually proud of our field. I feel very strongly abount my issues, but they are all good men, especially when compared with the DEM field.
Hillary supported the NAFTA when her husband was in office and, NAFTA has created more jobs and money flow int China that it has become a rich country, so rich that our country is borrowing money to help cover America's expenditures. The toys sold in stores throughout the US was tainted with lead base paint to harm our children. The dog/cat food we purchased for our precious animals were tainted and scores of helpless animals died at the hand of these Chinese. Manufactures moving out of the US into foreign countries to have their goods made and produce for a lower wage to make a profit has caused many Americans to lose their jobs. After all the damage is done, Hillary decided she no longer supports NAFTA. I was told Hillary does not flip-flop on issues, this is one of the biggest flops of all. She states "there is no such thing as an illegal woman." What is her issues on illegal immigration? She won't commit herself to answer that – I think she will lend towards anmesty.
Hillary wants to raise taxes, she claims that Bush's tax cut only helped the rich. I don't agree with that because I was able to enjoy a refund for a change. With her tax increase, I will probably have to pay taxes and not have a refund anymore.. She claims her tax package would benefit the middle class – where is her defining line of middle class? There have not been one candidate that will answer that question. Just exactly how much does a worker have to make yearly to be classied as middle-class? I would like to know that answer, don't you?
We do have some good Republican candidates with good tract records and I can easily be swayed to switch over to the Republican side. Sometimes we have to use our own judgement when casting our votes, it may not be the party that we are voting for, but for the candidate as a person.
I voted Republican when Clinton was in office and it looks like I will vote Republican in the national election again – another Clinton running. Ugh!.
This guy is something else. You talk about working a crowd. If anybody buys what this phony is selling, give me a call, I got some knock-off handbags to sell you.
It is very disturbing to see how manipulative our media is. They think of themselves as king makers and us a commodity to sell do the highest bidder. There is no substance in the coverage. No real policy debate, no balance in coverage. There is more attack coming from Obama camp, yet Clintons are blamed for negativity. It is amazing how similar those "new young agent of change" and old uncompromising vicious ideologs of the past are. We are society of laws. And it is one thing to lead a movement to change some unjust laws as an outsider, and very different is a process of actually changing them as prescribed by the Constitution. It is always a balancing act with comprises and deals. This is by design to provide stability and make change very gradual, and protect the country against dangerous and often misleading populism. I am life-long Democratic voter (no I am not that old – 36 at then moment :-), but I could see that small incremental changes bring about albeit very gradually, the real change while broad overreaching never fails to fail and cause backlash and decades of setbacks for the cause of fair and just yet free and open society.
Hey Jimmie,
cut federal taxes now and State governments will simply raise taxes to cover the difference and then you'll pay more federal taxes later to pay the interest on the ballooning deficit.
I agree that NAFTA wasn't such a great deal, but why do you think it was the democrats that were pushing it? When NAFTA passed, it was through a Republican-controlled congress. 132 Republicans in the House voted for it compared to 102 Democrats. 156 Democrats voted against it compared to only 43 Republicans. In the Senate, 34 Republicans voted for it along with 27 Democrats. 28 Democrats voted against it and 10 Republicans. Say what you will but NAFTA was a Republican Bill. Big corporations loved it so they could move all their factories south of the border and as we know, big corporations love Republicans.
By the way NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement and pertains to removing tariffs for Canada, the US, and Mexico......not China.
Mitt for responsible economics and immigration Caucasing for mitt in the morning. John (open borders) McCain can not be trusted to maintain immigration much less provide economic leadership.
By the way, It's a long time until November elections and plenty of time for 3rd party and others to make their point. I wouldn't want this to go on constantly anyhow... would u?
Tom, Boston MA said: "NO CHANGE WILL NOT COME UNLESS THE PEOPLE"S HEART AND MINDS CHANGE"
Well, is this not the type of change that Obama has been calling for even BEFORE Hillary FOUND her own voice as a person?
As a strong democrat, I credit Regan for some of the changes he brought about in the World. The U.S. held great respect, the Soviet Union gave in etc., all these - thanks to Reagn as much as I disagreed with several of his domestic POLICIES.
The U.S. started to lose her respect internally and externally due to the Clinton era. In fact, the democtic party has been losing to the republicans for quite some time now because of the Clinton era. No one will ever convince me that Hillary will REPLICATE some of Bill's economic policies; we must be daydreaming if we think that she will actually do so.
Now, history teaches us well that Hiilary will continue to divide this nation, and Bill will continue his sense of marital problems. Let us wait until the republicans start to call for the opening of the Clinton ARCHIVES!!!!!! Then, the nation and the democrats will be, again, sorry for NOT learning from their MISTAKES of the past scandals!!!!!!! Only Obama can heal the sins of the past that we have suffered; this would be real change.