Why I will vote for Kerry

[HarryKeogh]

1. His last name doesn't make me snicker.

2. When called to war he went. If he didn't get bloodied enough for you while he was in Vietnam I'm sure he's sorry.

3. Very good chance one, and quite possibly two, justices will retire. Bush would obviously place two pro-lifers on the bench.

4. Bush apparently doesn't realize those precious embryos are going to be thrown away anyway. Kerry is for stem cell research.

5. While not for gay marriage (unfortunately) Kerry would never call for a constitutional ban on it.

6. May actually create a job or two.

7. Will end Ashcroft's reign and appoint someone who has more respect for our constitution and civil liberties.

8. Will roll back tax cuts on the rich. Tax cuts are nice but not when you have to pay for them in the future. Deficits DO make a difference. We can't spend money like a college student who just got his first credit card.

9. Hopefully will go after terrorists instead of Iraqis.

10. Health care and Education...no child left behind is a joke. Kerry's plans for reforming the health care system are impressive.

11. Kerry winning will ruin Limbaugh's, O'Reilly's and Hannity's day.

12. The rest of the world can't stand Bush. We need a leader who could work with other countries.

 

[Charlie Monoxide]

11. Kerry winning will ruin Limbaugh's, O'Reilly's and Hannity's day.

Errr, I humbly disagree. These blowhards need a Democratic govt in place in order to create fodder for their respective shows. It's very tiring being apologetic for the current regime over the last 4 years.

Charlie (Bush & Bill in '08) Monoxide

 

[Ladewig]

Errr, I humbly disagree. These blowhards need a Democratic govt in place in order to create fodder for their respective shows. It's very tiring being apologetic for the current regime over the last 4 years.

Charlie (Bush & Bill in '08) Monoxide

I agree, I almost hope Bush wins this election just to see how long these folks can write new verses to the "Blame Clinton" song. My favorite so far was Rush linking Abu-Ghraib with Bill Clinton.

 

[Blue Monk]

Good summation Harry.

I’m with you.

 

[Brown]

3. Very good chance one, and quite possibly two, justices will retire. Bush would obviously place two pro-lifers on the bench.

7. Will end Ashcroft's reign and appoint someone who has more respect for our constitution and civil liberties.

There are three principal candidates for retirement. Chief Justice Rehnquist has suffered serious health problems in the past few years, and court observers said his health problems have affected his behavior (perhaps as side effects due to his medications). His writings, fortunately, are subjected to review by dozens of people (justices and their law clerks), and so the opinions that bear his name do not show the signs.

Justice O'Connor has indicated she wanted to resign. According to witnesses, she remarked in 2000 that it was "terrible" that Al Gore had been elected, and she subsequently participated in making two decisions (the stay and the 14th Amendment ruling) that effectively handed the election to little Bush.

Justice Stevens is, I believe, the oldest member of the bench. Although often called a liberal, historically he is a moderate. When Justices Brennan and Marshall were on the bench, he was seen as more conservative, and when Justices Scalia and Thomas were on the bench, he was seen as more liberal. Justice Stevens is quite fit for his age and has not indicated an interest in retirement, but circumstances beyond his control may compel him to consider it.

Little Bush has said publicly that he thinks Justices Thomas and Scalia are what justices ought to be. If little Bush is elected in 2004, he can be expected to appoint two or three more just like them. And that would be a great mistake. Take a look at Justice Thomas's opinion in the Pledge case, and Justice Scalia's concurrence in the stay that effectively decided the 2000 election in Bush's favor. These writings call into question whether either of these two men is qualified to sit on the bench.

In the past, little Bush has made many appointments based upon cronyism rather than capability. One can expect that he would name individuals who would be inclined to be mouthpieces for his political views.

It would be very easy for some to say, "Well, Kerry would do exactly the same thing, except that he'd put a bunch of liberals on the bench." Not so. If the GOP has control of the Senate, Kerry would be obliged to appoint those who are (1) highly qualified and (2) moderate or at least willing to seriously consider the "conservative" side of the issues.

As for Ashcroft, he has no business being attorney general. There have been some pretty awful attorneys general in my day (Ed Meese and John Mitchell, to name a couple), but none of them as ignorant about the law as Mr. Ashcroft.

 

[Brown]

8. Will roll back tax cuts on the rich. Tax cuts are nice but not when you have to pay for them in the future. Deficits DO make a difference. We can't spend money like a college student who just got his first credit card.

