I'm less than enthused about kerry. I'm not informed about third party candidates. But VA is coming back into play (not quite "battleground", but not quite a republican cakewalk either..). I'm going to do my electoral bit to kick Bush out.
At the moment, voting for anyone other than two major party candidates is a vote of protest. This was OK for me in '92 - I registered a protest vote for Perot. This year, in VA, the vote is close enough that small numbers of votes will make a difference. So... no libertarians or greens or anything - and no write-in for cthulu.
Reasons to vote against Kerry: - his record on fiscal discipline isn't great - he's been in Washington for 20 years, and has a pragmatic/liberal voting record consistent with 1) getting reelected in MA, and 2) performing as a democratic party player. he plays the game, he's an insider - his military service and war record are.. what they are.. I can't buy the "shameless limelight hunting" argument. The times and the circumstances were hard, and I think kerry acted as well as he knew how - I'm not enthused about his service record and subsequent judgements.. For those of you unfamiliar with my views on politics.. the above is faint damnation - but any praise I have for kerry is faint as well.
Reasons not to vote for Bush: - Ashcroft - Court nomination track record - particularly with 1-3 supreme court slots coming up in this term - US Patriot Act (and ashcroft) - Abysmal record on fiscal discipline. largest swing in deficits EVER - Homeland Security Act (and ashcroft) - Withdrawal from ballistic missile treaty - among other rejection of international agreement/discipline, such as World Court, UN Elections Commission, UN Human Rights Commission (well..they tossed us out on our ear..), &c. This administration has NO THOUGHT for international cooperation and mutual commitment - Military "restructuring" (and Rumsfeld) - very idealogically driven, without reality checks BEFORE field implementation - "enemy combatant" status - repudiation of Geneva Rights protections, review by US courts, and disregard for constitutional protections... the entire premise behind this rape of civil liberties and any checks, balances, or reviews is a BIG step down a slippery slope. - invading iraq with minimal troops (and Rumsfeld) - iraq was used as a proving ground and experimentation ground for Rumsfeld's pet theories.. putting at risk US troops - economics and corporate scandal - OK, the raft of economic crud that ran rampant in the country the last 4 years hasn't REALLY been bush's fault. But I'll still hold it against him... - "doctrine of preemption" (and the corruption of colen powell) - the US has declared itself trigger-happy. then proved it. what a way to alienate the world, and make them frightened enough to feel a deep need to arm themselves to the teeth.. - bush's energy policy - another 4 years of effective R&D wasted.. did bush & co. think this insulting piece of crap document produced in secrecy (though apparently largely by energy executives) actually fooled anyone? this had to be one of the most insulting and offensive maneuvers this administration has managed to produce - and that says a lot - WMD in Iraq (and the corruption of Colen Powel) forcing colin powel to spout patently misleading intel to the UN security council, and using flawed and twisted intel as a basis for an undeclared war (congressional force authorization not-withstanding - NOT the same thing as a declaration of war...) was vile.
OK - so on balance, we've got an imp we don't know enough about (but don't feel terribly good about), or GW Bush (aka the mindless puppet of satan). My current thinking is that I must contribute to ejecting GW Bush from office. Oh - and ousting W from office has the added benefit of firing Ashcroft (good for the US), Rumsfeld (good for the military - and me as a DoD employee), and relieving the corruption of Condi, Colen, Greenspan, and the other-than-evil cabinet (and lower) appointees.
Kerry uses the the line "for an america that is strong at home and respected abroad". I'm not sure he can deliver those things, but I've seen Bush go out of his way to denegrate those values. I'm voting anti-bush 2004 - by casting a vote for kerry.
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timeasmymeasure
what I'm thinking in my head...
Date: 2004-10-17 05:17 pm (UTC)At the moment, voting for anyone other than two major party candidates is a vote of protest. This was OK for me in '92 - I registered a protest vote for Perot. This year, in VA, the vote is close enough that small numbers of votes will make a difference. So... no libertarians or greens or anything - and no write-in for cthulu.
Reasons to vote against Kerry:
- his record on fiscal discipline isn't great
- he's been in Washington for 20 years, and has a pragmatic/liberal voting record consistent with 1) getting reelected in MA, and 2) performing as a democratic party player. he plays the game, he's an insider
- his military service and war record are.. what they are.. I can't buy the "shameless limelight hunting" argument. The times and the circumstances were hard, and I think kerry acted as well as he knew how - I'm not enthused about his service record and subsequent judgements..
For those of you unfamiliar with my views on politics.. the above is faint damnation - but any praise I have for kerry is faint as well.
Reasons not to vote for Bush:
- Ashcroft
- Court nomination track record - particularly with 1-3 supreme court slots coming up in this term
- US Patriot Act (and ashcroft)
- Abysmal record on fiscal discipline. largest swing in deficits EVER
- Homeland Security Act (and ashcroft)
- Withdrawal from ballistic missile treaty - among other rejection of international agreement/discipline, such as World Court, UN Elections Commission, UN Human Rights Commission (well..they tossed us out on our ear..), &c. This administration has NO THOUGHT for international cooperation and mutual commitment
- Military "restructuring" (and Rumsfeld) - very idealogically driven, without reality checks BEFORE field implementation
- "enemy combatant" status - repudiation of Geneva Rights protections, review by US courts, and disregard for constitutional protections... the entire premise behind this rape of civil liberties and any checks, balances, or reviews is a BIG step down a slippery slope.
- invading iraq with minimal troops (and Rumsfeld) - iraq was used as a proving ground and experimentation ground for Rumsfeld's pet theories.. putting at risk US troops
- economics and corporate scandal - OK, the raft of economic crud that ran rampant in the country the last 4 years hasn't REALLY been bush's fault. But I'll still hold it against him...
- "doctrine of preemption" (and the corruption of colen powell) - the US has declared itself trigger-happy. then proved it. what a way to alienate the world, and make them frightened enough to feel a deep need to arm themselves to the teeth..
- bush's energy policy - another 4 years of effective R&D wasted.. did bush & co. think this insulting piece of crap document produced in secrecy (though apparently largely by energy executives) actually fooled anyone? this had to be one of the most insulting and offensive maneuvers this administration has managed to produce - and that says a lot
- WMD in Iraq (and the corruption of Colen Powel) forcing colin powel to spout patently misleading intel to the UN security council, and using flawed and twisted intel as a basis for an undeclared war (congressional force authorization not-withstanding - NOT the same thing as a declaration of war...) was vile.
OK - so on balance, we've got an imp we don't know enough about (but don't feel terribly good about), or GW Bush (aka the mindless puppet of satan). My current thinking is that I must contribute to ejecting GW Bush from office. Oh - and ousting W from office has the added benefit of firing Ashcroft (good for the US), Rumsfeld (good for the military - and me as a DoD employee), and relieving the corruption of Condi, Colen, Greenspan, and the other-than-evil cabinet (and lower) appointees.
Kerry uses the the line "for an america that is strong at home and respected abroad". I'm not sure he can deliver those things, but I've seen Bush go out of his way to denegrate those values. I'm voting anti-bush 2004 - by casting a vote for kerry.