[Homeskooled]

I know I'm going to get it for posting a title like that....but whoever you vote for, just vote. 2000's election was decided by 535 votes, so every one counts this year.

Peace
Homeskooled

 

[gimpy34]

I am with you homeskooled. Everyone has the right to their own vote. If you do vote for Kerry, please don't do it because godless liberal rock stars and actors wouldn't get out of your face. I am a professional musician and am anything but a religious zealot, but my vote goes to Bush.

 

[dakotajo]

I think bush should be taken out and horse whipped. Hes fucked up everthing in our country and the world. Give Kerry a shot. How can he do any worse?

 

[julie]

Endorsing candidates on a dp site?? Let's just keep it at- Be Sure To Vote Today and let your voice be heard. Geez, you just can't get away from this anywhere!

 

[Dreamer]

Agreed and moved to "That's Life" This has been a stressful election for many, and I include myself.

Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. As someone else said, the key is to get out and vote.

Best,
D

 

[gimpy34]

I am going to try to be objective as possible here. The media (centered in NY and L.A., two democratic strongholds) is very liberal. This is where everyone gets their news. What makes good news? Bad news. Good news doesn't really make 'good news.' The news, as we get it, is very distorted.

Bush should be held responsible for the situation in Iraq. So should his admistration, so should the Senate (which included John Kerry) that unanimously voted to go to war, the CIA, foreign countries from which we received bad intelligence.

The economy is fine. No matter how badly Democrats tell you it is, it is fine. I have an economics/business degree from college. This doesn't make me an authority on this but I have some sense what I'm talking about. The tech boom (NASDAQ) in the late Clinton Administration was so overspeculated and overhyped, I'm surprised we did not fall flatter on our faces. The DOW was over 11,000 and the NASDAQ over 5,000. The DOW was at 4,000 in 1995. People were throwing money away into these dot.coms that had no assets whatsoever but a web address.

So we started falling into a recession in 2001. Then 9/11. Boom! Tourism shot, travel/airline business decimated. Without major tax cuts and the promise of future personal and corporate tax cuts, investors would have been even more heavily discouraged. Thanks to tax cuts prospects and Greenspan cutting interest rates, we held our own for a while. Yes, this would eventually catch up to us, but it was necessary for the time being.

Never buy into this 50% of the tax cuts go to the top 1% of the nation's wealthiest. There is a little thing called the trickle-down theory which says tax cuts will result in more jobs for the middle class and lower classes. What good is raising taxes for the middle and lower classes with less jobs? All this Gore/Kerry rhetoric does is promote class warfare.

Technology, innovation is moving so fast, it is difficult for jobs to catch up. Unemployment is the same as it was in 1996. So, not bad.

Education has improved dramatically.

Health care, social security...well, those are a mess and have been a mess for a while and will be a mess no matter who is president.

I give this admistration an A- on the economy. Yes, jobs were lost. But, there have been so many factors over the past 4 years that have posed some of the biggest challenges ever for our economy. China opened up its world economy in 2000. So have India and Russia. That's 2 billion people right there. All of a sudden the world isn't as dependent on the U.S. anymore. This economic expansion drives up demand for oil. Oil prices go up. People bitch.

As far as Iraq, I am not pleased. We did well in Afghanistan in my opinion. We acted on poor intelligence. Mistakes are going to be made in any war. I wish Kerry would tell General Tommy Franks how poorly planned his war was instead of Bush because he probably had a lot more to do with that than Bush. Yes, it's a mess and it will be for a while. Only time will tell.

Terrorism- we're doing well I think. No more attacks here in the U.S. is good news to me. Ever since 9/11, terrorism has taken over the news- any news on that will never be good. UBL's latest videotape says it will target states that vote for Bush. He says they will be at peace with us if Bush is removed. Sure, UBL. I'll believe that one . What had Bush done in 2001 for us to deserve 9/11? Al-Qaeda wants Kerry to win.

Finally, this country is coming to a moral crossraods. So many people are apalled by Bush's moral bearings. I think a lot of these people in Hollywood and all of these rock starts have lost sight of the fact that half of this country is still religious. The good majority of these actors/ rock 'n rollers are not and they are trying to impose their liberal, traditionally amoral views and lifestyles through the media. It's backwards.

