My Endorsement for President

[Pangloss]

Well I've made my decision. Below is an email I sent out two days ago to all my local friends (and relatives around the country). They all know about my prior support for Bush so I think this will shock quite a few of them. Hell, it shocks me. But that's the way it is.

 

(Aftermath: My wife is a bit upset with me, and doesn't want me to talk to her family about politics until after the election. Ah well.)

 

--------------

 

I've decide to endorse (for lack of a better term) John Kerry for President, and Betty Castor for Senate.

 

In our House district (21) I'm endorsing the Libertarian candidate, Frank Gonzalez, instead of the Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart (there is no Democrat running). The main reason for my vote here is the failure of House Republicans to renew the Assault Weapons Ban.

 

Regarding Castor vs Martinez, I was starting to lean towards Martinez, whom I voted for in the primary. He's not a neo-conservative, but he came across as WAY far to the right in the debate with Castor. Castor's kinda uppity-liberal, calling us the "bully of the world", which I don't like, but she has the experience and some decent ideas in general. So that's how I'm voting.

 

Regarding the president....

 

To be brutally honest, I will likely be a little happier if Bush wins. There's just something about liberalism that crawls up my spine, I admit it. But the truth is, I just can't think of any other way to express my displeasure over the Iraq war, which we should not have done, and the general skewing to the far right that's happened over the last four years. I'm very leery of what's going to happen under Kerry, but he's made his promises, and if he keeps them I'll be happy.

 

Ultimately all we can do in this country is take these people for their word. When they break that word, we are justified in voting them out. Period, end of story. Bush broke his word on numerous issues. Kerry hasn't. Yet. That's what it all boils down to, and that's why I'll be voting for John Kerry on 11/2.

 

I know it probably sounds like I've just hedged my bets here. I honestly haven't -- this really is how I will be voting.

[budullewraagh]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Rounds For All!

[Douglas]

Ultimately all we can do in this country is take these people for their word. When they break that word' date=' we are justified in voting them out. [/b']

Pangloss, in my opinion, you're more informed on politics than anyone on this board. I'm sure you've done your research and homework.

 

To be honest, I'm as surprised as your wife is.

 

The problem with the above statement (the quote) is all presidents that I remember have broken promises....especially expected promises, like lowering the deficit, closing loop holes, reforming welfare (though Clinton did it) etc.

 

Since Kerry is all over the map on promises, does he keep the promises he made when debating Howard Dean, or does he keep the promises he made when debating Bush??

 

We went out to dinner with friends last night, The wife of my friend announced that she was voting for Kerry, for much the same reasons you are.

 

Anyway, Good Luck

[budullewraagh]

come now, you dont expect politicians to be honest, now do you?

[Lance]

Pangloss, regardless of who you vote for I gota say I really admire you and your replies to the the political wars in the politics section. Happy voting.

[Pangloss]

My decision is really just based on a few simple things.

 

1) Neither of these guys are megalomaniacs. They're not going to "push the button". This is not 1937, and I'm confident enough in our checks and balances to protect us for four years, at which time I get a chance to vote again.

 

2) Politicians make promises. It's our job to hold them to what they say they're going to do.

 

3) This is the ONLY way we can do so.

 

All I can say beyond that is that John Kerry had better watch his step. I WILL be an undecided voter in 2008 -- no question about it. If he wants my vote in 2008, he will have to keep his promises. That includes:

 

- No new taxes OR tax hikes beyond the rollback of the 2003 tax cut. Period. ANY new/higher federal tax of ANY kind means I vote Republican in 2008. (I guess that would mean that I wouldn't be undecided, but by "undecided" I just mean that I'm not going to be a partisan for either party.)

- A new tax cut (he PROMISED this) that lowers taxes for 98% of the population of this country.

- A new tax cut that lowers taxes for 99% of all businesses in this country. He PROMISED this.

- The deficit MUST be cut in half within four years. PERIOD.

- Every single recommendation of the 9/11 Commission Report (which I have a copy of right here on my computer, and it's not going anywhere) must be implemented. Period. - No draft.

