With the election less than two weeks away, most know who would get their vote. But Michael Thornton, 31, of Elizabethton, was still weighing his options.

Thornton is a lifelong resident of Elizabethton and a Walgreens associate. He enlisted in the Army soon after high school and was discharged two-and-a-half years later due to medical issues that also kept him stateside.    

When asked his choice for president, Thornton was still not 100-percent sure. His main problem lies with the economy.

Thornton said when either candidate is asked a direct question about the economy and any plan to fix it, he either dances around the subject or outright avoids the answer.    

“There is so much to fix, who can fix the economy in four years?” he said.

Thornton is not alone. According to a recent Newsweek survey, 56 percent of voters say the economy is the biggest issue for them.

Thornton is also nervous about Sen. John McCain’s age. He doesn’t think McCain would live long enough to make it through a presidential term and that Gov. Sarah Palin may not have enough experience to take McCain’s place.  He said Palin is “not up to speed with Washington.” 

When asked the biggest problem in choosing whom to vote for, Thornton replied, “The biggest problem with politics is the media.”   

He said the media has turned the campaign into a slander war that makes him think of grade-school antics.  Thornton said it was time to stop pointing the finger at either party and get down to doing what is best for the country. 

Thornton thinks that without the support and backing of Congress, a new president will be unable to accomplish promises.

He said it is time for a new president to face reality, to refuse to be bullied or nothing will ever change in the country or in Washington.    

Thornton is concerned about the ongoing war in Iraq. He agrees with the initial reason the country first went to war against Al-Qaeda but believes that going to war in Iraq is all about oil.

“It’s a Catch-22, we can’t leave and we can’t stay,” he said.  He also stated that America can’t run her own country, so how could the United States run another country?   

Although Thornton is still undecided, he does appear to be leaning toward John McCain.   

“If I had to vote today, it would be McCain,” he said. His basis for this is that McCain is also a veteran and that he understands how the military and their families feel. 

In the meantime, Thornton said he is keeping his fingers crossed that at least one of the candidates will answer economic questions instead of hedging them.