Election 2008: DVMs voice opinions on presidential race

Veterinarians, like many voters across the country, are not overwhelmingly behind either candidate, with several still unsure about how to cast their vote for president, according to a DVM Newsmagazine poll.

Table 1: Whom do you plan to vote for as president in the 2008 election?

A little more than half of respondents say McCain is their man, with 51.1 percent planning to vote for him on Election Day. Sen. Barack Obama would claim 38 percent of the vote, but 10 percent of veterinarians are still undecided.

Table 2: What are the top three issues facing the country in 2008?

Of the survey respondents, 37 percent were Republican, 28 percent were Democrat and 22 percent were Independent. Of the Independents, 50 percent favored McCain, while 25 percent preferred Obama. Twenty-five percent still were undecided.

Table 3: What three issues will most influence your vote for president?

Of the undeclared voters, 43 percent chose Obama, while 38 wanted McCain. Still, 19 percent of voters were undecided.

Table 4: Please rate the effectiveness of veterinary organizations/associations in lobbying Congress to serve veterinarians needs

"He understands the economic issues facing this country," one veterinarian said of McCain. "You cannot tax business to death; they just move to other countries. He supports more domestic oil, while still looking to the future for other options. He knows we need to support the war efforts, but can see our withdrawal plan that President Bush is organizing."

Table 5: Please rate your level of concern about the state of the U.S. economy

Those reasons aren't enough to sway all voters. One respondent plans to vote for Obama "to escape from the disaster of the last eight years. This country needs a change. Any more of the current policies and no one but the super wealthy will be able to afford to eat, own a house, drive a car, etc."

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