Kerry or Bush and why?

[JoeXIII'007]

I'm just curious of what the majority is leaning towards with the election about 8 months away. I can't vote, which is a bummer. However, I'm still interested.

[KyleGilbert45]

[JoeXIII'007]

Originally Posted by KyleGilbert45

This would be so much better as an actual poll.

As for me..... Bush

I just got the poll up.

[opps12]

i want a.b.b (anybody but bush) to win, there has never been a president that has broken more treaties than him, and his administration is just bad. Even his own advisors (as in Richard Clarke) don't think he is doin a good job. Plus i thought republicans were always critical of democrats for spending too much money on programs they don't see as "useful" but why is it under this republican administration that we have turned a record surplus into a record deficit? It also seems like bush comes out with a new program every week, like the new "space plan" and i hear he wants broadband for everyone by 2007, yet he does even plan out how to do it. I"m fed up, i'm glad i can vote

[David Kelly]

Originally Posted by KyleGilbert45

This would be so much better as an actual poll.

As for me..... Bush

[Clark Gilbert]

Originally Posted by David Kelly

Bush --- I'm retain my right not to have to explain why.

[Kristina]

Preface: Anyway, I haven't posted in a while. I typically only come out of posting retirement for political stuff and even now, I was hesitant. I'll blame Cory; he made me do it I don't want to instigate a war of ideologies and I realize that one post probably won't change anyone's mind. However, it *can* lead to healthy dialogue and as someone passionate about politics, I know that it's important to try to get people engaged. If you want to know more about what I think, you can always IM or email me. This is just a post about why I'm voting for John Kerry.

It's hard for me to think of even where to begin because having worked on the John Kerry campaign for the last 10 months; it's so ingrained into me about why John Kerry is the best candidate. It's beyond ABB (anyone but Bush), it's about voting for a man who has a vision to deal with the problems of today and prepare us for the future. Concerns about the environment, civil liberties, education, jobs, social security, etc. are not merely "sissy" concerns by those "tree-huggin' liberals" [When you're VP of the Bruin Democrats, you hear it all], they are important issues that people of our generation will inherit and issues that Kerry has a plan for. Bush has had more environmental rollbacks than other president in history along with the worst job creation record since Hoover, Ashcroft scares me and I can give you a 20 page paper on why you don't have to compromise defense for civil liberties, we're in a major deficit, ask your teacher what he/she thinks about "No Child Left Behind", the bottom 60% of American only got 14.7% of the last tax cut contrary to what Bush’s claim of the “vast majority of my tax cuts goes to the bottom half of the economic ladder”…the list goes on. Moreover, it may seem like America is on the top of the world, and we are, but we're also a declining hegemon (meaning, we're falling from #1). As any political science or history class can tell you, you need your allies to solidify your position. However, with our retreat from Kyoto, the International Criminal Court, ABM treaty, land mine treaty, comprehensive test ban treaty coupled with our war hasn’t been that great in our foreign relations department.

So it’s easy for us liberals to whine, as we’ve heard that we do far too often. We have a solution though; rather we have a man with a solution. He’s worked in the Senate foreign relations committee for over a decade and understands global issues. He also understands domestic issues from his work in the Senate. Having me explain them wouldn’t do them justice so if you really care, you can go to www.johnkerry.com and read up for them yourselves. As for waffling, all I can say is that President George W. Bush at one point, didn’t want the department for Homeland Security. Does this mean that he’s a waffler too? No, it means that as the climate changes, you have to be receptive to new ideas to fix the environment you live in. Have you never changed your mind? It’s easy to go after a man who’s been in the Senate for so long because he’s had to make hard decisions, but let’s also remember there’s a reason why he’s been there for so long and he’s gained a great deal of experience to lead our country from it.

All in all, this is a brief (ok, I know it’s long, but I could go on for MUCH longer) glimpse on why I’ve devoted so much time to Kerry’s campaign and why I’m proudly voting for him in November. Before I devote myself to a cause, I do my research and I highly recommend that everyone, especially those old enough to vote, do the same. If you’ve done your research, and you find that Bush is the better candidate for you, well, I can respect that much more than I can someone merely going off of a few soundbits on TV or blindly following their parents. So if you get something out of this post, I hope that this is it. Voting for John Kerry would be a nice byproduct, but I think the most important thing is to get involved in the political process. It’s a lot of fun, challenging, important and very rewarding.

