The columnists from The Dispatch weigh in on the presidential
race.
The following section is by Denise Apuzzo:
I am going to be fiscally irresponsible this year and cast my vote for John Kerry. I say this not because I am afraid that Kerry will raise my taxes; I believe that he is proposing to raise taxes on those whose income is in the top 2 percent in the nation.
Sadly, that’s not me. However, John Kerry is a Democrat. In this divided nation, the election of a Democrat, any Democrat will cost this nation. Republicans can ignore all the jobs that disappeared under Bush, pay lip service to the number of lives lost here and abroad, excuse the annihilation of our surplus, and ignore our record deficit, but I can’t.
The last time we had a Democrat in the White House, Ken Starr and company spent more than $50 million dollars getting to the bottom of President Clinton’s sex life. There were more agents assigned to find out who Clinton had slept with than were assigned to find out who had bombed the Federal building in Oklahoma City or look into the bombing of TWA Flight 800 combined. Those who oppose Bush have not wasted our public resources chasing down Bush’s past. His past could use some looking into, but not at public expense.
The election of John Kerry will cost us in just this kind of “incidental” expense. Given the priorities of those who oppose Kerry, I can safely assume that a Democratic victory will cost this country a fortune as we undertake a fact-finding mission to see just how heroic Kerry was in Vietnam. Might I suggest that instead of hunting down events which occurred nearly 40 years ago in Vietnam, perhaps these people could find some clues on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.
I dread the waste of taxpayer money which will be a consequence of electing a Democrat.
I don’t hold out any hope that the other side will be willing to abandon their tactics. I believe we need a change in America. I want my children to see the world as a place of hope. The message of George Bush continues to be one of fear and doom. As a parent, I must force myself to be optimistic about the future. I’m voting for John Kerry.
The following section is by Dina Campeau:
At first I was going to endorse John Kerry. Why? Because he’s not George Bush and voting for Ralph Nader (who turns up as my pick on those Internet “who should you vote for” profiles) would probably put Karl Rove back in the White House (Ack! shivers).
But today, I walked across the campus of my daughter’s high school, past handmade signs for Ralph Nader, with the slogan “Vote for what you believe; not for what you fear.”
Ah, I so love the idealism of youth that thinks that this race can be like one for ASB officers. Whoever thinks he/she can do the job runs, and the one with the most votes wins. That’s how it should be. Our two-party system stinks. The two parties become less and less distinct from each other every election, with our choices winnowed down far too early, leaving us with the choice between two who are the most vanilla, the least daring and the least likely to stand up for what is truly right, rather than what will play among “the base.” Bad and Not-as-Bad. Dumb and Dumber.
I don’t believe the whining Democrats who called Nader a spoiler and blamed Democrats who voted for him instead of Gore in 2000 for putting Bush in the White House. Blame the Democrats who defected and voted for Bush.
Someday, we must return to what is true. If Democrats vote for what we fear, we will get substandard, weak leadership. Oh, but wait! That’s what we got from those who believed in Bush.
Oh well. Still, let’s get back to something real and reject the baloney these quadrennial plebiscites have become. Let’s get back to real democracy, where our elected officials represent the people who vote them in, not corporations and the very rich; where legislators, not highly paid lobbyists, craft legislation. Don’t not vote. Vote for Nader, because he will:
• prosecute corporate crime, not foster it;
• support our civil and constitutional rights, not eviscerate them;
• support real education reform, instead of using standardized testing to punish schools;
• reweave the strands of the safety net, instead of shredding them;
• protect consumers and stand up to the military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned against.
The following section is by James Fennell:
While issues of national defense, taxes, the economy, Social Security, healthcare, illegal immigration and the war in Iraq are valid topics for this election, I believe the key fundamental issue of this presidential campaign is “behavioral character,” defined by the dictionary as “moral or ethical strength.” Such strength is the foundation upon which our nation was founded, no matter what liberals proclaim.
John Adams, second president of the United States very appropriately wrote: “Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now, … they may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.”
