August 21, 2004
How do you decide who to vote for?
That seems to be a good question, especially when asked in today's political climate.
In regards to Kerry's war record (or Bush's...whichever you so choose). It's a complete waste of your and my time to debate these issues...unless you feel that a 4 month time frame in a war that happened over 30 years ago is somehow relevant to how you are going to base your decision on who is the most able to lead our nation in it's most crucial period of existence in the last 50 years.
If you want to attack Dubya...I would suggest laying of the National Guard record and going against something more recent...more relevant.
If you want to attack Kerry...again, I would let Vietnam go, ...If you want to attack Kerry, just attack what has come out of his mouth over the last few years.
I could care less about either candidate's war record. I dont think Dubya is the most intellectual president that we have ever had...nor do I think that he is the best communicator. The thing, though, that strikes me about Dubya is his swiftness in decision making. I really dont get the impression that he studies Gallup polls before making policy. I really dont get the impression that he targets the needs of swing-states before making policy. Now, whether I agree with everything he does or not...I am, at the least, impressed with his ability to lead. If he were making policy on the basis of anything other than his beliefs then it wouldnt be "leading" now would it?
Kerry, on the other hand, strikes me as a "career" politician. He will say anything and everything necessary to meet the ends that he desires. I am not an economics major but I am not an idiot either. Have you really paid attention to what he has been "promising" in his campaign? The Bush administration is actually doing Kerry a favor by attacking John Kerry's "war-record" instead of going after this man's platform.
John Kerry is promising more "new monies" to alternative fuel R&D and will pay for it from the royalties received from the off shore drilling rights granted to business by our federal government...and he says this as if that money is just sitting and taking up space somewhere, like its actually not already earmarked for somewhere else in the budget...it actually sounds poetic doesnt it? I mean, alternative fuel R&D paid for by royalties from off shore oil rigs. Hey, it sounds nice, but...like I said, I may not be smart...but I'm not that stupid either.
He is all for education. Great!! I am all for education too...well, thats really a no brainer. Have you ever heard of anyone running for office with an "anti" education platform? Anywho, Kerry is promising to earmark more "new monies" specifically designated for Ivey League scholarships. Nice.
Also on the education front, Kerry is pledging ...to ANY high school graduate that performs 2 years of community service...a full paid scholarship to an inner-state university or technical school. Bravo J.F.K...I will not ask how you will fund not only the scholarships themselves with new money but neither will I ask how will you regulate it and how you will prevent the local good ol' boys from taking advantage of a system like that. It sounds good, so I am going to go with it.
Kerry is also promising to "do away" with the tax loopholes which allow companies like Heinz to outsource jobs to other companies...loopholes which include no incentives to repatriate the American enterprise's monies back to the United States. Bravo Mr. Kerry, and I will give Mr. Kerry the benifit of the doubt in realizing that food products, such as those produced and marketed by Heinz, are perishable goods and therefore will agree that outsourcing is legitimized to a certain degree in this instance. See, I am not a party hacker...hehehe.
Ok, even though John Kerry voted against the 87 billion dollar investment in our Iraqi ground troops before voting for it...(or however that thing actually went)...he has recently stated, rather clearly, that...having knew then what he knows now in regards to WMD's ...he would have still went in. (um, not really sure where he can actually go in this particular debate)...nevertheless, IF elected president he would "stay the course" in Iraq...(are you getting the jest' here?...everytime he opens his mouth he is spending money but what closet is he going to pull it from??)
Which brings me to my next point. You say, ahh, but Kerry is going to repeal the tax cuts.
Repeal the tax cuts.
Umm, anyone ever heard of former CA Dem. Gov. Davis? Gov. Davis tripled the wheel tax of automobiles in CA in a hastily conceived attempt to bring the CA budget back into the stratosphere...anyone know what happened? Well, the wheel tax was passed. Anyone know what else happened? What happened is that, as a result of the outrageous wheel tax, CA citizens decided that it was too expensive to go out and buy that new SUV or that new Hummer and auto sales plunged....they plunged so hard that....over a 3 week period, the state of California had lost in three weeks in sales what it had hoped to have gained in the increase in the wheel tax for THE WHOLE YEAR. Let me say that one more time, the state of California had lost in the revenue in new car sale taxes what it had hoped to have gained with the increase in the wheel tax for THE WHOLE YEAR.
Folks, repealing the tax breaks will only slow down spending...and what happens when you slow down spending? Less spending=Less tax revenue for LARGE government.
