in response to the blog on who stands where on online gambling, but as much as i love poker it wont be my reason for voting for a candidate....
from gamble craft:
Both candidates have voiced support for a more detailed and researched study of the online casinos gambling industry and the affect of regulating the industry in the U.S. On the one hand, Barack Obama is rumored to be an avid poker player – and many poker groups advocate choosing Obama on this issue because he has previously demonstrated a predisposition toward the land poker games.

Specifically, the Poker Players Alliance, a powerful group that is currently lobbying for internet poker gambling to be excluded from the current U.S. online casinos gambling ban, has suggested that Obama would be more beneficial in this regard because “he’s a renowned poker player,” comments John Pappas, the Executive Director of the PPA. He continues to note how his favor for poker could work infavor of online casinos poker. Pappas remarks, “[Obama] was known to play in regular games when he served in State Legislature in Illinois. From my understanding, he still plays and still enjoys the challenge of the game. There’s an opportunity to have him understand the difference between poker and gaming against the house. The latter seems to be where his concerns with gambling have been.”

But on the other hand, a Las Vegas newspaper reported that Obama has expressed concerns about the illegal activity that can flourish in the online casinos gambling industry – and that that issue is a specific concern about reintroducing internet gambling into the U.S.
McCain, current Arizona Senator, is the fence sitter of the three candidates – he has not expressed extreme opinions on either side of the online casinos gambling issue. On the one hand, a colleague of McCain, Arizona Senator John Kyl, is primarily responsible for pushing the controversial UIGEA through and hasa position firmly against internet gambling. McCain’s association with Kyl is perhaps largely responsible for the McCain’s doubts about online casinos gambling.

On the other though, McCain is known for a steady political disposition and a willingness to look at both sides of any given issue – and this include online gambling. On a plus side for McCain, the PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato personally endorses McCain as the Republican candidate of choice during the primaries. The Executive Director at the PPA, John Pappas, commented on the fact that McCain has no clear position. Pappas remarks, "I can only hope that, should McCain be elected, we’d have some insight into his thought process. If you have someone that’s on the fence on your issue, then what better way to educate him than to surround him with people that understand the benefits of regulation, like D’Amato? We have a great open door to be able to engage him on the issue