The GOP has basically "abandoned the field" when it comes to fiscal responsibility. I would feel a lot better about Kerry if he were to sieze this "traditionally conservative" issue as his own. (Perhaps he has done so and I have not noticed.)

More than an issue of whether taxes (or tax cuts) affect rich or poor, it is important where a candidate feels that a tax burden should lie. The attitude of the Bush White House has basically been to place more of a tax burden on those who work for a living and less of a burden on those who inherit their wealth or live off their investments. It has been observed that Bush has shown a tendency to move away from an "income tax" and toward a "salary tax" or "wage tax."

It still makes my mind boggle how Bush took office with the prospects of projected surpluses, and turned it around to prospects of projected deficits (and record deficits, at that), even before September, 2001.

 

[Brown]

12. The rest of the world can't stand Bush. We need a leader who could work with other countries.

An issue that has not been discussed much, and one that I would hope would come up in the debate, is the question of compulsory national service.

Should Bush win, I am having a hard time seeing how he could avoid re-instituting the draft. According to reports, our men and women in Iraq are stretched thin and will need relief in the foreseeable future. By his recent UN speech, Bush basically guaranteed that relief will not come from international forces.

 

[HarryKeogh]

Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

By his recent UN speech, Bush basically guaranteed that relief will not come from international forces.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/22/opinion/22wed1.html?hp

from the above editorial...

Mr. Bush might have done better at wooing broader international support if he had spent less time on self-justification and scolding and more on praising the importance of international cooperation and a strengthened United Nations. Instead, his tone-deaf speechwriters achieved a perverse kind of alchemy, transforming a golden opportunity into a lead balloon.


I agree Brown. He wasn't speaking to an arena full of ardent supporters like at the GOP convention. He was speaking to a roomful of men and women who know all too well what is going on in Iraq.

 

[Meadmaker]

Harry,
Those seem like good reasons to me.

Kerry might win back my vote if he sticks to things like that, and calls off his attack dogs on the DNC. The "Fortunate Son" thing was too much for me, but maybe I'll change my mind between now and November 2. If he wants to get it back, though, he and his surrogates have to stop character assassination. There are plenty of reasons to not like Bush, and you only have to go back four years or less to find them. Reason number 2 (Kerry went to war) isn't much of a reason, if you ask me. That was a long, long, time ago.

Errr, I humbly disagree. These blowhards need a Democratic govt in place in order to create fodder for their respective shows. It's very tiring being apologetic for the current regime over the last 4 years.

Charlie (Bush & Bill in '08) Monoxide

I actually liked Rush when he first went national, but for many years now, since the election of Bill Clinton, he has seemed tedious to me. In the early days, he might make fun of the Politically Correct wing of the Democratic party. Now, he seems to spew venom at anyone who isn't a staunch Conservative.

 

[thaiboxerken]

I will vote for Kerry, not because he's the better man, but because he probably can't get things done.

Bush get's things done, but they just happen to be the wrong things.

Kerry is less dangerous.

 

[merphie]

6. May actually create a job or two.

7. Will end Ashcroft's reign and appoint someone who has more respect for our constitution and civil liberties.

8. Will roll back tax cuts on the rich. Tax cuts are nice but not when you have to pay for them in the future. Deficits DO make a difference. We can't spend money like a college student who just got his first credit card.

9. Hopefully will go after terrorists instead of Iraqis.

10. Health care and Education...no child left behind is a joke. Kerry's plans for reforming the health care system are impressive.

12. The rest of the world can't stand Bush. We need a leader who could work with other countries.

Care to back up those points with facts?

 

[Meadmaker]

I will vote for Kerry, not because he's the better man, but because he probably can't get things done.

I think the government did an excellent job between 1994 and 2000, when the gridlock was normal.

 

[HarryKeogh]

Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

Care to back up those points with facts?

6. Bush has created zero net jobs. Actually he's lost several (913,000 of em)

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20040903_753.html

All the other presidents since WWII have created jobs during their tenure. That's a fact. Odds are Kerry will too. Since I cannot predict the future I said Kerry "may" create jobs. I believe he will

7. Pretty much every civil rights activist agrees how horrible John Ashcroft is. I believe he's a jackoff. Patriot act, detaining people without representation, I'm not a big fan. This is a matter of my opinion. Can't really back up my opinion as fact.

8. He says he will roll back tax cuts. Of course politicians have lied about this in the past but I believe he will keep his word on this issue. I certainly hope he does.

