I think this is the first time in my life I'm closely watching a presidential race.  This is the first time I will vote on who I think should be leading our country.  This is the first time I feel strongly on issues.  This is the first time an election might possibly effect my life. 

I have always stood by our president.  Always, 100%.  When Bill Clinton was in office and the whole Monica affair came about.  I thought to myself, so what, what he does in private is his business.  I know it's morally reprehensible.  I also felt IMHO that he did a damned good job of running the country.  Fast forward to the 2000 election.  I would have voted for Al Gore.  I liked Al Gore.  Unfortunately I STILL did not receive my voter's registration card in the mail.  I have honestly been trying to vote since I was 18.  It is my right as a citizen.  I believe everyone should vote.

I am a single parent.  I receive no child support from my son's father nor have I ever.  Nor will I ever seek support.  I do not receive ANY government services.  I cannot get food stamps, I cannot get welfare, I cannot get subsidized housing, I cannot get WIC.  Everything I pay for depends on my salary and my salary alone.  Do I think I should get these services?  No.  I know you are wondering then why I am bitching.  In 4 years my taxes have gone up a little over 10%.  I bring home less now then I did 4 years ago, even though I have received raises and make more money.  The Child Tax Credit is a joke.  I get a few hundred at tax time but the government takes a couple thousand from me during the year.  I am not eligible for the Earned Income Credit anymore (since Bush took office.) 

My rent alone is almost 50% of my take home pay.  My average electric bill is $200/month.  Unfortunately noone looks at my net pay, they look at my gross.  I suppose I'm considered middle class/upper middle class.  I was recently told that daycare for my son for the summer in my neighborhood would cost me $200/week.  That is $800/month.  That's approximately what I pay for rent!  I could get subsidized day care if I made $18000 a year.  If I made $18000 a year, how could I afford to live?  I can barely afford it now!

The number one question in this presidential electon (in my opinion only) is where the hell is Bin Laden?  He is the one who massacred our brothers and sisters.  What happened to him?  Where is he?  Why hasn't HE been brought to justice?

We turned to focus to Iraq.  Don't get me wrong, I do agree Hussein should have been removed from power.  I don't believe war was the best way to go.  Our brothers and sisters are dying over there every day.  Why?  Noone, not even the President, can tell me why!  I support our troops one hundred percent, but they should not be there. 

Why weren't our troops in Afghanistan hunting down Bin Laden?  They were able to hunt and find Hussein.  More effort was put into Iraq than the man responsible for all of those lives lost.  My President cannot tell me why.  Days after 9/11 I thirsted for blood.  I wanted Bin Laden and the Taliban wiped out, destroyed.  Instead I kept turning on the news hearing how we're not going to sit by and watch this happen.  Yet, noone seems to realize...it did.  I don't like smoke covers. 

Since the day we went after Saddam Hussein instead of Osama Bin Laden, my vote has been for the democratic candidate.  My vote has not wavered since.  Luckily, I agree with many of Senator Kerry's policies and ideas and hope they can get implemented. 

I thought the debate was great.  I did feel Kerry came out on top, thought that could be I am biased.  I thought George Bush had too many pauses, too many pat responses “It's hard work”, repeated many of the same things over and over and over again and blew alot of smoke instead of directly answering the questions I NEEDED answered.