I've got 3 answers to your question.
1. Obama is not a socialist. If you look up that term in a dictionary, and then read up on Obama's proposals, you will have to conclude that he is not a socialist. To take just one example, Obama's proposal to expand both private and public health insurance to cover everyone who wants to be covered is not socialism. Socialism would be if the state ran the only health insurance business and mandated that everyone use it.
2. Obama is the most intelligent and even tempered presidential candidate since Bill Clinton circa 1992. Intelligence and temperment are the most important traits needed in order for someone to make good judgements, and being president is all about having good judgement.
3. The conservative "movement" is bankrupt. Conservative policies that boil down to "less government is good government" have proved to be a failure on many levels, for example in the areas of environmental protection, health care, deregulating energy markets (Enron), deregulating banking and finance (yes--this was the "conservative" position, although many Dems also supported it), and the list goes on.
The ONLY place where I see conservative ideas as better than liberal ideas is around respecting people's privacy, but the fact is that most conservative politicians have pretty much been on the wrong side of this issue, at least for the last 7 years.
As for the guns issue, I sincerely do not believe that Obama or even anything like "most" democrats want to take away my guns. Example: I live in a VERY democratic state and am involved in local democratic politics, and have NEVER heard anyone say "let's outlaw guns". It's just not even an issue in Vermont or New Hampshire. It's probably more of an issue for big city democrats, but there are lots of democrats that come from states with lots of gun owners (Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, etc.) and by supporting gun bans they'd be committing political suicide.
Anyway, I think there are lot of good people who are conservatives, but having seen how poorly conservative ideas & plans have been put into place in government, I can't support any politician who wants to put these ideas and plan into effect.
HippieSurvivalist