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Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004 - 11:18 p.m. Why I'm voting for John Kerry
Maybe I'm just all caught up in the editorial endoresments as we get
into the final week of this presidential campaign. More than that,
though, I feel a need to lay out -- for myself, above all else --
exactly why I feel the way I do. Four years ago, I had a feeling, and I
didn't know why, that electing George W. Bush would be a sign of bad
things to come. I don't think I thought they'd be this bad. Boy, I wish
we were talking about President McCain right now.
I rarely have political debates with my friends, unless we share the
same values and ideals and support the same candidate. So there's been
plenty of discussion about John Kerry and bashing of Bush, but less
honest debate and heated exchanges between myself and any strong
Republican supporters. I like it that way. I can have a lot in common
with my friends, but if our political views lie on opposite sides of the
spectrum, that's fine. Why risk a rift in the friendship over a heated
discussion about taxes? We all have our reasons for our positions, and I
can respect those that differ from mine even if I can't understand them.
I write this not so much to impose my beliefs on anyone in these final
days until Nov. 2, but to explain myself and why I will vote for John
Kerry and why I hope he wins. Indeed, I put it right out there at the
top so that anyone not interested in reading another pro-Kerry column
can go
back one day and look at creative jack o' lanterns. I do this
because, frankly, I really am having a hard time understanding why the
President has such strong support, why working-class states like Ohio
and Pennsylvania are so undecided and why people are drawn to what has
clearly been a campaign of fear and negativism, particularly on the
Republican side. My general feeling has been one of hope and optimism
from John Kerry, and one of bullying and scare tactics from George Bush.
I invite anyone to explain to me what it is about George Bush that says
he deserves four more years. I honestly don't get it. He's already
governed like a second-term president, forcing through the policies and
bills that he fears would never come to pass if he isn't living in
Washington come next Groundhog Day.
The following will certainly read like a vote for Anyone But Bush, and
it is. I knew two years ago -- I sensed it four years ago -- that Nov.
2, 2004, would be a big day, hopefully a day to change things again. I
was watching the primaries closely, not so much to pull for one
candidate or another to win, but to learn all I could about each one so
that I would know whether or not I could honestly, truly support the
nominee. While I've structured this as the reasons I don't want to see
four more years of the same crap, I also feel that Kerry embodies much
of what these critiques imply that I am looking for in a leader. If I
truly didn't like John Kerry, I don't know what I would do. With the
electoral college, it doesn't make sense to vote for anyone but the two
candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties. Even a Bush
supporter who lives in Massachusetts doesn't have a direct say in the
outcome of this election. It may be that this election really does move
us closer to a change in the way we choose our president, as if 2000
wasn't enough of a wake-up call.
TAXES Everyone just assumes it's a bad word, but another way
to look at it is as a small price to pay for our freedom. Maybe because
I don't have much money, but I can't see why so many object to the fact
that those who make more should pay more, by percentage. Bush can claim
all he wants that most of the tax cuts went to the middle class, but
when some of the cuts were for the estate tax (which Republicans love to
call the death tax, making it sound more unjust) and dividend taxes on
stock holdings, it's clear those cuts affect the wealthiest Americans
more than the middle and lower classes. First, the estate tax only comes
into play above a certain monetary level of inheritance; second, who
besides the CEOs and other large shareholders have enough stock to be
affected by the dividend taxes? Furthermore, every political scholar and
adviser knows that you can't cut taxes, fight a war and expect to have
anything close to a balanced budget or a strong economy. Funny how we
haven't had either of the latter since the last days of Clinton.
