Yes, we can.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Well, there are reports that illegal immigration is down and some illegals have headed back to Mexico in search of jobs. Weird, eh? Since it's the horrid economy that is causing this change, I wonder if the Repubs will take credit?

And as soon as the economey gets better they will get back.

We were studying this in my [horrible, awful] policy class. Until the reasons for illegal immigration are resolved (no jobs in their home countries, deplorable working and living conditions, corrupt government and military, etc...) illegal immigrants will find their way in. They will climb a larger wall, dig a deeper hole or swim longer distances. Employers will go further underground to employ (and exploit) illegal workers. It won't stop, neither president can stop it, though Obama has acknowledged the issue goes deeper than securing our boarders.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Why is it that so many financial officers and publications are endorsing Obama, if he is just going to tax them and their clients out of existence?

The answer lies within your question

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by lashbear

"My office mate went to vote yesterday in South Austin, where he encountered a man with a clipboard outside the polling place, asking each voter if they planned to vote for Obama. If they answered in the affirmative, he advised them to please make sure to vote a straight democratic ticket, and then, in addition, to vote specifically for Obama.
On our voting machines, this cancels the ballot.

You need to go to http://truth.voteforchange.com/articles/straightticket and read what they say.

The Web site (maintained by the Obama team) tells you what's true and what's not:

The Truth About Straight-Ticket Voting

Not all states have straight-ticket voting. See list below to see if your state does.

Straight-ticket voting allows voters to choose a party’s entire slate of candidates. With straight-ticket voting, a voter can make one punch or mark on the ballot to vote for every candidate of that party on the ballot.

Your state may not have a “Straight Democratic” option – not every state does. If you don’t see one, don’t be concerned. Nothing is wrong with your ballot.

If you are in a “straight-ticket” state, you may have seen advice encouraging you to make two marks on the ballot: once for the Democratic “straight-ticket” AND once for Barack Obama. In North Carolina, this is correct. If you vote the Democratic “straight-ticket,” you must ALSO check an additional box to vote for Barack Obama for President.

In other states, the advice is incorrect. If you mark “Straight Democratic Ticket”, a vote for Barack Obama WILL be counted. In fact, in states other than North Carolina, to avoid problems, it’s better to ONLY push “Straight Democratic Ticket”.

(Note: You aren’t required to vote using the straight-ticket method. You can vote for Barack Obama and other candidates on an individual basis.)

So:
North Carolina – vote BOTH straight-ticket and Obama, OR vote for individual candidates like Obama.

Other states – vote straight-ticket by itself, OR vote for individual candidates like Obama.

Meanwhile, look for cards or mailed literature from the campaign in the days before Election Day, and at the polls. Campaign for Change will be handing out easy instructions to help make sure that you can vote, that you understand how to vote in your county, and that your vote counts.

You can learn more about voting in your state at www.VoteForChange.com, our Voter Information Center, or your state’s Secretary of State’s website.

If you have any further questions, please call your local Campaign for Change office — there’s a list at http://my.barackobama.com/statepages.

States that DO use straight ticket voting include:
Alabama
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Michigan
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
West Virginia
Wisconsin

[Alex]

Huh, never heard of that Straight Ticket thing. That's pretty stupid.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

The answer lies within your question

That they want a healthy economy so they can keep their jobs? Bastards!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I can't believe people still punch paper tickets. Blah blah electronic balloting issues, but seriously, this long after the 2000 election, how can these exist anywhere?

[Stan4dSteph]

We use mechanical voting booths here.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

We use mechanical voting booths here.

Hmm, this would actually be a cool thing - we should all take a photo of our polling places.

I'm starting to fall in love with photo blogging.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Hmm, this would actually be a cool thing - we should all take a photo of our polling places.

I don't think we can all make it to New York on election day.

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I think he is naive and dangerous when it comes to foreign policy, and I think Biden is no genious there either (for example, Obama opposed the surge and still denies it was a success, and Biden wanted to split the country into three parts). I do believe he is at heart a socialist. I believe he wants bigger government. I beleive he will gut the military budget. The thought of most important decisions being made by the triumverate of Pelosi, Reid, and Obama scares the crap out of me.

That's just the quick stuff.

Speaking strictly to the part about dividing Iraq into 3 parts... if he means along ethnic lines, there are some very solid historical arguments behind doing so. Many of the civil wars of the last century resulted from redrawing national borders along politically-expedient, rather than culturally-rational lines. I'm okay with that.

There is little that can be said about bigger gov't because I haven't seen a "small government" candidate from either party in a very long time. The Patriot Act certainly wasn't a small-gov't move.