As I examine the evidence, my conclusion is that George Bush (while obviously not perfect) still has the quality of moral and ethical character that John Adams spoke of, while John Kerry does not have the moral and ethical character to lead the United States of America. I’m also persuaded that the election of Democrat-Socialists like John Kerry will not only weaken our national defense, but raise taxes on middle-class Americans, hamper American industry with more regulations and restrictions, socialize healthcare, grow the welfare state, and encourage even more government by judicial rule rather than legislative mandate, hastening our country’s downward movement toward full-blown socialism.
The fact is that both John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry are far more supportive of left-wing liberal programs and agendas that elevate the interests of radical groups, (many of which are hostile to the system of American free-enterprise) than they are supporters of American capitalism. Mrs. Kerry with all her inherited wealth is no friend of capitalism. And as it’s been said, “if voters will only try to imagine a woman such as Teresa Heinz Kerry, a sympathizer of the radical left, laying her head on a pillow each night just inches from the president of the United States, hopefully they will decide that the only way these two will ever be allowed into the White House is by invitation only.” The Kerrys are no friends of morality or religion.
The following section is by Tom Mulhern:
I’ve been against George W. Bush since before 2000 and my opinion of him has only worsened over time. He cloaks himself in flag, religion, and September 11 to deflect criticism, and his thinking is so dogmatic that he’s unable to consider the opinions of others or to rethink decisions. Perhaps as bad as Bush are John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Condoleeza Rice, people insensate to changing conditions and, to put it bluntly, warmongers who want to rule the world.
When the Bush gang started screeching about how Iraq was an imminent threat, I noticed that none of Iraq’s neighbors – Israel, Iran, Kuwait and Turkey – showed signs of worry. No Arab countries wanted to get into this war against a toothless tiger, Saddam Hussein; to this day, few have entered the fray.
How far could Saddam’s missiles travel? Only a few hundred miles, yet it’s over 7,000 miles from Baghdad to the U.S. East Coast. And that’s carrying small, conventional payloads. The missiles, which turned out to be nonexistent, would be incapable of delivering a bulky payload such as a nuke. A simple search on the Internet revealed this before Bush’s war. Like Vietnam, we’re stuck in Iraq, and our soldiers are dying or being permanently disabled in vain due to misjudgment or a failure to lead on the part of Bush. He screwed up, and he screwed us.
Meanwhile, our economy stinks. Our country is in the worst pollution upswing in decades. And we still don’t have a concrete plan for weaning the country off foreign oil, even though it’s been 31 years since the first Arab oil embargo. During a time of an Orwellian never-ending war, the Bush administration has doled out large tax cuts, mostly to the wealthy, while huge deficits pile up and local and state agencies can’t get the money they need to function.
It’s said that a second-term election is a referendum on the incumbent, so my recommendation comes easily. Suffice to say, we can’t afford or endure another four years of Bush. Vote against Bush. Vote for John Kerry.
The following section is by Lisa Pampuch:
Who could truly be undecided in this election? Americans have two starkly different presidential candidates in John Kerry and George Bush.
Perhaps moderate Republicans, those more socially liberal yet fiscally conservative GOP members, might have a hard time voting for rule-from-the-far-right Bush.
If you believe that government ought to operate like business, with merit-based hiring and retention decisions, well, it’s time for the president’s quadrennial performance review.
If you believe turning a $236 billion budget surplus into a record $422 billion deficit isn’t fiscally responsible, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe tax incentives for companies to outsource American jobs are bad for our economy, that creating fewer net jobs than any president since Herbert Hoover is an embarrassment, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe a self-described “uniter” shouldn’t appoint an activist attorney general, especially after the bitterly contested 2000 election, and wouldn’t squander America’s extraordinary post-Sept. 11 solidarity, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe advocating a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is a dangerous political ploy and simply wrong, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe a true “compassionate conservative” wouldn’t oppose stem cell research that holds promise for millions suffering from scores of debilitating illnesses, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe demanding that no child be left behind should come with the funds necessary to accomplish that goal, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe our nation’s energy policy should be crafted openly, not furtively, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe it’s in America’s national security interest to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while protecting the environment, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe porous borders don’t equal homeland security, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe parts of the Patriot Act should be revised to protect Americans’ civil liberties and safety, join me in voting for John Kerry.