But I am not quite thru. We have heard what Kerry promises to do (but havent quite heard how he is going to pay for it) and we know that he is going to stay the course in Iraq...(well, no money there either)...
Well, Mr John F Kerry also wants to provide universal healthcare to all Americans. I am sure that all that will take is about, 2 to 3 cents on the tax dollar...wait a minute...maybe more like 15 to 30 cents on the dollar...and thats for mediocre healthcare...and wait, how do you regulate that??...what will that cost??...and that is an allocation of 15 to 30 cents of every tax dollar that is already earmaked to some other project, benifit, ...whatever.
Kerry is promising all of these things but you know what?? He is not telling you what programs he is going to cut in order to make these things happen. Now, that can mean one of two things. Either he is telling you what you want to hear, knowing that he will not get any of it to pass thru Congress in an attempt to "snow" the American public into voting for him, ...or he is not telling what programs and benefit packages he is planning on cutting in order to make these "dreams" become realities in order to snow the American public into voting for him.
Folks, one other small point I have yet to point out. Not only is Kerry going to "give" you all of these nice promises...but, ....BUT....he is going to cut the deficit in half while doing so.
He is going to cut the deficit in half while doing so.
I dont think "Dubya" is perfect by any stretch of the imagination...but...He is better than the alternative that I see that is blowing bull up my backside every single day and who is just dying for me to fall for his baloney.
Dubya, do yourself a favor. Let Kerry's military record go...and just attack this man on what comes out of his mouth.
Posted by jadarm at August 21, 2004 10:00 PM
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I've heard it said that this election gives us a choice between emphysema and lung cancer. I agree with your assessment of Kerry. I have said all along that if the Bush team would just sit back and keep their mouth shut Kerry would hang himself. The only human being on the planet that Kerry would have a fighting chance of beating in a Presidential election is George the younger. Surely the Gods have smiled on us this election year. For the first time in my 29 years of eligibility to vote I am strongly considering sitting this one out. I am beginning to agree with the old bumper sticker I saw not long ago that said
DON'T VOTE....IT ONLY ENCOURAGES THEM"
Hey Buck-a-roo! I have enjoyed reading your insights over at Smijer's place. I am refreshed to know that the "Yin-Yang" perspective actually works over there...hehehe.
Hey man, you know me well enough. Contrary to what one might believe by spending a minute or two browsing my blog...I dont think Dubyah hung the moon...He didnt even invent a better mouse trap...IN FACT...I doubt seriously that the man can set a mouse trap...without help that is.
...the ALTERNATIVE...is what keeps me going strong over here. I have a very deep dislike of John F'n Kerry. I dont think that a career politician/opportunist has a place in the Oval Office...especially when considering the highly volatile political climate which surrounds the globe today. I would rather a man like "W" call the shots for this country as opposed to the ALTERNATIVE.
...I will say it (without fear that people will see thru my BS...mainly because no one reads this crap that I post...) ...
If I had my d'ruthers...If I could elect my own president...not by whom the states decide to place on their ballots...or whom the DNC or the RNC decide to nominate...not whom Rush, Sean, or Air America decides to give airplay to...
From the bottom of my heart, I truly wished, that...John McCain would be my President. He is intelligent, cunning, and also possesses a trait that is far...far foreign from anyone else I am aware of in the political circuit...
Class.
...once more...
Class...and...
Honor...
...yes folks, once more...
Honor...
I would follow this man into battle.
I would stand with him against any adversary...and if his stance conflicted with one of my own...it would cause me to stand back and investigate further my OWN stance and why I hold that stance...only because I believe he makes no decision without cause and contemplation.
I love him dearly, I respect him dearly, ...I would follow him into battle...need I say more?
I'm glad there is somebody out there that you can feel that way about. I am such a strong believer in a very limited government that I have a hard time with almost all politicians. I am a registered Republican because there was a time that I believed that they were fiscally responsible and a party that also believed in limited government.
Lookin' back I cannot for the life of me understand where I got that idea. They have always made those claims but if you look their record from an historical standpoint it just does not wash.
If you watch carefully what politicans do rather than listen to what they say I think you will find them to be so similar in their policies that the differences are not really worth mentioning.
The next time you talk with a real Clinton hater ask them which of his POLICIES they did not agree with and see how long it takes them to come up with one. Then check and see if that policy is no longer in effect.
I no longer see Republicans and Democrats. I see the Establishment. It was Winston Churchill who once said "socialism is simply communism in slow motion". I agree with that. I say that a Republican is just a Democrat in slow motion. Our ultimate destination is the same. The only thing that differs is how quickly we are going to get there.