IRAQ AND SADDAM It's sad that shortly after we attacked Iraq
that so many Americans believed there was a strong, direct connection
between Saddam Hussein and the attacks of September 11, when the only
evidence of it was because George Bush and Dick Cheney claimed it was
so. I know Saddam was bad, I know he was a threat, but I said from Day 1
of the war that Bush did not come close to convincing me that he was
enough of an immediate threat that he had to be taken care of when the
president chose to attack. I hope Kerry doesn't lose this election
because he waited until the first debate to start calling Bush out on
his decision to direct forces, funds and attention from the hunt for
Osama bin Laden to send troops and money into Iraq. Clearly Iraq is in
worse shape now because of the mess we've made, and it will take longer
to fix than it would have had it been planned out more thoroughly.
Bush's half-assed assertion that the reason things are such a mess
because we won too easily is a cop-out. You're telling me that
with the greatest military in the world, with all that we can do with
computers and technology, with all that we knew about Saddam Hussein and
his army, that we couldn't foresee a cake walk in terms of chasing the
dictator from his capital and overrunning his sorry excuse for an army?
I'm also not convinced that the idea of attacking Iraq didn't start
shortly after Bush took office in January 2001. I've read somewhere (it
very well might be in the editorial from The New Yorker that's
linked below) that an Iraq attack was mentioned in the White House on
September 12, 2001.
ARROGANCE In the second debate, the last woman to ask a
question of the president said something along the lines of, "We all
make mistakes. Can you name three instances in which you made a choice
you regret and why?" A simple question, and a good one. It's similar to
a classic interview question: What are your weaknesses? Bush didn't
answer it. He stammered something about a few "appointments" and then
refused to specifically name them because he "didn't want to hurt their
feelings." Bollocks. I really believe that, in his mind, he hasn't made
a mistake yet in his presidency. That's idiotic. There's a pointed
arrogance, stubbornness and smugness to Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and
Ashcroft that is a dangerous characteristic to have with all that power
to boot. Everyone makes mistakes. Bush refuses to learn from any of
his.
A CAMPAIGN OF FEAR I'm offended every time Bush or Cheney
stands up in front of a hand-picked crowd (contractually obligated to
cheer in support) and implies that any vote other than for Bush/Cheney
will lead to more terrorist attacks. The real truth is that we will be
subject to further attacks no matter what. The difference today as
opposed to four years ago is that now we're looking for it and trying to
prevent it. That won't change. And don't even begin to tell me that when
I express my opinion, as is my right, that I'm un-patriotic or
un-American if my beliefs happen to go against those of the Bush/Cheney
clan. Furthermore, all the negative advertising -- the Swift Boat
Veterans "For Truth" and all -- is insulting. What does it say when one
candidate has to resort to tearing down his opponent's record instead of
trumpeting his own strengths and virtues? The same thing goes for
Republican attempts to get Ralph Nader on the ballot in as many states
as possible. And along those lines ...
DISENFRANCHISEMENT It used to be that this word came up in
history classes when talking about the history of blacks in America. Now
we're hearing it almost daily, particularly in Florida. We should be
encouraging people to vote, to express their opinions, to participate in
our democracy. We shouldn't be throwing out voter registrations because
of the stock of paper on which they were submitted (and
that's not the only instance; I read somewhere that the registrations
were simply thrown out).
KARL ROVE The man's dirty. He's the the stereotypical shady
politician. Read John Dean's CNN column (link below) to see how ugly
this could get if it's another close election.
FLORIDA I think the first time I really knew I couldn't trust
George Bush was watching the election coverage on November 7/8, 2000. It
was still early, when most outlets were projecting a win for Al Gore,
and the networks started showing a clip of George Bush in the Texas
governor's mansion speaking with reporters. With that smirk on his face
we've come to know so well, he basically said, "Don't count out Florida
yet." It was as if he knew something the rest of us didn't, and it sure
looks now like that was the case.
"NATION BUILDING" AND "A UNITER, NOT A DIVIDER" In his 2000
campaign, Bush pledged he did not believe American should be in the
business of "nation building." He also promised that he would not be a
polarizing president. This country has never been more divided between
Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, rich and poor.
It's not good.
