People follow people, not issues. That's the only way you can explain any of Bush's victories. In business he was an absolute flop. Why? Because in business people like people, but if you don't have the best idea, or you can't actually implement a good idea, then you're almost worthless. Sure he got some of his old man's friends to arrange money for his ventures, but not THEIR money, unless it was something like the Rangers that he couldn't mess up. The public, however, only gets an image of the man. Kerry, as Manny points out, is NOT exciting. He's not an everyman (bush isn't either but his stupidity makes people THINK he is). He's not animated and hence not inspiring. People get fired up about people that get fired up. But Manny, vote with your HEAD, not your heart. I understand why Bush can be more inspiring but he is also the worse choice, just as he was against Gore. Hell, I didn't even vote for Clinton in '92, I voted for Perot! So I get where you're coming from. If you're an isolationist, vote for Kerry. He wants more multilateral action and less unilateral action. If you think Iraq was a good place to intervene, that's ok. Kerry voted for it! Do you think someone who FOUGHT in a war would be worse than someone who was drunk and coked out during the same time period? OK, so you don't want to hold that against him, that's ok too. We all deserve a second chance. But which background really is MORE qualified to be Commander in Chief? They guy who knows what its like to be in a war far away from home, and who also knows about making those leadership decisions from Washington (kerry), OR the guy who knows how to give a thumbs up and say 'i'm making that decision (bush). I'm one of the few consistent and constant supporters of the intervention in Iraq, but I can separate that from support for Bush. You can too! You don't like Kerry's campaign on Terrorism? How is it different that Bush's? He wants more cooperation with allies. Is that bad? Do you think Bush will get more cooperation than Kerry? I don't think you do. Do you think Kerry won't aggressively pursue terrorists? If so, why? He doesn't like terrorists either. Do you think Al Queda wants Kerry in office because he's weak? He sees us ALL as weak, and has since Somalia. But wouldn't it be most effective to have complete cooperation from the rest of the countries of the world in finding and tracking AQ, rather than constantly pissing them off as Bush either wittingly or unwittingly does? Let me know your thoughts. I'm interested and listening
Franchise I think you and Hayes make solid points. But on this point I think many of us (maybe I shoudl say I) don't see what the problem is. The economy is not bad in my eyes despite the democrats negativity about it. The war in Iraq is not a story book success but I didn't hear Kerry having a vision on the war until he saw it in hindsight. Again to me (and I would guess many others) I don't believe the democrats ads that we are in terrible shape as a nation. I sincerely like the direction Bush has us going in. And again I will be consistent with my message. John Kerrey's campaign is ineffective. All he has done so far is react. If his issues are correct to people (that Hayes mentioned above) then he needs to get them out to the public to see how the public reacts.
Let's remove the democratic negativity from the debate. You like the direction Bush has us going in. What does that mean? WHAT do you like that Bush has done? The economy: its recovering? If the downturn was just cyclical economics, then the upswing is as well, right. It would have gone up regardless with that theory, so if you don't discredit Bush for the downturn, neither should you credit him with the upswing. Do you like it that the top 5% got tax breaks? Do they NEED it? Do we NEED to increase the deficit so they can have 5th and 6th homes and yachts? Hell, they've got those things anyway, even WITH the taxes. The environment: Is there ANYTHING bush has done right with regards to the environment? Education: WHERE has he been an effective leader on this issue? What has he done that makes you feel like we're moving in the right direction? Terrorism: Bush invaded Afghanistan. Can you name ANY POSSIBLE President that WOULD NOT have invaded Afghanistan after it became clear the Taliban were harboring the masterminds of the WTC bombing? NO president would have had any other recourse. What else is there? Yes, Bush can speak spanish and is cool in a down home kind of way, despite his Ivy League rich boy upbringing, and Kerry is not. But REALLY........REALLY.....what do you mean when you say you 'like the direction' he is moving us in?
Where do we get this idea that Kerry is smart? Weren't his grades at Yale right around GWB's? What in his senatorial career is indicative of his smarts? Yeah, he talks like a snob, but that means nothing. After his time in the service, he went to law school and became a public prosecutor. That puts him in his mid-thirties for his first foray into "public service." How old was GWB when first-elected as governor? Early 40's? I don't see the "lifetime of service" with which Kerry is credited. It's barely more time than GWB. The life of a Senator is one of prestige not sacrifice. Did Kerry ever teach kindergarten in an inner-city school? Bush is weak on the environment, unimpressive on education, lax with regards to fiscal responsibility.... but he's my president! Some things are just more important.
Is the debt an economic isue? Is government spending and the huge amount of our budget spent solely on paying the interest of our debt an economic issue? That's roughly 20% of our govt's spending and we don't get anything in return. Not even the most meaningless of pork barrel spending. We get zilch, but we still pay that money out routinely because of our debt G.W. Bush has increased and continues to increase.
