After the Democratic Debate on 2/26...

After all is said and done, I think what it all boils down to is that Obama is just a much nicer person than Hilary Clinton. He shows more class, more grace under pressure, more breeding and restraint, than any other politician in recent memory!

Hilary Clinton just doesn't play nice. I'd hate to see the effect of her sarcasm on a visiting dignatary. Her 'mocking' attitude makes her look less like a leader and more like a schoolyard bully, and not someone I want representing ME! That 70% of the viewers with text messaging capabilities agree with me is very encouraging!

After the debate, I heard the commentators say they didn't know what the next BIG issue would be. Is no one paying attention to the fact that our housing market is negatively affecting the economy of the world? Not to mention the havoc it's wreaking on average Americans' lives. We have people losing their homes in record numbers, homeless who have no hope of getting off the streets, and much of the available inventory of unsold homes sitting empty for 11 months on average, while the banking industry worldwide reels from the shock waves as related industries suffer. Obama made one reference to housing, but this is an issue that is affecting, either directly or indirectly, virtually every American, and one that deserves a comprehensive plan to get us back on track.

At a time when more Americans are losing their homes, public housing continues to be underfunded, and many agencies are simply going under, and no provisions are being made for the population they serve: mostly elderly, many with physical and mental health issues. We must fund those programs that assist those who are able to get off public assistance, and fully fund those programs that help keep the rest of the people housed.

With regard to NAFTA - I say we should do what our forefathers did...impose tarriffs (taxes) on imports. If they're produced offshore, and get shipped here...impose additional taxes on those goods, just like other countries do to us (esp. China). The goods made here should reflect American creativity and high standards, and should cost less than imported goods, so that Americans benefit the most from the richness of our nation (which does, after all, belong to all of us). Imposing tariffs on goods coming in would quickly make it more profitable for companies to produce here, thus returning companies to American soil, and jobs for Americans everywhere.

Also, if we only made trade agreements with those who have a basic respect of human rights and observe certain environmental controls, we would do more to advance those causes than all the bombs in the world.

Want to help poor people with food and health care? Remove taxes from those items...from all food and medical items, both prescription and non-prescription. Doing that alone would directly benefit more consumers than any other single program, and the biggest winners would be low-income folks.

In short, I hope the one that is an example for the rest of us is the one who becomes our next President. Black, white, male or female matters far less than WHO THEY ARE ON THE INSIDE. Eventually, people always show their true colors. I see Obama as someone who can bring out the best, not the worst, in others. Sarcasm never did that.