9. 9/11 commission found no link between Iraq and 9/11. Basically Cheney is the only person left claiming otherwise. Afghanistan was a legitimate target. We went in and left too soon to wrongly attack another country. We have 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and 10 times that number in Iraq.

10. http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/21/dems.radio.reut/
also please see Al Franken's book for an excellent overview of the failure of No Child Left Behind. It's now available in paperback and makes a great gift.

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/health_care/

12. http://www.iht.com/articles/537873.html

plus look at the reaction Bush got at the UN this week. Sad.

 

[BPSCG]

Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

Mr. Bush might have done better at wooing broader international support if he had spent less time on self-justification and scolding and more on praising the importance of international cooperation and a strengthened United Nations. Instead, his tone-deaf speechwriters achieved a perverse kind of alchemy, transforming a golden opportunity into a lead balloon.


I agree Brown. He wasn't speaking to an arena full of ardent supporters like at the GOP convention. He was speaking to a roomful of men and women who know all too well what is going on in Iraq.

Do you seriously believe that if Kerry is elected, France and Germany are going to suddenly start helping out with the military situation in Iraq?

The Germans are already having a hard time keeping a couple of thousand troops in Afghanistan. They won't be able to send more troops to Iraq, even if they want to. Which they don't.

As for France, here's what Jacques Chirac had to say this week: "French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change."

But President Kerry is going to succeed where Bush failed, by being more sensitive to their concerns. Sure.

Hey, look at the flying pig!

 

[merphie]

Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

6. Bush has created zero net jobs. Actually he's lost several (913,000 of em)

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20040903_753.html

All the other presidents since WWII have created jobs during their tenure. That's a fact. Odds are Kerry will too. Since I cannot predict the future I said Kerry "may" create jobs. I believe he will

You must prove where the president is directly responsible for the economy and job creation. You can't show numbers and assume.

7. Pretty much every civil rights activist agrees how horrible John Ashcroft is. I believe he's a jackoff. Patriot act, detaining people without representation, I'm not a big fan. This is a matter of my opinion. Can't really back up my opinion as fact.

I agree with you about the patriot act. However this was passed by congress no Ashcroft. Write you congressmen.

8. He says he will roll back tax cuts. Of course politicians have lied about this in the past but I believe he will keep his word on this issue. I certainly hope he does.

Bush is getting a big tax cut package through congress here in the last few days. It looks promissing to us middle class. It still has to make it to Bush's desk.

9. 9/11 commission found no link between Iraq and 9/11. Basically Cheney is the only person left claiming otherwise. Afghanistan was a legitimate target. We went in and left too soon to wrongly attack another country. We have 14,000 troops in Afghanistan and 10 times that number in Iraq.

If you read Powell's speech to the UN it is not far fetched. The intelligence just was wrong. They assume it's wrong because they haven't found anything yet. Reading Powell's speech, I agree on those basis we were justified in going in to Iraq. Iraq had some links to Al Qeada so if that is true then the terrorist were always there.

I'll read the other information later.

 

[Blue Monk]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

Do you seriously believe that if Kerry is elected, France and Germany are going to suddenly start helping out with the military situation in Iraq?

The Germans are already having a hard time keeping a couple of thousand troops in Afghanistan. They won't be able to send more troops to Iraq, even if they want to. Which they don't.

As for France, here's what Jacques Chirac had to say this week: "French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change."

But President Kerry is going to succeed where Bush failed, by being more sensitive to their concerns. Sure.

Hey, look at the flying pig!

Of course there is no guarantee that the International Community will be swayed. Not locking them out of the lucrative reconstruction contracts would probably go a long way to changing opinions even though that will be a great sacrifice for Haliburton.

When Kerry was on Letterman he said that his withdrawal plan depended on International cooperation for which there was no guarantee.

So I completely agree that Bush may have gotten us in a mess that we won’t be able to extricate ourselves from. [sarcasm]Yea! Vote for Bush. [/sarcasm]

So do I think the Kerry has a better chance of appealing to the International community? Yes. Now that Bush has been forced to ‘flip-flop’ on the unilateral action thing, it’s pathetic to see him go ‘lecture’ the UN. He has no credibility among world leaders whose help we do need now whether or not some want to admit it.

So faced with the option of a candidate that understands the problem and knows the direction that we need to go to try and get a handle on it and the candidate the caused the problem through poor planning and ‘wishful’ thinking, I think I would prefer the former.

