communication breakdown

Politics

I think it's about time to discuss some politics. I don't often do this, mainly because I usually have better things to talk about, but I figured it was appropriate to articulate my stance, if only for my own benefit. First, I think Americans are more divided than we have been in a long time, but that doesn't surprise me given the specter of terrorism which we face daily. No single issue is more important to the country right now, and there are vastly different opinions on how it should be managed. I think most people have made up their minds about who they will vote for and the race will come down to a few independents who are still deciding. They will decide who has the best plan for keeping them safe, and in turn, will decide who wins in November...

Now, on to my own political stance. My feelings can probably best be summed up by the phrase "Anybody But Kerry". That implies a couple things:

1. John Kerry is not suitable to be our President.
2. I'm not fully satisfied with the job Bush is doing.

So, let's start with #1. There are many reasons for this:

• Kerry is the most liberal Senator in the nation. His running mate Edwards is not far behind him. Together they form the closest thing we've seen to an ultra-liberal ticket which serves the fringe far-left crazies. His voting record says it all: support for abortion, higher taxes, strict gun control, gay marriage, welfare, loose immigration laws, etc. He opposes the death penalty, school vouchers, defense spending, and tighter drug enforcement. Basically, I disagree with him on every issue, and I believe the majority of America does too. Though the uber-liberals are the loudest and most persistent voices in the country, traditionals are still the majority in America. A Kerry-Edwards agenda would be contrary to what most "common folks" stand for.

• Kerry doesn't stand for anything. Well, clearly he stands for a left-wing agenda as shown above, but he is the kind of guy who will vote however he has to in order to gain a vote. This is clear by the fact that he has suddenly tried to start coming to the middle of the political spectrum now that he's a Presidential candidate. He realizes that, since the left-wingers are a small minority, he can't win without persuading moderates/independents. So what does he do? Start contradicting his own voting history, of course! He is banking on Americans being too stupid to research his current behavior and compare it against the past. Sadly he's right, in that many people will never know anything about him except for what he says in the next few months. All I know is it's very sad to see someone flip-flop on an issue and then pretend to support it as if they always had.

• Kerry is not Presidential. I guess what I really mean by that is that he's not a leader. It's obvious in every sense. First, just watch him and listen - do you get the feeling that he is capable of the leadership of a nation? I didn't think so. I believe true leaders are evident just by the way they talk and act, and you can't imitate that. Kerry doesn't even command control of his own party faithfuls - they only support him in order to get rid of Bush, no because they innately believe in him as a leader. Second, related to my above point, he doesn't have a backbone to stick to his guns. That will destroy you as a President. Third, related to my first point, he's so "out there" on the issues that most people will not identify with him and/or trust him. Finally, and this could be spin, but I've heard that his personality sucks - he's basically a rich lawyer who has his rich friends and doesn't bother to stoop down to people below his level. His wife has the same problem - she's a millionaire heiress with a New Yorker personality. These people are just not cut out to be White House material.
  

In my eyes, Bush has a leg up over Kerry in all of the above. Based on the domestic/economic policies that I personally support, I fall much more in line with Bush (though not perfectly). What I love about him, and a co-worker of mine just today made the same observation, is that he knows what he thinks is right and he does it. I have no doubt that he's trying to do what he thinks is best for the country, even if he's wrong. But he has conviction, and a clear vision - I can respect that. Finally, for all the crap he takes about being stupid, I think he's very astute and intelligent, but most of all he's down-to-earth and likable. People identify with him and find comfort in his personality. That is extremely important in a President.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not a blind Bush Puppet either. I think he has made some serious errors in judgment and I think he needs to fire some of his cabinet advisors. Here are a couple of things on my mind:

• I'm not sure he's handling the gay marriage issue properly. I haven't formulated my own conclusions yet; though I oppose gay marriage, I'm not sure a constitutional amendment is the proper solution. In addition, he supports civil unions for gay couples, which I do not.

• He is really mishandling the immigration situation. I tend to be pretty far to the right on this issue, thinking we should severely restrict immigration into the country, and give absolutely no citizenship rights to illegals who are here. The only right they should have is the right to be shipped back across the border.

• I also think he's been stubborn with the Iraq situation, as far as not offering an apology for governmental mistakes made under his watch. And the Iraq situation in general has been somewhat mishandled, such as allowing hotbeds of violence to remain and allowing the terrorist cleric al-Sadr to go free.
  

What it really boils down to, though, is this: what's the biggest issue we face? The Democrats want to make the race about the same things they always do - the economy, healthcare, tax reform. Frankly, I don't care about these things - I have a good job and am financially stable, so I don't need sweeping economic changes. Plus I don't think the government should be responsible for all those things anyways - put the money back in the hands of the consumers and good things will happen. But the real issue is terrorism, and national safety. Frankly I'd be scared to death with a wimp like Kerry in charge. Bin Laden, on the other hand, wouldn't be scared one bit.

I don't think the fact that a lot of non-Americans dislike Bush is a problem. In fact, I give him bonus points for that. When counries like Germany, Russia and especially France get all pouty because we don't let them rule the universe, I know that we're on the right track. Basically Europe is a continent full of pacifists bent on appeasement, so they get offended by a straight-shooter like Bush who has strong beliefs and decisive actions.

So, in conclusion - unless something changes between now and November, I'm voting Bush. Unfortunately, I live in liberal-dominated Minnesota, so I'm essentially wasting my vote. But I could never live with myself if I voted for someone who I believe would do his very best to destroy the traditional fabric of America and replace it with a liberal/progressive substitute. I don't support Bush because I'm a blind follower like some ultra-conservatives, but I think he is the only one with a true plan for how to handle the terror situation, and his stance on domestic issues is much more in-line with my personal beliefs. He has a lot of room for improvement, but at least he has an upside.

Anyways, that's my rant. To any who made it this far, congratulations; comments and discussion are welcome...

By the way, if you want to do your own research on how each candidate stands on the issues, check out this site.