And of course I had to attach my picture of John Kerry and I last summer at UCLA.

[Ashley Weed]

Originally Posted by David Kelly

Looking forward to my first Presidential Election!

[Andy A.]

I'm going to probably insite a storm of disaprovel, but oh well.

I am not voting in the upcoming presidential election. I feel that none of the canidates have earned my vote. Therefore, I exercise my right to not vote.

What it comes down to is this: Voting for the lesser of two (3?) evils doesn't accomplish anything. When it comes to the big choices, the ones that really matter, they always make the same choice the other would make. Usally it is the wrong choice. Simply voting for the sake of earning some kind of civic brownie points seems wrong to me.

If none of the canidates are worthy of my vote, no one gets it.

-Andy A.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Clark Gilbert

Bush --- I'm retain my right not to have to explain why.

It's my first election, and I'll be votin Kerry, also, same thing that Clark said, I'm retaining my right not to have to explain.

Also guys, lets keep this civil. Thanks.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I'm interested to know why 9 people have chosen Bush. Kristina made it clear why people like Kerry. Why should we like Bush?


I'm still debating between Kerry, and writing in Edwards.

[Mike641128]

Kerry, because almost all taxes collected shouldn't go to defense and leave education and healthcare in the distance, along with other programs need to internally keep this country sound.

[Aaron Knight]

I can not with any conscience or moral fiber vote for George W. Bush in the upcoming presidential election. Here's why:

1. He has racked up the largest debt _even with adjustion for inflation_ of any president in the history of this country.
2. He has passed a tax cut that disproportionately gave much more money back (proportional to income) than anyone else....
3. For all his claims about wanting better business practices post-ENRON, he has yet to come clean about his own questionable and illegal business practices in 1989-90 with his petroleum business, nor his executive cabinet's deep connections with ENRON itself.
4. In a time of two unfinished wars that he led us into, Bush has spent a disproportionate amount of his time on attempting a constitutional amendment that he claims is to "preserve the [christian] sanctity of marriage" - which would be the first amendment to the Constitution which would inhibit the rights of Americans (not to mention that would _change_ the definition of marriage, to that of the Christian right [what happened to freedom of religion?]......)
5. Bush is running on a platform of the "war president", that of a strong leader leading a secure nation. Now, the 9/11 hearings are revealing that he somewhat dropped the ball on security then; he established a redundant Dept. of Homeland Security rather than fix the problems between our domestic FBI and international CIA...... and has made a less rather than more secure nation and world in general due to his actions.

Bush can't run on the economy - sure, we may have bounced out of recession, but very few of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of jobs lost in the recession have been recreated. The Trickle-down economic model doesn't work. Didn't work with Reagan heading into the elder Bush, and isn't working now.

He also will face heavy questioning when he runs on an education platform. You may remember the much-lauded No Child Left Behind act. However, you won't likely remember that Bush gutted the majority of the funding behind it, and only recently cut the standards back to a level that schools might possibly be able to meet with the aid he left in it.

To tell the truth, I voted for Kuchinich (sp?) in the Democratic primary. However, I am willing and will fall in line behind the Democratic front-runner Kerry. Nader just as four years ago I can not vote for, since his campaign primarily runs on "I'm neither (republican front-runner) nor (democratic front-runner)" every time. Not a compelling argument for me.

Kerry, I believe, has a strong chance and a strong vision for what this country can and will do to maintain its traditions and point us towards a future that is good not only for our citizens but for the rest of the world as well.

Okay, I'll stop ranting now . I welcome criticisms of this (privately if you so desire) - as constructive criticism serves to better politically educate those on both sides.

[JakeGallagher]

Howard Dean.

"CAN WE DO IT?? HOOOOOOOOOYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!"

Nuff Said.

[Crash852]

Nader have good morals, but he will never win just because not enough people will vote for him. So, if i can vote, i would vote for Kerry.