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Presidental candidates

  • Thread starter Copper
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I do not know about you all, but this year holds a difficult decision for me. I am a Republican, but I vote for the man not the party and this year I may be voting the other way again.

I do not like Bush's enviromental policies, but I honestly do not trust Kerry (odd because I hung with his family members in my younger days, rubbing elbows eh!) I do not like the way he does not stand firm. The President must be strong, but he did choose a good running mate and now I look seriously toward the Democratic Party (Oh, my right wing hurts).

Things I would like to discuss. Health reform and the 'No child left behind' policy. My husband is a teacher and this is the worst thing to happen to education in a long time. To me it appears the the Federal Goverment has found away to cut aid to the schools. Not every child can finish with the highest standings.

What are your thoughts and feelings?
 
I too am a Republican. I don't know if I will get BOOs for this or not but.........
I think Colin Powell would make a good Prez.
Anyway.........
I will probably vote Bush cause I don't like Kerry.

Joe
 
YAY! someone else who thinks the no child left behind act is crap. i think that is the biggest bunch of bull ive ever seen. im on the fence as far as the election too. i really dont like Kerry, he has backed a bunch off bills that are idiotic, actually the only time he seems to have the decentcy to come out and vote is when there is a gun bill. i wonder what the ppl from his state think about that? he is out campaigning unless some bill involving gun control comes up than he runs back to the capital to vote. i dont like Bush's enviromental policies and some of his other stuff. im guess im still on the fence so far. i heard Kerry's running mate put himself through school working at a mill, that intrigues me.

Rattler
 
I don't know too much about Kerry....I do know I don't like Bush too much. That no child left behind thing is the biggest load of turd ever. If you can't hack it in the grade you're in, what makes them think you can hack it in the NEXT ONE UP? Silly...just silly. I think this policy was actually drafted because of uppity parrents who didn't want to take responsibility for their failing students and kept blaming the schools....How about a little personal responsibility here, people?

One of my biggest gripes with Bush is that he is very anti-scientific progress. I've heard (not sure if it's true, but I HAVE heard it said) that Bush even favors teaching creationism over evolution in public schools!
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I also don't like how Bush is into censorship. Anyone here listen to Howard Stern? I love to listen to his Bush rants....
 
im not impressed by either candidate, and i think the No child left behind law is a load of crap too. But how can you vote against such a act, the way the title is?

but i dislike bushes enviormental policies, and his cutting back of the endangerd species act is all the more evidence that he favors corporations over the envorment.
 
Personaly I think Kerrys a consumate politician. He believes what the polls tell him to. G 'DUBBYA Hasn't made the wisest of decisions, and I definately don't agree with his environmental, and immigration polices, but at this point it's the lesser of two evils (of course it always is). I support teaching creation in schools both are theories and neither one holds more water than the other, so they should be taught equally with all their sub-theories. I don't have a problem with where we're at in the war here are a few excerpts:
Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war.
> They complain about his prosecution of it.
> One liberal recently claimed Bush was the worst president in U.S
>history.
>
>
>
> Let's clear up one point: President Bush didn't start the war on
>terror.
> Try to remember, it was started by terrorists BEFORE 9/11.
> Let's look at the "worst" president and mismanagement claims.
>
>
>
> FDR led us into World War II.
> Germany never attacked us: Japan did.
> From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost,
> an average of 112,500 per year.
>
> Truman finished that war and started one in Korea.
> North Korea never attacked us.
> From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost,
> an average of 18,333 per year.
>
> John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962.
> Vietnam never attacked us.
> Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
> From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost,
> an average of 5,800 per year.
>
> Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent.
> Bosnia never attacked us.
> He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by
>Sudan and did nothing.
> Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.
> Over 2,900 lives lost on 9/11.
>
>
>
> In the two years since terrorists attacked us,
> President Bush has liberated two countries,
> rushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida,
> put nuclear inspectors in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing
>a shot,
> captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
> We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year.
> Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack
>at home.
>
> Worst president in history? Come on!
>
>
>
> The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking,
>but...
>
> It took less time to take Iraq
> than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound.
> That was a 51 day operation.
>
>
>
> We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less
>time
> than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing
>records.
>
> It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to
>destroy the Medina Republican Guard
> than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile
>sank at Chappaquiddick.
>
> It took less time to take Iraq
> than it took to count the votes inFlorida!!!!

World War III
 
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 05:56:24 -0400
 
Not very long, and very informative. You have to read the catalogue of events in this brief piece. Then, ask yourself how anyone can take the position that all we have to do is bring our troops home from Iraq, sit back, reset the snooze alarm, go back to sleep, and no one will ever bother us again. In case you missed it folks, World War III began in November 1979... that alarm has been ringing for years.
 
