? Believe Campaign Promises ?

**forHISglory** · 10-12-2008, 01:44 PM

Call me jaded or disillusioned or just plain old and tired. But campaign promises just sound like static to me anymore. Honestly, I don't believe any of the promises from any of the candidates. It's all hot air.

I am offended that they think I am so stupid as to not wonder where the money will come from to fund all these promises.

What about you? Do you believe any campaign promises? Are there any that are particularly stupid? Or are there some campaign promises that you really believe will come true?

**Pianolady** · 10-12-2008, 02:03 PM

No, I do not as they're promising either the impossible or the unwise. Both candidates are going down the wrong paths imo by promising programs that have to be paid for magically out of the air. I want someone as president that is ready to cut the budget of all government programs 5-10% across the board, and not raise any taxes. Guess that won't get anyone elected huh? LOL

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-12-2008, 02:17 PM

I lost all faith in campaign promises anymore. Alot of what they don't realize is that you can promise all you want, not come through, and your people lose faith in you to where you're at 24% popularity (for example).

I look at what the candidate has done before running for a particular office. I look at what they stand for and what they have voted on (whether it be a yay or a nay vote) and how much it'll help both the area I live in and my family. Each candidate of a particular office usually has a website now that shows what their stance on issues are, what they've done to help shape policies attached to that issue, and what they look to accomplish that's realistic if they're put into office.

**Dot** · 10-12-2008, 02:59 PM

Voting becomes more and more difficult every 4 years. I haven't liked a candidate in so long I'm beginning to think I never will again.

I used to think I could look at their voting track record and see easily enough if they are the candidate for me, but have in recent years discovered unless I know everything that was in the bill, even that does not help me. Many times it looks like they voted for or against something of which I do not agree, only to learn later they voted the way they did due to an attachment that had nothing to do with the bill.

Politics is not simple...and my life has become too complicated to figure it all out. I don't feel I am even qualified to vote in this election.

**earthymom** · 10-12-2008, 03:40 PM

Consistently its the middle class and the working class (whatever those two terms mean -- not RICH) who pay to bail out, uplift, support and otherwise get used to enrich the ultra-wealthy. We have a corprotocracy. The principles upon which this nation was founded have been squandered. Don't know about you, but my investments have tanked. Trickle down does not work. It's a joke -- a rhetorical trick on the rest of us. Few politicians give a hoot about us. We're just the sheeple/worker bees who make them rich.

**Parksfamily5** · 10-12-2008, 04:21 PM

I personally don't believe a thing either of them say! I am actually sick of seeing their ad's and listening to them.

**Missy** · 10-12-2008, 05:01 PM

No I don't believe it. And not from being jaded or anything, but the truth is they have to put those "promises" before congress/senate and they have to vote on those. It may or may not happen. So it doesn't make sense to me to believe it'll happen. The candidate may very well in his or her heart really really want that to come to pass, but the truth is they don't have it in their hands to give to us until it passes vote.

**forHISglory** · 10-12-2008, 05:08 PM

"I used to think I could look at their voting track record and see easily enough if they are the candidate for me, but have in recent years discovered unless I know everything that was in the bill, even that does not help me. Many times it looks like they voted for or against something of which I do not agree, only to learn later they voted the way they did due to an attachment that had nothing to do with the bill."

So true. I wish they could write a simple straight forward bill that wasn't carrying along any riders. I guess I would just like to hear some truth. Not a half truth. Not some varnished truth. Just plain truth.

But another problem here is that as a Senator or Representative, they may have voted one way to appease their district, but as President they may go another way.

**FrugalWitch** · 10-12-2008, 11:42 PM

I believe they will say anything and promise everything to get a vote. I also believe it is far more for personal ego-gratification than any interest in what is best for the majority of citizens. I don't believe a word of it.

**jdr250** · 10-13-2008, 07:09 AM

I know with economics the way they are it sounds easy to say slash the budget by 5-10% but really lets look at the programs that are already sadly lacking, education, veterans programs, heating programs etc. Especially at this time of year states are already recieving less funding than ever to help with home heating aid. People are going to freeze this year because they can't afford to heat their homes. Not everyone can afford to switch heat sources so they are stuck with huge heating costs and lowering income. The case of my inlaws for example they have oil heat and my fil was injured many years ago and if the temp in the house goes below 72 his muscles will spasm to the point that he is literally in a fetal position and unable to move. They live on a minimum fixed income and truely don't think they are going to be able to buy enough oil for their home this year because prices are higher and lipurp has lowered their funding amount. There are many families like this. So cutting programs across the board is dangerous.
As to campaign problems, I agree with Missy that it's difficult to get those promises approved. But imho, Obamas tax plan is the most feasible, his proposed tax cuts for the middle class and tax hike on the rich will actually add money to the budget. If you read up on the plan, it will lower the "average" citizens taxes making them pay less of their annual income in taxes while raising the percentage of higher incomes paid. Right now, we (the average citizen) pays approximately 30% of our income in taxes while the rich pay as little as 2-3% of their annual income in taxes. It's not fair and while I know that not all campaign promises are kept, I have to vote in a way that is beneficial to my family with the hopes that this gets pushed through. I do believe he'll try to do what he promises and someone who will try to help me and can't get it done, is better than someone who isn't even willing to try to help me.

**rainbowgc** · 10-13-2008, 09:44 AM

I so much want to believe in Obama's health care plan because we are in high insurance he!!.

**SweetPea** · 10-13-2008, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by rainbowgc

I so much want to believe in Obama's health care plan because we are in high insurance he!!.

Us too! My husband is a self employed mason. We pay for our own health insurance. Very high premiums with very little actual coverage.

Truthfully, I don't know if we can afford any of the new spending proposals or tax cuts. Neither campaign wants to speak truth to the voting public. I haven't heard either one of them speak to us about Americans overwhelming personal debt crisis. So many of our friends and family members have been buying on credit, stuff that they cannot afford. No politician wants to say to the American public, that you are a part of the problem.

**Buckeye5** · 10-13-2008, 09:58 AM

No, I don't believe any of the politicians. None of them really represent me or how I live. I am just going to pick a side, and hold my nose when I cast a vote.

**The Muse** · 10-13-2008, 10:08 AM

I don't pay much attention to campaign promises. I pay attention to what their impact will be on the supreme court and what their broad platform stands for.