 

http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/economy/

 

 

There's more, but I want to just point out here that I'm not asking for things that he HINTED at, I'm only requiring him to do that which he SPECIFICALLY promised. I'm not asking him to "end our dependence on foreign oil", for example. He didn't promise that -- he promised to work on it. That's fine. I'm not even going to hold his feet to the fire on healthcare. He's put his proposal up, that's fine -- I expect a lot of give-and-take in that deal.

 

But I trust I've made my position clear. I'm not kidding about this -- he breaks his promises, he loses my vote. Period.

[Mad Mardigan]

I am not voting for Kerry or Bush, I believe Micheal Badnarik has what I am looking for in a president.

 

A couple of points I like:

 

No compromise support of the individuals' right to keep and bear arms

 

 

Advocates and will seek to repeal all unconstitutional gun law

 

 

Understands that law-abiding gun owners are vital to our nations freedom and self-defense

 

 

Opposes the renewal of the "defense" weapons ban (aka the "assault weapons ban")

 

Supports maintaining a strong military—for purposes of defense of the United States

 

 

Veterans benefits and military pay—This is one of the few areas wherein spending should increase. Those who have served our country should be fairly compensated for their service, and their medical benefits should be the best available. There is no excuse for providing less than adequate services to those who have put their lives on the line to defend our country.

 

 

Strictly volunteer military—no draft—and none should be needed if our engagements are limited to defense and our military compensation is commensurate with the private sector

 

Supports complete separation of church and state and get government out of the marriage business—John Kerry only supports civil unions; Badnarik would keep the federal government completely out of marriage

 

 

Supports equal treatment of all people under the law—opposes racial profiling

 

 

Advocates repealing federal regulations that prevent minorities from starting their own businesses

 

 

Opposes federal control over abortion

 

 

End the war in Iraq sooner than John Kerry

 

 

End foreign interventionism

 

 

Publicly opposes the draft

 

 

Badnarik supports the repeal of federal mandates and controls over schools; this system ruins education and holds all schools to the same standards despite their different means and demographics

 

 

End the "War on Drugs"

 

 

Allow the sick to use medical marijuana

 

Michael respects the concepts advocated by Dr. John Hagelin and applauds any innovative approaches to create peace through voluntary means that respect individual liberty

 

By executive order on the first day in office President Badnarik will instruct the DEA to cease the persecution of medical marijuana users

 

 

Will advocate that all states legalize medical marijuana

 

 

Will pardon all persons incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses

 

 

Will begin a policy of dismantling the insane War on Drugs and establish policies that take drug abuse out of the realm of law enforcement and place it in the realm of a health problem—where it belongs

 

Strict polluter pays policies

 

 

Eliminate EPA permits to pollute

 

 

Rescind sovereign immunity for government polluters, as the US government is our largest polluter

 

 

Hold both government and corporate polluters responsible and individually liable

 

 

Protect the environment by defending property rights

 

 

Allow private groups to acquire and preserve federal land after securing legal agreements to preserve and protect them

 

 

Oppose the use of "eminent domain" (taking of private land by force)

 

 

Promote the development of alternative fuels, recycled products, and environmental innovation by allowing a responsible free-market to thrive

 

 

End all corporate welfare (subsidies to oil companies, timber companies, corporate farms, etc)

[Mad Mardigan]

In our House district (21) I'm endorsing the Libertarian candidate' date=' Frank Gonzalez, instead of the Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart (there is no Democrat running). The main reason for my vote here is the failure of House Republicans to renew the Assault Weapons Ban.

 

[/quote']

 

Well the AWB was BS anyways, I still bought an AR15. All it did was hurt companies and get soccer moms to vote for Clinton. AWs are only used in 1% of all gun related crimes. Most used gun is a 38 special with the ability to shoot 357 mags. The 10 round high cap mag is just a random number they came up with, average gun shooting is 3.5 rounds.

 

[Pangloss]

It's not so much the fact that they allowed the AWB to drop, as the fact that they did it deliberately, knowing full well it wasn't what 68% of the people wanted, *specifically* because the gun lobby told them to. It's SIG control of congress that I object to more than anything else.

 

I'd likely be just as angry if it were something NOW told them to do instead of the NRA. (Depending on what "it" was, of course.)

 

Great pic!

