Royal Carnage - Elect the President

[Dark One]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that many Bush supporters this year pull the "whole-2-party-system-sucks" card in arguments, taking it for granted that Democrats automatically think Kerry sucks, but just happen to hate Bush more. Then, of course, they go to the polls and vote for Bush. It's almost as if he has closet-supporters.

I certainly don't take that for granted. Many of the Kerry supporters I've spoken too are still unsure as to whether he can do a good job as president, but they don't necessarily think he sucks and is just the lesser of two evils or something, and I respect their opinion. I did hear quite alot of that in 2000 though. More people were familiar with Gore that year and saw Gore as the lesser of two evils, this year, there's more uncertainty surrounding Kerry based on his campaign vs. his prior voting history and so forth.

I don't see how the "whole-2-party-system-sucks" argument is a "card" to play. The current incarnation of it sucks because the way it is presented in the media tends to divide so many people based solely on politics. Too much finger pointing, name calling, rhetoric, blah blah blah you name it. On both sides, not just one or the other.

 

[neal]

yeh, more people did see gore as the lesser of two evils. the electoral college and supreme court, however, disagreed.

 

[J.]

haha, good point, neal. they seriously need to revamp the elction process. the electoral college doesn't work.

 

[GrumpyDwarf]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not proclaiming that Bush did a good job. With many issues, the exact opposite. But I've done a considerable amount of reading on where Kerry "stands" on the very same issues, and well, he's not going to do any better. The more vocal whiny liberal types will think he's doing better, because they have less to complain about. But this country isn't going anywhere soon. We're stuck.

 

[J.]

that's why I should be President. Downloading music would be punishable by death, the national anthem would be revised by Neurosis, soccer would be proclaimed a women's sport or simply for very gay men, Seinfeld and Married With Children would be required to run until all actors are dead, reality shows would be outlawed, the execs of any company that outsourced jobs would be required to pay their entire fortune to Americans that lost their jobs because of it, and we'd pull out of Iraq immediately, and I'd move the White House next door to the Playboy mansion.

It would be good to be the President.

 

[GrumpyDwarf]

WOuld you legalize drugs?

 

[Demonspell]

I'll have to agree with that bleak outlook, I'm voting for Kerry reluctantly (Republicans love to say that few people genuinely support him, but that may be because they realize he can win on opposition alone) and if he does get elected and doesn't succeed in promoting progressive legislation that would attempt to counter Bush's policies and hold organizations affiliated with Bush accountable for their actions, his term will be every bit the failure that the Bush administration has been.

 

[NAD]

J. I'd totally vote for you if you legalized pot.

Bush v. Kerry = offensive v. defensive military

That's what I'm voting for this year.

 

[JayKeeley]

But I've done a considerable amount of reading on where Kerry "stands" on the very same issues, and well, he's not going to do any better.

So you're going for the 'lesser of two evils' as well then, aren't you?

With Bush you have PROOF, and with Kerry you have SPECULATION. What is the debate here?

Otherwise, can you give me numbers for my next lottery ticket?

 

[General Zod]

I'm voting for Kerry. While I don't think he's a great candidate, he at least gives me hope that things might change for the better. With Bush, no such hope exists.

What I fail to understand, regarding those who support Bush's re-election is, why do you feel he should be re-elected? He is clearly incapable of handling the job of president. And God help us all if he gets to choose 2-4 supreme court justices in his next term.

Zod

 

[JayKeeley]

What I fail to understand, regarding those who support Bush's re-election is, why do you feel he should be re-elected?

I wish someone would answer this - anyone. It's worse for me because I can't vote anyway, so I'd really like to hear both sides. It's like I've read this great mystery thriller but the last page is missing, and nobody's telling me how it ended.

 

[General Zod]

I wish someone would answer this - anyone. It's worse for me because I can't vote anyway, so I'd really like to hear both sides. It's like I've read this great mystery thriller but the last page is missing, and nobody's telling me how it ended.

The odd thing is, I know a few people, who I think are fairly bright and whose opinions I respect, who are voting for W. The reason they after give, is that they think that war in Iraq was the right move, even if it was for the wrong reason. They also tend to cite Bush's convictions. Persoanlly, his convictions are the reason I'm not voting for him. Beyond that, they often feel that the most important issue facing the U.S. is terrorism, and they feel Bush is better equipped to handle it.

