In the States, forced to pay, after taxes.
Not so fast: healthcare premiums are tax deductible so its not AFTER taxes in the state of Pennsylvania (I can't comment on other states).
I still can't vote in elections (I may be able to in the next mid-term ones if I decide to go that route)but my wife is an American and voting for Democrat for a variety of reasons:
- party stance on women's issues (especially on things like abortion, which we both don't like but believe should be between a woman, her doctor, her god and possibly the father)
- party's stance on segregation of church and state (the religious right holds far too much sway in the Republican party for either of us to be comfortable with them)
- party's stance on interventionist foreign policy
- party's stance on taxation (she doesn't believe in trickle down to the degree Romney seems to champion)
- the fact that Romney can't open his mouth outside the country without looking like an ass and offending someone (i.e. his comments prior to the London Olympics which seemed ill advised at the time and unfounded after the fact)
That doesn't mean Obama is the be-all and end-all of candidates, he's just the better smelling of the choices.