US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. Here is a copy of the speech he gave last month. It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why this action is so necessary.
 
AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!
 
That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed -AD) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.
 
It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign U. S. embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 23 years.
 
America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism.
 
America's military had been decimated and down sized/right sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.
 
Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued.
 
In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people.
 
The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more.
 
Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more.
 
Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber.
 
The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.
 
Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid.
 
Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.
 
Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed.
 
The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing
259.
 
Clinton treated these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war.
 
The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder.
 
The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
 
The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war?
 
The Snooze alarm is depressed again.
 
Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women.
 
A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over
500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively.
 
They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision.
 
They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.
 
The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.
 
And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.
 
In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high officials in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since
1979.
 
The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I think we have been in a war for the past 23 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.
 
America needs to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and again and roll over and go back to sleep.
 
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said "... it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant." This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world.
 
Support Our Troops and support President Bush for having the courage, political or militarily, to address what so many who preceded him didn't have the backbone to do both Democrat and Republican. This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about our Freedom and the Freedom of our children in years to come.
 
Please forward this to as many people as you can especially to the young people and all those who dozed off in history class and who seem so quick to protest such a necessary military action.
 
Wow!

This is another unpopular decision, but I to back Bush on the war.  I have lot's of reason and they probably are not his, but there was a lot going on over there that was not common knowledge.  Some gross inhumanities.  People are toys, not for anyone.  

I deffinately do not like Kerry, but I to am intrigue by his choice of running mate.  Kerry himself causes the hair on the back of my neck to rise..a true distrust.

I also would like to see creationism get fair billing in schools.

Oh, but this no child left behind.  It states that all child must finish with a fairly high standing or the school loses federal funding.  This includes handicapped and those that do not want to be there.  The test for standards is the same for all of them.  The are not going to be able to test the same on the same test.   Not a fair standard.  Also, the higher private schools do well on these test because the kids that are not doing well in their schools get booted out to the public schools.  The public will not refuse them and tries to help each child.  The Federals punish the schools by removing funds.  Now that makes since.  It has caused that cutting of teachers and materials.  Not a good answer.  It truly seems to me that this is a way to cut funding to the schools.  Not everyone can afford private schools.
 
The thing I am most suspicious about is that they were BOTH in that secret society at their college. What is the probability of that happening by chance. As to whether it is a significant point, I don't know... Anyway, Bush (the current one) caused me to change to Democrat. He and the vice-president are a little too foul-mouthed to be as religious as they claim to be...
 
i agree fully with you Copper on the no child left behind. last iknew on the testing, in Montana atleast, it just didnt make sence. the test was good for what it was designed for but testing students abilities was not one of them. i believe it tried to flatten out the bell curve which means the same child taking the same test will not always place the same everytime they take the test. also like you said what about the students in public school that just dont want to be there? no matter what you do you will not be able to educate them. i have ALOT of experiance in this area being that ive grown up on a reservation. taking funding away from school that are trying, reguardless of whether or not test scores "prove" they are advancing is idiotic. most schools do alot with very little, taking more away will just cause them to close down. also being this was an unfunded mandate causes lots of stress on school budgets. the local school had to pull a math teacher and make his job solely to make sure the school met the NCLB act requirements, a full time job. so how much money is wasted here because the goerment says we have to do this?

GG im with you. i think the world is a better place with Saddam out of there. i think our war over there is justified, and going by some of the letters from soldiers that ive seen, the general populace of Iraq is glad we went over there too. they may want us back out of there as soon as humanly possible but they are glad we did finally get over there. i also agree this war was started along time ago.

Rattler
 
  • #10
[b said:
Quote[/b] ] Iraq is glad we went over there too
have you seen the latest iraqi polls?

Those who veiw us as occupiers: 93%
Those who veiw us as liberators: 7%

And despite the deficet, i have heard nothing that suggests the current goverment is limiting its spendings
 
  • #11
im not doubting you Finch but polls can be skewed just like the "news", you can get any out come you want as long as you poll the right ppl. note i said they were glad we went over there but they would now like us out of there ASAP.

