Worst. Campaign. Ever.
Aug. 19th, 2004 08:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsWell, the car has been repaired. I got a jump from AAA and went off to NTB and got a new battery. I stretched the morning out and got some lunch before going to the office and then accomplishing nothing. Tonight I drive to Dallas so I can see my doctor for my regular checkup, and then have lots of adventures with Chris (if he hasn't run off with the Spanish Shot-putter). I need to ask my doctor about my mid-day sleepiness. Perhaps something should be adjusted.
Otherwise, I've been staying away from politics for the most part, because it's depressing. Have you ever seen two candidates run a worse campaign? Man, neither one can come up with a compelling message, or a reason for people to vote for them. It seems that the core voters look at Bush as being a bigger terrorist basher, and voters for Kerry see him as not being Bush.
Kerry can't seem to get off of the war veteran thing. It's his fault for making such a big deal out of it at the convention. Didn't eight years of Bill Clinton tell us that people don't care if you had military service? It's not a convincing argument that you'll be a good leader in a war situation - especially participation in Vietnam.
The swift boat veterans are truly a bunch of bitter men. I think that they are exaggerating Kerry's record as much as Kerry whitewashes it. The past is past, and now Mr. Kerry you're a man in your 50's, not a young kid in the military. how will you handle the challenge before us know? What is your plan? You say you can run a better war, tell me what steps you've made to prepare yourself for that.
Kerry says he'll get our allies involved, and get them into Iraq, while we pull out. What possible reason would a country want to go into Iraq and clean up our mess? Sorry John, we're in it, and we need to get the Iraqis on their feet and then work on a troop reduction. Like post-war Germany, we're likely to have troops there for the next 50 years. Let's be realistic. You can work towards that strategy, but you know it's more politically popular to say that you'll pull out all of the troops. Political populism isn't a good strategy.
Kerry has focused so much on the war, that he's dropped the domestic agenda, where he's much stronger. Bush's domestic agenda is a hodgepodge of politically targeted agendas, while Kerry could pursue a more middle-targeted message that would appeal to voters. I think he's missing out where his strength could be.
Bush has been running a bad campaign as well. It will be interesting to see if he will move to the center at the upcoming convention, or stay with his Christian-Coalition approved message. He's been running ads during the Olympics, featuring some anonymous swimmers and a voiceover stating that in 1945, their were 40 democracies, now there are 120, including two new ones.
Um, Earth to Bush, most of this didn't happen on your watch. In fact, the majority of the new "democracies" are the old Soviet states, and I think Reagan, Gorbachev, and maybe even your dad could take more credit for that than you can. Besides, no country in the world is a democracy, in the true sense of the word. They are representative republics with varying shades of socialism, and personally, I think the jury's still out on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Out of the 202 countries competing at the olympics, 120 have representative governments. OK, how many of them have you pissed off, Mr. Bush?
I'm glad that Texas isn't a battleground state. We miss a lot of the stupidity of these guys.
Otherwise, I've been staying away from politics for the most part, because it's depressing. Have you ever seen two candidates run a worse campaign? Man, neither one can come up with a compelling message, or a reason for people to vote for them. It seems that the core voters look at Bush as being a bigger terrorist basher, and voters for Kerry see him as not being Bush.
Kerry can't seem to get off of the war veteran thing. It's his fault for making such a big deal out of it at the convention. Didn't eight years of Bill Clinton tell us that people don't care if you had military service? It's not a convincing argument that you'll be a good leader in a war situation - especially participation in Vietnam.
The swift boat veterans are truly a bunch of bitter men. I think that they are exaggerating Kerry's record as much as Kerry whitewashes it. The past is past, and now Mr. Kerry you're a man in your 50's, not a young kid in the military. how will you handle the challenge before us know? What is your plan? You say you can run a better war, tell me what steps you've made to prepare yourself for that.
Kerry says he'll get our allies involved, and get them into Iraq, while we pull out. What possible reason would a country want to go into Iraq and clean up our mess? Sorry John, we're in it, and we need to get the Iraqis on their feet and then work on a troop reduction. Like post-war Germany, we're likely to have troops there for the next 50 years. Let's be realistic. You can work towards that strategy, but you know it's more politically popular to say that you'll pull out all of the troops. Political populism isn't a good strategy.
Kerry has focused so much on the war, that he's dropped the domestic agenda, where he's much stronger. Bush's domestic agenda is a hodgepodge of politically targeted agendas, while Kerry could pursue a more middle-targeted message that would appeal to voters. I think he's missing out where his strength could be.
Bush has been running a bad campaign as well. It will be interesting to see if he will move to the center at the upcoming convention, or stay with his Christian-Coalition approved message. He's been running ads during the Olympics, featuring some anonymous swimmers and a voiceover stating that in 1945, their were 40 democracies, now there are 120, including two new ones.
Um, Earth to Bush, most of this didn't happen on your watch. In fact, the majority of the new "democracies" are the old Soviet states, and I think Reagan, Gorbachev, and maybe even your dad could take more credit for that than you can. Besides, no country in the world is a democracy, in the true sense of the word. They are representative republics with varying shades of socialism, and personally, I think the jury's still out on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Out of the 202 countries competing at the olympics, 120 have representative governments. OK, how many of them have you pissed off, Mr. Bush?
I'm glad that Texas isn't a battleground state. We miss a lot of the stupidity of these guys.
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git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 06:49 am (UTC)I LOVE IT when you talk like that.
=======================
I hope I get to see you this weekend. I'll call if I can rendezvous in Dallas.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-19 07:01 am (UTC)During his last "tour," Kerry did concentrate domestic issues; nothing new or interesting to say, same ole, same ole. Like Milli Vanilli, he probably should not be appearing live; a real bore.
What possible reason would a country want to go into Iraq and clean up our mess?
Date: 2004-08-19 08:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-19 08:04 am (UTC)Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 08:13 am (UTC)Maybe there should be a moratorium for the next 20 years that presidents should not come from there... or at least for some time after the current mess is cleaned up.
Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 08:40 am (UTC)Revelations are sometimes annoying.
Mayhaps the fella from your neck o' the woods can usurp the current administration.
But, I still wish the DEMS had a different candidate.
Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 08:43 am (UTC)Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 08:56 am (UTC)Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 09:40 am (UTC)*boggle*
Date: 2004-08-19 09:51 am (UTC)Care to qualify this utterly dumbfounding statement?
no subject
Date: 2004-08-19 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-19 03:30 pm (UTC)I'm so sick of hearing about what Kerry did thirty damn years ago.. so fucking what. George was partying and banging chicks.. who fucking cares.
George doesn't even touch issues that concern most of Americans, like healthcare and outsourcing. He just hides behind his "religion" and the fact that he makes a lot of people feel safe during wartime. Even though he is a fuel that feeds the war factor. I'm so sick of it all already.
Re: *boggle*
Date: 2004-08-19 04:17 pm (UTC)Well, I tend to think of Vietnam as tainted. A war that was run poorly, and doesn't necessarily make for a good leadership stance. I think the same may be said of the Iraq war in the future. It's not necessarily the best impression you can make.
I think the Swift boat guys are trying to capitalize on the "failed war" idea and laying the blame on Kerry's feet, even though he was there for a very short time.
You are always welcome to disagree.
Re: What possible reason would a country want to go into Iraq and clean up our mess?
Date: 2004-08-19 04:20 pm (UTC)Oh, wait...
Re: git yer politics on
Date: 2004-08-19 04:22 pm (UTC)If it was a choice, "none of the above" would win.