I Voted

[jfb]

I've been collecting reasons to vote against Bush for over four years (with a brief hiatus after 9/11). You've heard them all.

I've spent much of October volunteering for the Democrats. I've registered voters and I've knocked on doors. I've watched the debates with a crowd of liberals, and I've written letters to strangers in swing states about why they should vote for Kerry. In the process I've learned more about Kerry's positions and proposals and record. I don't like all of his policies, but I like a lot of them. I won't bore you with the list.

In the end, I not only voted for Kerry but was happy to do so because, well, I think he's a good guy. A little stiff, but intelligent, moral, and, in that waspy way I know all too well, compassionate. He's spent most of the last 40 years serving the nation. He's identified real problems and worked in incredibly frustrating political situations to solve them. He hasn't always set the goals I'd like; he hasn't always met the goals he set; but, well, that's how legislative politics works. I want to see what he can do, given the chance to lead.

Comments

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

Oh sure, just throw your vote away.

[bushmiller.livejournal.com]

Well, he's also a candidate that supports continuing the war in Iraq and supports most of the USA PATRIOT Act (having voted for both).

He's not Bush, and thus I'll probably vote for him, but he isn't decisively different enough from the Republican candidate for me to ever endorse the guy.

Re:

[(Anonymous)]

I am a bit confused about what you mean by "supports continuing the war in Iraq." If by that you mean he doesn't plan on withdrawing troops immediately upon taking office (if he does) you are correct. However, I think that analysis is a bit too simple. I am about as hard-core leftist as possible, but I don't support withdrawing the troops immediately. At the same time I don't consider myself in support of continuing the war in Iraq. Perhaps I simply have a split consciousness, but at the moment I'm analogizing the situation to one where a doctor gets half-way through surgery on someone and realizes they have nothing wrong with them. If the United States was the doctor (a problematic image because our motivation was not healing), people calling for a withdrawal would be asking the Doctor to walkaway from the surgery half-way through while the body was still open.

I have no idea what I would do about the Iraq situation. But I do feel like we have torn a country apart and simply leaving would be irresponsible.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on this one, but I'm not sure we're right. It's not clear whether our army's continued presence is doing more harm or more good.

Unfortunately, it will probably never be clear. That's the problem with predicting the future.

[(Anonymous)]

Kerry isn't for continuing the war in Iraq, he's for making sure Iraq doesn't implode and turn to civil war. Bush destroyed the country and, like it or not, it's now our responsibility to help rebuild it. The war was wrong, but simply walking away and leaving it in shambles is just as wrong. We are morally committed to a viable Iraqi state.

And I must vehemently disagree with your statement that Kerry isn't decisively different enough from Bush. Kerry is one of the strongest environmentalists in the senate, and one of the very few people in Washington who fought for tougher CAFE standards. Kerry strongly supports a woman's right to choose and would never appoint a judge who opposes Roe v. Wade. Kerry, and the liberal base, do not believe in massive tax cuts for the super wealthy. Kerry believes in waging political combat against powerful special interests for the benefit of the general public. This includes doing battle against the pharmaceutical monopoly and energy companies that get away with illegal pollution.

Exactly how is he like Bush? And you had better come up with more than "he voted for the Patriot Act." That was a singular action occurring immediately after a horrible attack on this country which, for many months, changed the very face of this nation.

Kerry was a privileged youth who didn't have to go to war. He was a war hero who didn't need to protest that war. He is a wealthy man who doesn't need to care about health insurance and the price of drugs, but does. He does these things because he deeply cares about this nation and its people.

Kerry and Bush, black and white.

[bushmiller.livejournal.com]

Jesus, looks like the anonymous Kerry lobby is out in full force, eh?

To clarify: This is a man that voted FOR invading Iraq, and has stated that he would have American troops committed in Iraq for the entire tenure of his first term in office. Is this progress?

Exactly how is he like Bush? And you had better come up with more than "he voted for the Patriot Act." That was a singular action occurring immediately after a horrible attack on this country which, for many months, changed the very face of this nation.

Well, you cute lil' anonymous chickenshit scamp, this is actually a significant point. Voting for the USA PATRIOT Act was a choice and one which he was incorrect on -- you seem to think that the severity of the paranoia/fear that the US was caught up in justify the passage of Draconian measures, when there clearly was a lot of dissent about this, even at the time.

What's John Kerry's mantra these days? "We will KILL and FIND the terrorists" (actually phrased in that bizarre reverse order occasionally). Democrats are falling over themselves in an attempt to appear like moderate Republicans.

Kerry is a weak Democratic candidate whose only plus is that he's not George W. Bush. Ultimately, that's enough for me, but trust me, if I didn't live in a swing state, my vote would be going to a candidate other than these two.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

Hey, Sean, lay off the name-calling, okay?

I think my anonymous friend's main point was that there are other issues to care about besides "war on terror". I have grave doubts about Kerry's vote for war authorization and, of course, the patriot act. But he's done good work on, for example, environmental issues, campaign reform, and government transparency. This article (http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040315&s=corn) details some of that.

I'm not trying to convince you that he's the best president we could have. I'm not sure I'm trying to convince you of anything. But, for me, he has more redeeming characteristics than not being Bush.

[bushmiller.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the name-calling, but I tend to think if one's going to post a lengthy reply, one should have the guts to post behind a name. Hence the "chickenshit" comment, because it sure doesn't seem terribly brave to snipe at someone without being able to be identified.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Friend,

If I upset you with my posting, I sincerely apologize. I was certainly not trying to "snipe." I was simply disagreeing with a couple of your points. There's no need to make a simple debate personal.

I would, however, just like to say one thing: guts and bravery. These words do not apply to posting on the internet. They simply do not, unless you live in China.

I don't have a livejournal account and I try to avoid posting my full name on the internet. If it helps, my name is Ray.

[bushmiller.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ray. That was nice of you, but, yes, it was sniping.

And, since you seem to rely on statements such as "changed the very face of this nation" and calling Kerry a "war hero," I can summarily dismiss any future opinion of yours.