No Real Choice

[kalian]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/reese/reese81.html

Once more, Americans will be forced to vote for a man instead of a policy. It doesn't say much for self-government that the American people are almost never given a chance to vote on major policy issues.

The trouble is that Sen. John Kerry, as his campaign has developed, is saying essentially this: I support the same goals as President Bush, but I can pull them off better than he can.

What about those Americans who don't share President Bush's goals? What about those who don't think we should have a policy of pre-emptive war? What about those who think we should just pull out of Iraq now? What about those who think free trade is a fraud? What about those who think America's borders should be sealed? What about those who believe we should be fair-minded in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue instead of giving Israel a blank check? What about those who believe that outsourcing American jobs should be brought to an abrupt halt?

Well, too bad. You can stay home. Once more, the Democratic Party is proving that it is not really a party of opposition, but rather a tweedledee to the Republican tweedledum. I had some hope and faith in Howard Dean, but unfortunately Kerry has decided to run on the platform "I am not Bush."

...more..

Flame away...that's all these boards are for anyways...

[Robbien]

1. Agreed

As I read somewhere

Kerry is the Plan B candidate for Corporate America, the Plan B candidate for U.S. imperialism, the Plan B candidate for the status quo. In other words, Corporate America gets two choices--and that leaves nothing for us.

[Warpy]

3. Oh, please

Kerry is not getting financed by corporate America at nearly the levels Bush is getting funded. Yes, he's a probusiness Democrat, but he's also an unabashed social liberal. To say there is no choic between him and the unelected spoiled dimwitted corrupt military deserter cheerleader in there now is to be missing the point completely.

After all, getting rid of Bush will also get rid of Cheney, Asscroft, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, Perle, LaHaye, Norquist, Rove and Card. That alone should tell you something. Not having Bush able to pick the next two or three USSC justices should tell you something else.

This constant whine that because Kerry is not your political saviour incarnate is beyond idiotic and self defeating. No viable political candidate is ever going to be all things to all people. It's time to grow up and realize that there IS a difference, and act accordingly.

[Robbien]

7. getting rid of Bush will not be getting rid of BushCo

The same players will be there ruining the middle class. In fact, Kerry's campaign has a dozen or so of BushCo people already.

[Warpy]

11. Yes, people who got disgusted with the Bush gang

and jumped ship. Tell the WHOLE story.

[Hornito]

2. This states pretty much how I feel as well. I was so hoping for

a candidate that would give the country a new direction, a new vision, and would take advantage of Bush's self-destruction to implement a liberal and moral government. Oh well.... I once believed in the tooth-fairy too.

Kerry will get my vote, but I already resent him, and will look forward, once Bush is yanked, to tearing down the Democratic Party, and re-building it anew, and failing that, supporting a third party.

[Robbien]

4. Kerry will be a very ineffectual president

The right will work against him and more than half of us on the left will not support him.

He may as well go on vacation for four years once he is elected.

[louis c]

10. You might as well

be a freeper. We have only one chance this year to defeat those fucking assholes in the White House, and that's Kerry. I'm a Union guy and Gephart didn't get nominated, but I know the difference between right and wrong. I'm sure some nit wit in Berlin thought "von Hindenburg and Hitler, what's the difference". They learned the difference the hard way, too. If you don't know the difference between Bush and Kerry, you are playing into their hands.

[Robbien]

13. I am hoping Kerry wins,

because I know he will be ineffectual

less damage that way

[louis c]

15. Flip Flop

The assholes on the other side who call Kerry a flip-flopper, my reply is, "even if he is, we're better off. At least he's right half the time."

[Vickers]

5. Soooooo.....now what?

:shrug:

[louis c]

6. Wake Up

This is a winner take all system of Government. If it were a parliamentary system, then like minded people could join together and form a majority. So, let's look at what would happen if Nader and Kerry could form a Government because together, they out polled Bush. Kerry would be President and the ultra right wing assholes would be out. That's not the way it works in our country, so if you want that outcome, you take your Nader vote and give it to Kerry, and try to raise your agenda with a receptive Administration. The alternative is to make an empty protest vote and lose. Then you can join the rest of us and be crushed by the Fascists.

[H2O Man]

8. Kerry is the candidate

because he got the most votes from individual human beings in the primaries. Many of us supported other candidates. Our candidates got less votes (in many cases, far, far less votes), and they lost. The primaries are decided by individual human beings, who have registered to vote, are interested in the issues that effect us all, and are determined to kick bush out of the white house. A large % of these individual human beings who are registered to vote, are just as sincere are creating significant change in America, as are you. That's part of politics -- working together towards a common goal. It is more likely to succeed when people are not sore losers, and do not whine when they alone do not get their own way.

[gottaB]

9. *'s short list for Supreme Court Justice Nominees

Alberto Gonzales?

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/mentions.htm

[hippiegranny]

12. no flames

i just want to know who you're voting for. if it's bu$h (or anyone other than kerry, same thing) then this post makes sense, if it's kerry, what's your point? what do you hope to accomplish with this?

[Robbien]

14. The point is Kerry and DLCers should be kept constantly aware

they do not have the support of many in the democratic party. No, we will not STFU. If we remain silent, there is no hope the Kerry party will do anything for the middle class and will just maintain the corporatism/imperialism policy they favor.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bemildred]

17. It's the voters fault.

We get credible third party challenges with some regularity,
both on the right and left. The duopoly cuts them off and
co-opts their issues, and as soon as they fade we go back to
this tweedledum-tweedledee business. If you want alternatives,
you have to start looking for alternatives and then look for
opportunities to vote for them. A couple suggestions:

1. Vote against incumbents on principle. The longer they have
been there, the more reason to kick them out if there is a
credible alternative.

2. Vote third party in state and local races when you can find
one who's stand you like.

3. Apply the same rules in Presidential primaries, look for the
fresh face, not the beltway insider.

PS: We still need to elect Kerry this time around.