THE DEFICIT We were in great shape in 2000 with a budget
surplus in the trillions, $5 trillion in fact. We're headed for a
$2.3 trillion deficit within 10 years, a $7 trillion turnaround. A lot
could have been done with that money -- even tax cuts! But it's been
pissed away. I'm a big proponent of helping the environment, but I'm
setting those wishes aside for the time being because the way things are
going, I won't have any extra money to take vacations to see places like
Yellowstone or Alaska. We're in a ginormous hole financially, and my
generation will still be paying for it long after today's veteran
policitians have retired to their ranches.
JOBS George Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover
to preside over a loss of jobs during his term. Herbert Hoover!!
There was something called The Depression back then.
APPOINTMENTS This goes along with the arrogance, not to
mention the mistatements and lies. Bush filled his entire staff with
"yes men." He brags about not listening to outside opinion. He doesn't
seek out dissenting views, even as a means of strengthening his own
argument for his beliefs. That's just irresponsible. Maybe if he'd
listen to someone who doubted one of his statements once in a while, he
wouldn't have been so surprised at the "success" in Iraq. As far as his
appointments, his judicial ones have been laughable. Yet he tries to
claim that the Democrats in Congress are holding them all up. Truth is,
Bush has had more judges -- conservative ideologues, as The New
Yorker put it -- appointed to federal courts than the averages for
Clinton, Reagan and the first Bush. And Republicans blocked six times
more of Clinton's appointments than Democrats have of Bush's.
MARRIAGE AND ABORTION My beliefs on these issues as they
pertain to the goverment -- or the Constitution -- are simple: I do not
believe that laws should be made that dictate what a person can do with
his or her own body. I may not like abortion, I may not think it's
right, but who am I to say that a 14-year-old who was gang-raped by the
football team cannot terminate her pregnancy? As for gay marriage, it
would be a shame to make an amendment to the Constitution that actually
takes away someone's rights.
EDUCATION Children are still being left behind, particularly
because there isn't enough money given to the program that the president
himself championed. It's irresponsible. On top of that, if there's one
group to which we should do all we can, it's the children. Focusing on
education -- improving schools, paying teachers, helping children learn
-- can help solve myriad problems. More structure and better education
can lead to better opportunities and help steer kids from crime, death,
pregnancy and so much more.
HOMELAND SECURITY Clearly, I want to feel safe at home. For
the most part, I do. I don't, however, feel safer than I did four years
ago. I might if Iraq weren't going off like the opening of a Jerry
Bruckheimer film. I certainly would if Osama bin Laden weren't tucked
away in a cave somewhere. But here I am, in northern New Jersey. I pass
the George Washington Bridge every day going to work. I traverse the
Hudson River via the Lincoln Tunnel several times a month. I cruise down
the New Jersey Turnpike past the ports in Elizabeth and the oil
refineries just yards from the roads. We're still vulnerable, and part
of the reason is that Congress can't even get funding for homeland
security right. I could feel safer if more money were coming to New
Jersey and New York, because the threat is clearly greater here. Or I
could move to Wyoming or Alaska, where they have so much homeland
security money that they're having trouble spending it. The funds aren't
distributed according to perceived need, but equally. Wyoming gets
something like 30 times more money per person than New York does. Times
square gets nearly as many people -- about half a million -- on New
Year's Eve as Wyoming has residents.
In hindsight, I wish I'd written more of an outline, that I'd crafted
this piece over the course of months rather than days. I've read so much
from countless sources that have helped form my opinion and I can't
possibly keep track of it all. Below are a few links which say much of
what I have attempted to here in much clearer and succinct ways.
Thanks for getting to this point. Remember to vote. Fluffier entries
coming again soon.
"The Unfeeling President," by E.L. Doctorow
Garrison Keillor, "We're Not In Lake Wobegon Anymore"
The New Yorker's editorial endorsing John Kerry
John Dean's scary speculation for the days after Nov.
2
The New York Times' collection of editorials
on the "real issues" of the campaign
The New York Times' collection of
editorials on the "flaws in the mechanics of our democracy"
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