OK, I'll quit. Food for thought.

 

[Dreamer]

dakotajo wrote in the Kerry thread:
How can Bush be called the "lesser of 2 evils". Kerry has never been given a chance. Bush has been given a chance and has already shown he is as evil as it gets.

Joe

So I've posted this in both threads:
Kerry and Bush:

I read an excellent article the other day. Someone said, Bush and Kerry are "the lesser of two RISKS" Osama bin Laden is "evil".

Again this is terribly complex, and goes back centuries really, but bin Laden and extremist fundamentalist Muslims want ALL countries out of the Middle East. Out of the ENTIRE Middle East, and want us to dump Israel as an ally. Some of this mess goes back to 1948 when the UN created the state of Israel. Bin Laden has been a threat since 1982. He has been thrown out of his home country Saudi Arabia which is far more moderate.

This is not an easy decision for anyone, even for people who have an extensive knowledge of politics. And yes, many Presidents and other foreign leaders have made mistakes, but I reserve evil for the likes of bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin, miserable despots of all kinds in Africa, Saddam who used Iraq's oil income to either build palaces for himself or to by military equipment -- we've known that for years, etc., etc., etc.

Also, Rumsfeld is someone who really messed up our follow up into the Iraq mess. He wanted to prove his own theory that the US can operate with a smaller military presense... well he forgot we needed to be there to help clean stuff up if we were going to go in and mess things up.

I'm not arguing for or against anyone here. I'm terrified by this. Also, whoever is President will have a new cabinet. Incumbents' cabinets members don't always stay for a second term. A number of bad eggs will be gone. But I'll miss Colin Powell.

Best,
D

 

[Guest]

So with Homeskooled, Dreamer and Gimpy.....hmmm...I'm seeing an anti-Freudian trend amongst the Republicans, verrryy interesting. I suspect deep repression. (GRIN).

Just vote.

And I find the debates interesting and mentally stimulating, but only if we keep it civil.

VOTE SIGMUND,
grin
J

 

[gimpy34]

Sigmeund Freud was a cokehead... and he precribed cocaine to his patients. Oh, if only I was a mentally ill patient in the 1920s (grinning back at 'ya)

 

[Guest]

I thought a comment made by an Aussie reporter on the morning news today,rather amusing.
He said that traditionally Americans don't change their president in times of war..............hello.......... who started the war?clever trick huh?

For what it's worth we just had our election and the same guy (who would be considered right wing) got back in.
Many Australians weren't ready to change governments in such precarious times.
Interest rates have been low for several years and this was something else people were afraid to gamble with.

 

[Guest]

I just voted for John Kerry

and I am so DAMN proud!!!

 

[Crumbles]

I voted. If anyone knows me, or has visited my site, I'm sure you know who I voted for. At least I canceled out Kari's vote!

 

[peacedove]

I canceled out your vote Crumbles.

 

[Crumbles]

I canceled out your vote Crumbles.

Well, it looks like it doesn't matter, Bush won the state I'm in. So that's all my vote can do.

 

[enngirl5]

Crumbles why do you say Democrats are less likely to be individuals and are followers? I see it as the exact opposite. Just curious on your thoughts behind this.

 

[Dreamer]

Crumbles why do you say Democrats are less likely to be individuals and are followers? I see it as the exact opposite. Just curious on your thoughts behind this.

Interesting. Reality to talk about when I've just awakened from a hideous dream.

Why would either of these statements be true. They are ridiculous generalizations.

I am a registered Republican. Grew up in the Upper Class, suburb, doctors for parents, but abusive and neglectful. Private school I loved that was so good I didn't even need my Freshman year in college without advanced placement.

I voted for Bush for one reason -- the reason I had from the beginning -- international issues. Not wanting to change horses in midstream. I did not trust Kerry to be agressive enough. Round table peace talks don't work in the Middle East. I don't know what will. CLinton failed numerous times to kill bin Laden. He's been messing with us since 1982.