Why do we think Kerry is smarter than Bush? Have you heard each of them speak on issues? Do you think Kerry would ever make the claim that we went to war in Iraq because Saddam wouldn't let weapons inspectors back in? Bush gave that as a reason for his war in Iraq, which obviously wasn't true. I also believe that Kerry's grades at Yale were higher than Bush's. What are you talking about Senate members not leading a life of sacrifice and one of prestige? When comparing Bush and Kerry, a Bush supporter is foolish to try and make a comparison of sacrifice. Are you referring to W's 'service' in the champaigne unit of the national guard during Viet Nam while Kerry was putting his life on the line, taking the lives of enemies, and saving the lives of fellow soldiers? Do you mean the sacrifice Bush made by running one unsuccessful business after another while he got help from his father and their connections enabling him to make huge sums of money while the businesses he ran went down the tubes?
C'mon giddyup, you are not seriously saying either that Bush is smart or that Kerry is dumb, are you? Or even that Bush is as smart as Kerry? Public service: Kerry served in the military, then was active in the anti-war movement (that also is public service), then a prosecutor, then in the federal government. Bush did none of that until elected governor. Kerry easily has double the service bush does. Sacrifice: did bush go to war and risk his LIFE for his country? No. Don't talk about sacrifice because that just isn't an issue Bush has in his favor. I understand he's your president and you hate people bagging on him. That's natural. I hate people bagging on the US, and often argue with those that do (as you probably have seen once or twice on this board). But I don't think voting for the incumbent because he's the incumbent is wise, and I'm not sure if you'd be voting for Gore 'because he's your president' if he had won, would you?
I like the tax cuts they are good for business and in time will be good for the economy. Again I believe if you put more money in peoples pockets they will spend it. What do you think business owners will do (they are largely the people making over $200k/year) when you raise their taxes. They will tighten their spending. Whether it's to cut staff, stop paying consultants or to start buying cheaper goods one way or another they will cut costs. Enviroment - Personally it's not a big issue to me. I have the same green space around me I have had in the past. Again to me the enviroment is not an issue. Education - He has put in more testing to ensure our education system is working and not just passing people thru. He has added tax credit for traditional and non-traditional students 9you know the credits kerry wants to expand cause he thinks they must be a good idea) Terrorism - I agree 100% with what Bush did and is doing. Take the fight to them. To me Kerry is like Bush 4 years ago. he is an unkown. He has done nothing in congress to make anyone think he can make decisions on his own, or even make a decision. Bush has shown me he is a leader. And regardless of what you say I would rather have a leader as a President than an unknown. But keep on beating your drum that America is in bad shape. Maybe someone will listen, but to me I don't buy it.
So why don't you just count the votes from the guys in the military and let them decide the election? I mean they are the ones sacrificing, why should civilians like us have any say? Bottom line - Do you want military service to be a large part of the campaign?
We're paying for a war it's not cheap and it wasn't planned 4 years ago during the plannign process. Glad Kerry wasn't leading the war on terror, he would be running a war on a budget. That would be a great move. There are times when you have to pay for things you can't afford. A war which came to our soil is one of them.
And you think cutting taxes, during a war, makes sense? I can't think of another Prsident in our history who did that during a war. Perhaps I'm just not well read. And you haven't noticed a change in your environment? I moved to Austin, in 1980, the year Reagan came into office, and the changes here are unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Perhaps you just go to local parks or state parks and forests that have somehow missed being affected over the years. And perhaps they are close by, so you don't drive through the vast expanses of countryside that have changed so much. Beats me.
I don;t think you'll convince him - he apparently is the type of person who thinks that if things around him haven't changed, then everything must be ok. "That tree by my house is still there, Bush must be good on the environment." Pathetic! The environment is more than just that park across the street from your house.
I accuse you of not paying attention. It scares me that you can and will vote. If you can't figure out what I am saying, remember that GWB did not give The Generals the troups they requested since he wanted to do Iraq on the cheap.
While the war has certainly had a negative effect on the budget - the biggest reason for the deficit spending is the tax cut - not the war.
ZRB, you have become so incredibly aggressive and sardonic of late. If you were coming from the other side of the aisle, you would most certainly be accused of trolling. Trolling in grand fashion. Is this new behavior simply the result of desperation setting in?
I agree. I think everyone has a right to some realistic cynicism regarding the U.S. political process - especially considering that it's littered with bribes being euphemistically called "donations." (They're not "donations" - they're ******* bribes.) But I would also argue that this election is truly different from previous elections we have witnessed, and despite the valid objections one has to the corrupt government, it's still important to vote for the lesser of two evils. (Because, in all honesty, they both suck. But Kerry's just going to sleep on your couch for four years, while Bush is going to burn the place to the foundation and pawn all your appliances.)
Cutting taxes was to stimulate an economy that went to crap after 9/11, after the dot com bubble burst and after the corporate scandals. If there wasn't a tax cut our economy could be in much worse shape, at least in my mind. And no my greenspace hasn't changed.