If you believe a responsible plan to win a war must include a plan to secure the peace, join me in voting for John Kerry.
And if you know any persuadable voters in swing states, urge them to vote for John Kerry.
The following section is by Dennis Taylor:
I’m here to ask you to vote for George W. Bush for president. Like he said in the second debate, ” Uh, I … uhm, I …” Well, like he said in the third debate when asked what he would do to stem the flow of jobs overseas. He’ll leave no billionaire behind, and that’s what you got to do to keep us safe from liberal terrorists. Remember our president’s resolve. He supported his long-time buddy Kenny Lay over at Enron when lesser men shirked the responsibility. And he’ll do the same in Iraq, delivering up month after month after month after month after month of resolve.
And don’t forget why we are in Iraq. We needed to make the world safe from nuke-cu-ler weapons before we made the world safe for the Iraqi people, before we made the world safe for Iraq’s neighbors, before we made the world safe for Saudi Arabia and before we made the world safe for North Korea … and we’re just makin’ a whole buncha safe worlds out there. And anyone who thinks in a way other than our president’s ain’t no Merican.
Look, some say the president isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but it doesn’t matter: Don’t think, vote Bush! He’s a simple man. You can tell by his Texas accent. Some Texans say his accent is as phony as a three dollar bill, that he was borned in Connecticut, but them are just sour bananas.
Speaking of which, George Bush will keep all them homosexuals from ruining our marriages. I mean, did you ever see your wife watch a Gay Day parade? Lemme tell ya Bubba, they are looking at a lot more than der weinerschnitzel. So we gotta protect them women from themselves. They don’t know what’s best for their bodies or their minds, so we will for ’em. That’s why we are compassionate conservatives. Besides, too many choices is downright unpatriotic.
So I besmirch all of you, we can win this election, and in the words of baseball legend Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till your brother counts the votes.” Whaddya mean prove he said that? I’m not accountable to you and neither is our president.
The following section is by Cynthia Walker:
In November 2000, I held my nose and voted against Gore. On Nov. 2, 2004, I will proudly, happily, sans clothespin, vote to re-elect President George W. Bush.
The president has accomplished miracles over a very rough four years, beginning with the bitterly contested election. Although no official count ever put Gore in the lead, he went to the courts to demand a recount. The country suffered six weeks of uncertainty. In fact, there are still people who will say that the president was “selected,” although every subsequent media recount showed that Bush was elected.
The outgoing Clinton staffers waited until the last possible moment to brief Bush’s staff, and vandalized the White House as they left.
Nonetheless, the president was hoping to unify America, to alleviate the partisanship that is tearing us apart. To this end, he appointed several Democrats to key positions, including appointing California congressman Norman Mineta as transportation secretary, and keeping George Tenet as director of the CIA.
Nothing worked. The acrimony continued, along with the “Borking” of his judicial nominees.
September 11, 2001, America was attacked. America was united – for a few months. During those months, we smashed the Taliban and liberated Afghanistan, removing one of Al Qaeda’s major training grounds.
In March 2002, Congress authorized use of force against Iraq. We invaded, and Saddam Hussein’s corrupt dictatorship crumpled and fell. Iraqi citizens spat on the dictator’s fallen statue. Saddam, who had killed 100,000 Kurds in poison gas attacks, was captured. His sons Uday and Qusay were killed: no more Iraqis would have their hands chopped off or be fed feet-first into plastic shredders.
America is safer now than it was on Sept. 10, 2001. The president is not solely responsible for our increased safety. No Americans will ever again sit by while hijackers take over a plane. But if we are to remain safe, we need to continue to make the world unsafe for terrorists and terror-sponsoring nations.
I have not approved of every act of the president: not of the 48 percent increase in federal funds for education, nor of the prescription drug benefits for seniors. (Democrats should approve….)
But the primary function of our government is to provide for the common defense. President George W. Bush shines.
