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.
Folks, honestly...I am a bit dumbfounded. The main story over the last several weeks has been John Kerry's war record. True, when the man pays millions of dollars to send commercials into your living room telling you what a "war-hero" he is then...yes...he is opening the door to criticism on his war record. IE; once you open the door...you cannot close it.
My disbelief is central to the whole issue...Why attack this man's war record when all you have to do is attack his presidential platform?? All you have to do is capture the words that come out of this man's mouth and and the debate is over....
...trouble is...people are not aware of what Kerry is campaigning on. They are not aware of the BS that is coming out of his mouth. Plain and simple, all Kerry supporters are sure of is that they hate Bush.
If you dont understand what I am trying to tell you then you are a victim of both parties. They are mocking you. Both of them. I am a Bush supporter but I honestly wished he would cut the BS and state the real reasons that John F Kerry should not be our next president...
Forget the commercials you are seeing. Forget the partisan interviews you are reading...listen to what is coming out of the horse's (or jackass's... if you are a liberal) mouth.
I am afraid that neither party has the confidence in the American public to put the real issues on the table...instead, they resort to smears and self gratification of irrelevant topics to make their case.
..that of course, coming from a man who's wife made him sign a pre-nup' and only took his last name 19 months ago! You go tiger! I am voting for Kerry!!!
I met a friend in Chattanooga, TN a few weeks back. He goes by the name "Justin" and he is a little younger than I am but his passion for baseball easily equals yours truly.
...the only fault I can find in the little feller is that he wears the dreaded Yankee's hat....ho' man! Gotta save em while they are young I always say.
Anywho, this post is for my new friend.
I, my son, and a few good friends went to Atlanta's Turner Field this Saturday and witnessed the best live ballgame I have ever been to in my life. We saw Pujols and Chipper Jones go deep twice in the same game. We saw a squeeze play, we saw Larry Walker lose a big can of corn in the sun, we saw both managers come out on the field and fight for their teams, ...we witnessed a fantastic game and I only wished that you could have been there to see it with us.
I have included some special pictures of the game, I only hope that next time you can be there with us.
...as I said, it was a beautiful day for baseball.
...the manager I love to hate was unhappy and had just expressed his emotional displeasure to the umpires on duty.
...the best closer in baseball recorded his 29th save to a standing capacity crowd.
...a hip pre-teen attended the game with me so I didnt feel completely out of place.
...all in all, it was a great day!
During my exploration of "the future stars of baseball" I have come across an absolute phenom! Pay close attention to this youngster folks. I am sure that one day you will be in the Braves' tunnel waiting on him to come and sign your baseball card. Sky is the limit.
