I am an independent in just about all facets of my life, including in my political choices. It's a simple belief that not one party is right or wrong all the time and either side can produce good or bad candidates.
While many have supported or opposed Obama because of his economic policies, my vote went to the person that would be less likely to start a war. Having subsidized (through tax payments) one unjust war, my conscience could not bear the responsibility of financing another. Under Obama I may pay higher taxes, I may subsidize the poor, or I may pay more to heat my house, but for me the stakes were much higher. The risk of contributing to the demise of more innocent lives was much greater under a McCain administration.
The Iraq war was based on fabricated evidence. We went to Afghanistan to capture a terrorist mastermind, but somewhere along the way we were railroaded into another war that was anything but rightfully justified. The terrorists who committed the 9/11 atrocities were Saudi Arabians, financed by a Saudi. They were trained in Afghanistan. Most transited through Europe and they got their flight lessons in the US. There was no connection to Iraq and no weapons of mass destruction were ever found there.
In the ensuing years American forces and Iraqi citizens have sustained heavy losses. For what? Bin Laden and most of his cronies are still at large, while the architects of the Iraq war (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) gloated over the capture and hanging of Saddam Hussein. Yes, he was a brutal dictator but also a one time pal, armed to the teeth by the same powers that eliminated him.
Reminds me of the song "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival:
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more!
Well, today I decided not to give them any more!