 

[BPSCG]

Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

9. 9/11 commission found no link between Iraq and 9/11.

That's correct - they found no connection with the World Trade Center/Pentagon/Pennsylvania terrorism.

But they did find a number of connections between Iraq and al Qaeda. That was established long before the September 11 commission finished its work, here, for example; the commission confirmed it. Don't kid yourself that Islamic terrorism is simply confined to al Qaeda, and comfort yourself with the wishful thinking that once we take care of Osama and his gang, all will be right with the world. They have support from Muslim governments throughout the middle east, and Saddam's was one of them.

 

[BPSCG]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

Of course there is no guarantee that the International Community will be swayed.

"French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change." I'd say that's pretty close to a guarantee that it will not be swayed.

Not locking them out of the lucrative reconstruction contracts would probably go a long way to changing opinions even though that will be a great sacrifice for Haliburton.

A little cooperation before the war would probably have gone a long way in getting some of the lucrative reconstruction contracts after it. "Pardon us, but now that you've spent your treasure and blood to liberate Iraq despite our roadblocks, would you please get out of the way so we can get back to making the fat profits we were making before you interrupted things?"

When Kerry was on Letterman he said that his withdrawal plan depended on International cooperation for which there was no guarantee.

"French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change."

Now that Bush has been forced to ‘flip-flop’ on the unilateral action thing, it’s pathetic to see him go ‘lecture’ the UN.

Yes, how dare he lecture countries like Syria, Iran, North Korea, Sudan...

So faced with the option of a candidate that understands the problem

Does he now? See, if I were a terrorist in Iraq fighting the U.S. and the Iraqi government, and Kerry got elected, I'd be marking July 20 on my calendar, since that's Kerry's stated target date for getting out. Lie low until then, and after President Kerry pulls the U.S. forces, cry 'havoc' and loose the dogs of war. Does Kerry understand that you don't give an enemy a date that you intend to stop fighting them?

 

[merphie]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

Does he now? See, if I were a terrorist in Iraq fighting the U.S. and the Iraqi government, and Kerry got elected, I'd be marking July 20 on my calendar, since that's Kerry's stated target date for getting out. Lie low until then, and after President Kerry pulls the U.S. forces, cry 'havoc' and loose the dogs of war. Does Kerry understand that you don't give an enemy a date that you intend to stop fighting them?

[sarcasm]
To Kerry, 4-6 months is enough combat.
[/sarcasm]

 

[Blue Monk]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why I will vote for Kerry

"French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change." I'd say that's pretty close to a guarantee that it will not be swayed.
A little cooperation before the war would probably have gone a long way in getting some of the lucrative reconstruction contracts after it. "Pardon us, but now that you've spent your treasure and blood to liberate Iraq despite our roadblocks, would you please get out of the way so we can get back to making the fat profits we were making before you interrupted things?"
"French policy with regard to Iraq has not changed and will not change."
Yes, how dare he lecture countries like Syria, Iran, North Korea, Sudan...
Does he now? See, if I were a terrorist in Iraq fighting the U.S. and the Iraqi government, and Kerry got elected, I'd be marking July 20 on my calendar, since that's Kerry's stated target date for getting out. Lie low until then, and after President Kerry pulls the U.S. forces, cry 'havoc' and loose the dogs of war. Does Kerry understand that you don't give an enemy a date that you intend to stop fighting them?

I see, since the French won’t cooperate then all hope of help from the International community is lost. Sure, that makes sense.

I see, when Bush encourages the International community to help in stabilizing Iraq he’s speaking to Syria, Iran, North Korea and the Sudan. Whew, no wonder we’re having problems.

I see, since the International community did not support us in going into Iraq it is most important that we do not let them turn a profit. They foolishly had doubts that there were any WMD. The fact that they were right is of no consequence.

So now it makes perfect sense to me. Since they refused to help us rid the world of WMD that didn’t exist they have no right to any profits from reconstruction. We’ll just keep all the profits and all we have to do is accept a considerably larger pile of American corpses. Yeah, that’ll really show ‘em.

Now, if they want to help that’s fine but they can’t have any of the profits. Nosireebob, we’re keeping the dough. I’m sure our fine American men and women in uniform will be all to happy to die to keep those ungrateful foreigners from ripping the bread from Halliburton’s mouth.

Sure their help would lower our body count but, hey, not at the expense of profits.