A couple of weeks ago, I got a robo call asking me which presidential candidate I plan to vote for. After I pressed the button indicating my unfavorable opinion of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the machine asked me which one I will vote for. I didn’t answer the question because it did not allow me to press a button saying neither. After hearing the same question for the third time, I simply hung up the phone.

I simply do not agree with the Republicans and Democrats that the candidates’ policies are significantly different enough for me to choose between them.

My “progressive” friends insist Obama and Romney differ on a “woman’s right to choose.” My response: so what. Abortions have been legal since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and I have yet to find one instance where a woman based her abortion decision on who’s president rather than on her own personal situation. How many abortions did George W. Bush stop and how many abortions did Barack Obama cause?

How do the candidates differ on what Catholic theologians call a “preferential option for the poor? Let’s see: Since he became a candidate 5 years ago, I don’t remember Obama’s ever even mentioning poor people. Romney was asked once about poor people and said, in effect, the government’s taking care of them just fine.

How do the candidates differ on gas fracking—anything at all-- and transporting Canadian tar sands oil through Middle America---except for protecting a waterway or two in Nebraska?

Which countries will the candidates allow to have nuclear weapons, which countries will they not allow to develop or have nukes and how will they explain their double standards?

How do the candidates differ on dealing with the recession caused by megabanks? Do the candidates support bailing out the perps and forcing the people swindled by the banks to finance the bailouts with their taxes? Who should be held accountable for their behavior—the swindlers or the people they swindled?

How do the candidates differ on holding the Bush Administration officials accountable for the kidnappings, tortures, denial of due process, increased spying on Americans, and other violations of international law?

How do the candidates differ on treatment of whistleblowers? Should the government reward or punish those who embarrass politicians and bureaucrats with the truth about their crimes and waste of taxpayers’ money? Are the American taxpayers who finance government operations the enemy that our politicians want to keep the truth from?
How does my learning about the crimes of my government violate national security?

Will the candidates continue the military bases in Europe, Latin America, and Africa established to protect us from the Soviet Union which no longer exists? If so, how will they pay for them?

Where do the candidates stand on continuing to finance the School of the Americas/WHINSEC instead of turning over that function to the private sector?

Will the candidates pledge to obey the Ten Commandments on the job or will they settle for posting the Ten Commandments in public places while ignoring them in public policy? If we post Mosaic law in public places, should we be fair and also post Sharia law in public places or do the candidates support double standards for different religions?

Where do the candidates stand on the relationship between the government and the citizens? Is it proper for the government officials to police the morals of the citizens or is it proper for the citizens to police the morals of the government officials in carrying out public policy?

Where do the candidates stand on continuing to finance foreign countries’ widespread violations of human rights and widespread violations of international law?

Given that the US is the world’s only superpower with more military might than the rest of the world combined, what are the principles involved in the decision to go to war with other countries? What specifically should the US defend itself from?

Will you continue the practice of sending drones halfway around the world to target suspected combatants with little or no regard for the innocent people killed by the drones? Will you continue to label men bystanders killed by drones as enemy combatants?

If you start new wars or expand present military actions, will you pay for them by increasing taxes on the present generation or will you pass along bigger deficits to future generations?

Until and unless the Repubs and the Dems answer the above questions to my satisfaction, I will not vote for Obamney.