Also have read a great deal recently about the complexity of foreign policy and guessing, what does bin Laden, really want. (Not just bin Laden, fundamentalist Muslims who don't just hate America, but hate the West). Bin Laden wants us OUT of the Middle East entirely.

That can't happen. We and other coutnries have been living/working, had military involvement in the Middle East for.... forever. It's too late at night to go into detail.

Neither Kerry nor Bush will pull us out of Iraq or stop being an ally to the moderate Middle Eastern coutries, Quatar who asked us to be there, Saudi Arabia (we've been protecting her borders from Saddam Hussein for forever), etc., etc. too tired. Israel.

I saw on a 12pm analysis that the votes went this way:

1. Morality FIRST: anti-abortion, anti gay civil unions, anti-stem cell, and a return to legislative control of morality. I find that unnacceptable and I am a conservative. I am COMPLETELY against every one of those concepts. I am pro-choice, pro gay civil unions, pro-stem cell, and don't want my morality legislated.

2. Domestic Issues SECOND: this election, these issues were less a concern for me than the war. That's just me. Though i know we need many social reforms.

3. Fear of Terrorism/War in Iraq: LAST. And that was how I was voting. So my Republican vote wasn't even representing my views.

It is bigotry to assume that one person who calls themselves a conservative or a liberal is all one thing and that's it. There are people in this country from extremely bright and well-informed to those who know nothing about politics. We all came out in droves to vote. We all don't agree on everything. Even within one party.

It is bigotry to assume that one "party member" stands for only ONE thing or set of ideas and is "only a follower", etc.

It is NEVER that simple.

My state is still undecided as I see. At this hour 5am, I don't know who the President will be, and at this point I don't care. I hate Bush a million ways to SUnday, but I also don't have enough confidence in Kerry's stance in foreign affairs. If he wins only time will tell. Maybe my vote mattered, changed the world, maybe it didn't.

I did what was foremost in my mind at this time in my life. I was very much affected by 9/11, and being conservative to me, simply means less government intervention. Sadly, Bush is a Republican who is MORE intrusive in our lives. You don't bring anti-gay civil unions up as a Federal issue.

This is far too complex. I feel far too miserable right now from a horrible dream.

Haev to pull myself back to reality, as stupid as it is.

I wish that morality wasn't the key reason for this vote. It pisses me off. That is not how I see government, or America. But I voted for a specific reason.

So shoot me.
Peace,
D

 

[Dreamer]

I'm a registered Republican as
1. I simply believe in less government
but:

2. I am an agnostic
3. I could use social programs, yes, but find when the Federal government gets involved they cause MORE messes. Health care is one issue -- Federal health care in Canada and Britain is in serious trouble. DOn't know the answer. I'm not a genius.
4. I can vote in the Republican primaries for my best choice for President. There was no choice this time. The incumbent was guaranteed to win.
5. This has not prevented me in the past for voting for a Democratic president.
I do not vote a straight ticket, and when I understand the issues/representatives with confidence I vote different parties, I vote PEOPLE.

Proposals. I voted them all down in my state, they all won. All were against my personal convictions, but they were Republican, morally influenced votes.

We all have different priorities, needs, fears, concerns, ideologies. Being one or another doesn't make us "one type of person." Impossible.

Peace,
Nite
D

 

[dakotajo]

Its a crime... looks like 4 more years with the war monger. God help us all.

 

[Guest]

fuck it, it is what it is, theres NOTHING we can do about it. I don't like Bush but obviously others do for some reason i can't understand. If there is a draft, My therapist & doctor both assured me i wouldn't have to go due to my psychological problems. My therapist said all he would have to do is write a letter and i would be all set.

The thing is i don't want to see any of my friends go to Iraq and i don't want to see my cousin who is currently in the military have to go to Iraq. Im close to him & that would make me worry like crazy if he went.

 

[1A]

There will be no draft, SoulBrotha. Only two Democrats in the House introduced bills to reinstate the draft and the members rejected the bills big time. MTV / Rock the Vote / Democratic Party did their best to scare young voters, by thinking they'd be drafted, but it didn't work.