[Mad Mardigan]

It's not so much the fact that they allowed the AWB to drop' date=' as the fact that they did it deliberately, knowing full well it wasn't what 68% of the people wanted, *specifically* because the gun lobby told them to. It's SIG control of congress that I object to more than anything else.

 

I'd likely be just as angry if it were something NOW told them to do instead of the NRA. (Depending on what "it" was, of course.)

 

Great pic! [/quote']

 

Im glad it dropped, it was useless, if you want to take away gun crimes, take away criminals. None of my guns have ever got up and went around shooting anyone, nor do they have the ability to. Only a criminal can use a gun as a tool for crime. Its just like the bans on chemicals, a scientist can use differ chems, and may need lots of it, but the restrictions they put on them because of bomb makers has a reverse affect. I just wish would get out of the 2 party system and let more varity in.

[r1dermon]

yeah, the assault weapons ban was absolutely rediculous. you can't ban guns like that because of cosmetic features, it makes no sense...here in MA, we're compelled to keep long guns in locked cases at all times, how could an assault weapon POSSIBLY scare someone if we're following the rules?

also, you can't expect politicians to tell the truth all the time, but you CAN expect your president or anyone acting in the system already to update you truthfully on current affairs and MAJOR decisions. such as going to war with iraq. originally it was because they posed an imminent threat to us, but now its to seek out al quida and stop terror.

pangloss, im extremely surprised at your decision. however i dont follow your logic. you say that you'll probably be happier if bush wins. then why would you vote for kerry? i just can't understand what you mean by that. thats all.

[Pangloss]

pangloss, im extremely surprised at your decision. however i dont follow your logic. you say that you'll probably be happier if bush wins. then why would you vote for kerry? i just can't understand what you mean by that. thats all.

 

No offense taken. What I meant was that I'll probably be happier if Bush wins because in spite of all my efforts at objectivity, my emotional core is still slightly to the right. I was raised conservative, and it forms my core ideology. It's hard to shirk that sort of thing, especially given the natural tendency that I think all people have to get more conservative as you grow older. I did go through a strong liberal phase (I call them my "Mondale/Ferraro years", which probably tells you a bit too much about me), but it was fairly brief. I got "woken up" to modern conservatism by guys like Neil Boortz, who's a kick-ass libertarian talk show host, and Rush Limbaugh, whom I've sense realized is a complete joke (but he did help wake me up to the frequent utter stupidity of extreme liberalism).

 

And I voted for Bush in 2000, and while my personal reasons for changing horses in mid-stream are (IMO) valid, I don't think most people's reasons for voting against Bush are valid. Most of them are just plain stupid.

 

I'm up-front about it because I think it would be ridiculous for me to sit here and claim that I'm some kind of pure centrist with no lean either way -- I think that's an ideal *nobody* can ever reach.

 

Anyway, this whole election for me has been an incredible challenge for me, trying to keep my conservative leaning from clouding my centralist judgement. If you'd told me four years ago, or even two years ago, that it would be this hard to me objective about this election, and set aside my emotional prejudgement, I would've said you were nuts. But it was.

 

BTW I agree with y'all about the AWB being pointless. Again, my point was just that they didn't let it expire because it was pointless. They let it expire because the House is under the thumb of special interests. And it continues because we focus so much attention on the presidential election that House members go ignored, often running unopposed. The whole situation is an utter joke, and I'm disgusted with America's behavior in that regard. Anyway, 'nuff said.

[Phi for All]

A friend sent me this, Pangloss. If you haven't seen it, I thought you might get a kick out of it. Florida Voting Machines

[Pangloss]

I've actually gotten that from three different sources now, it's AMAZING how fast that one has spread around the Internet. Very funny stuff. (grin)

[r1dermon]

thanks for clearing that up pangloss...i sortof understand what you're saying now...and yes, i do agree that most of the votes going for kerry are just votes influenced by media brainwashing, and i also think the same is true for the other side too. the very few voters who are actually informed are the REAL people who care about this election. not demonstrators who dont know what objectivity is. in the words of sean hannity pangloss, "you're a great american" lol.

[Mokele]

Even though I've not been here long, I'll add my voice to the list of congrats. Regardless of who you're voting for, the country would be better off if everyone did as you do and actually *thought* about their choice.