Rattler
 
  • #12
SKewed? perhaps, and i dont recall the sorce
 
  • #13
Not another political topic!!! All I'll say is I like bush and if i could vote, I'd vote for him
 
  • #14
like i said i dont doubt you, as far as i know you got it from a fairly reputable source. i remember a saying somewhere that goes like: "75% of all statistics are made up". anyways im just saying the general populous of Iraq is glad we took out Saddam BUT they now would like us out of THEIR country as soon as possible just like the recent poll you sited says. i beileve polls closer to the time we took out Saddam were 60/40 for us being there. my memories poor so dont take my word for it but i believe the majority were for us being there as far as the polls showed.

Rattler
 
  • #15
I think most politicians are crooks, and that includes the two candidates. I've always likes Nader's views on things, but don't really think he'd be the best thing for our country. I'm probably leaning towards Kerry, the "lesser of two evils" kind of thing. I truly believe the iraq war was a big mistake, or at least gone about the wrong way. I think they had already made up their minds prior to 9/11, and for that alone, i dont think Bush deserves another term, not to mention his environmental policies (or lack thereof) and his catering to corporations (especially oil). I haven't seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet, but from what I've read, the facts are indisputable, and it paints Bush in an unfavorable way. That being said, I will go into the election with an open mind, will watch the debates, etc. and make up my mind in early Nov.
 
  • #16
sarracenia, i to agree some things with the war were gone about in the wrong way. i also like the way you said your going to keep an open mind until election day. me however has learned enough about Kerry through his voting in Congress, which is public record and out in the open to make me VERY wary of him as a leader. Bush may not be the best but atleast i know his stance on things by how he has acted in the last 3 years. like Copper said Kerry is way to undesisive, he has voted one way then 12 months or so later taken a completly different stance on a similar vote. through the only things he has even bothered to show up to vote for since campaigning(namely gun control which i am HIGHLY against) i really dont think i want him in power. its my personal view but it is what ive seen so far.

Rattler
 
  • #17
okay to all the people out there who think we shouldn't have gone into Iraq, Do you think it would've been better to just leave the situation alone, and let Saddam kill inocent civilians?
 
  • #18
the problem i have when ever ppl bring up the killing of his own ppl is: why is no one up in arms about all the genocide going on in the poor regions in Africa. whats going on there is FAR worse than anything that Saddam did to his own ppl. just figured i would toss this in. what those ppl are doing with "primitive" weapons will make yah wondering Saddam gasing his own ppl with WMD's was actually cruel. those ppl are wiping out other tribes with AK's and machetees who needs sarin gas?

Rattler
 
  • #19
I don't particularly like Kerry either, for all the reasons stated.

But I DO think Bush is among the worst Presidents we've ever had.

- Following 9/11 the world stood behind the US. There was universal sympathy, and a feeling of community and brotherhood with our friends around the world. Now, we are considered arrogant, violent, dangerous, distrustfull, and that's in the Western world. In the Middle East, it's almost too bad for words.

- He has irresponsibly proposed tax cuts, mostly for rich people, while spending at record levels. Obviously, the debt has skyrocketed. We've gone from the largest surplus in US history to the largest deficit.

- He has derailed environmental regulations in favor of business interests.

- He allowed energy conglomerates to steal over a billion (with a B) dollars from California during our recent energy scandal, and didn't invoke any of the powers of the FERC, thereby making one wonder what possible situation they WOULD care about.

- He has packed science board positions at the NIH and elsewhere with anti-science right-wing ideologues.

- His obsession with banning stem-cell research has resulted in lost jobs and a delay in cures for many devastating diseases. Even Nancy Reagan has come full cirle on this.

- He lied to all of us about Iraq. Forget whether it was a good idea or not, good people can disagree on that (I think it was a bad idea for MANY reasons.) But nobody should think it's OK to lie to the whole world in making a case for war.

- His administratin has an obsession with secrecy, making for an opaque government NOT accountable to the people.

- **** Cheney has those beady, black shark eyes. He's just creepy.

- The Patriot Act. No, the FBI wouldn't have stopped 9/11 if only they knew what library books we checked out. WAY too Big Brotherish.

- Bush's stole the election from Gore. I didn't like Gore, and didn't vote for him, but if Kathleen Harris hadn't illegally purged thousands of black voters from the rolls there, Gore wins easily. That's just the way it is, and Bush can never be considered a legitimate President because of it. He literally stole the election, as uncomfortable as that makes you.

Capslock

PS: No Creation in schools. That's an asinine idea. It's NOT an alternative scientific theory, it's NOT backed by the mountains of evidence and lab observation that evolution is, and is only ONE of many religious accounts of the creation of earth. It's totally inappropriate for the classrom, not to mention Unconstitutional on it's face.
 
  • #20
For anybody who remembers 1968, I wonder if Pat Paulsen is still avaliable.
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