Zod

 

[J.]

How is a man that dodged going to war in Vietnam better equipped to battle terrorism than a man who earned numerous medals fighting in Vietnam? THat absolutely makes no sense to me.

I really just want to announce to AMerica that:

Hello America, did you know that the terrorists have already won the War on Terror? That's right. You have given them victory by constantly worrying that some sand-my pals is going to blow up Gadzook's or Tinsel Town while your little teenie boppers are inside. You gave them victory when you said 'Sure, US government, take away some of my civil rights so me and mine can have a false sense of security'. You have given them victory by backing the terrorists' most successful recruiting tool: our President. The fundamental idea behind is terrorism is simple; to terrorize people. This goes beyond suicide bombings and flying planes into buildings. Terrorism is more mental than anything. Once they've got you changing your daily routines, because you are scared, they've won. Of course, our President, with his scare tactics (the terror alert levels; seriously, do you ever think this will go down to green?) just reinforces your false vulnerabilites. Don't fall for it you stupid sap.

 

[NAD]

Ex-Fucking-Actly. The terrorists won the day we grounded US flights. It scared the crap out of people and apparently still does. It's not about the bodycount, it's about getting into people's heads.

I'm not terribly concerned about terrorism. How could I be? Terrorism operates at such a small level that if it is going to happen, it will. Going after The Terrorists like it's some sovereign country like Iraq is ridiculous. Ever try to step on an ant? Funny how the little bugger somehow slips between the markings of your big nasty boot. EDIT: Actually it's more like stepping on a microscopic organism, I've killed an ant or three by stepping on them.

Besides the fact that terrorism existed looooooooooong before 9/11, I think a lot of Americans don't realize this.

 

[speed]

Nice J. It stuns me people dont get the whole point of terrorism. But hey, Americans are pretty fucking dumb.

 

[JayKeeley]

Besides the fact that terrorism existed looooooooooong before 9/11, I think a lot of Americans don't realize this.

On Politically Incorrect a couple of weeks ago.....

Bill Maher: The world did not change on 9/11.
Some guy from Fox News: WHAT!?? How can you say that?!!!!
Bill Maher: The world didn't change at all. WE just joined it.

 

[NAD]

The world did change on 9/11, we now live in a world where the most powerful army is controlled by a proactive attacker.

Bill Maher > Fox News guy

 

[General Zod]

Hello America, did you know that the terrorists have already won the War on Terror?

While I understand where you're coming from, I think you've over-simplified the issue at hand.

Conceding that we too, as Americans, live in a world where terrorism is a real threat, does not constitute a loss in "the war on terror". Not grounding flights until the situation at hand could be better examined, would have been tantamount to further negligence on the part of the FAA.

By the way, who said we're scared? If we were scared, the subways and trains that are filled with people commuting into NYC everyday would be empty. People would choose not to go to big events like the World Series, the Super Bowl, etc., if we were scared. No, we're not scared. But we're also no longer naive to the fact that precautions need to be taken.

Additionally, keep in mind, the Patriot Act was not a referendum that we, as a people, voted in favor of. It was instituted by previously elected officials. So we did not choose to give up any of our freedoms in favor of safety, it was chosen for us. We also did not "back" our president's current policy of unwarranted aggression. Any way you slice it, we were lied to by the current administration, and the media sadly did nothing to uncover the truth.

Don't make the all to common mistake of confusing the American government with the American people. In my estimation, the two, unfortunately, have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Zod

 

[Demonspell]

One of the few things I can give the Bush administration credit for is that they have managed to condition our people into having this routine regarding terrorism: Don't let it bring your life to a complete standstill and continue to be good consumers, but always realize that another 9/11 can happen anywhere, even in the most remote location, at any second, and only by applying force and the Patriot Act can terrorism be neutralized. Vote for us or we will be vulnerable again. Forget that 9/11 happened under my negligent watch...you are getting sleepy...vote for us...Kerry is the enemy...

 

[General Zod]

Vote for us or we will be vulnerable again. Forget that 9/11 happened under my negligent watch...you are getting sleepy...vote for us...Kerry is the enemy...

It is absolutely shocking to me that most Americans feel that we're safer under Bush than we would be under Kerry. He's the only president to allow an attack like this to occur under his watch, yet he's going to keep us safe? That's got to be the most bass-ackwards logic I ever did hear.

Zod