Election 2004: What happened to the issues? (as submitted to Highestwire)

Submitted by Scott Schlimmer on Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at 11:33:37 AM EST.

I have spoken with many George W. Bush supporters to learn why they plan to vote for the president. The most common responses:

1) He has strong principles. He stands up to opposition.
2) He seems nice and wholesome. I like him.
3) I feel safer with him as president.

On the other side of the divide, most John Kerry supporters plan to vote for the senator because he “isn’t Bush.”

I’d like to ask: What happened to the issues?

Watching debates and television advertisements, I hear that Kerry is a “flip-flopper”. It doesn’t matter that everyone changes their opinions over time, especially when they learn new information. That’s because Kerry is a flip-flopper.

I’m sorry George, but you’re also a flip-flopper.

On the other side, I hear that Bush sends jobs overseas. That must mean he’s a cruel businessman who cares more about making money than he cares about keeping jobs in the U.S. It doesn’t matter that the economy has become more globalized each year, and that we also gain jobs from other countries. That’s because Bush sends jobs overseas.

I’m sorry John, but you’re also going to send jobs overseas.

I miss the issues.

What happened to abortion?

We all know that Bush supports a child’s right to life, but does anyone know Kerry’s stance on abortion? I don’t. It definitely hasn’t been covered in the debates. He’s a Democrat, so he must be strongly Pro-Choice, right? Wrong. According to Kerry’s Web Site, “John Kerry believes strongly in the sanctity of life. He is personally opposed to abortion” However, Kerry doesn’t want to restrict abortion in the first two trimesters. Not quite as Pro-Choice as I expected.

And what happened to gay marriage?

We all know that Bush wants to amend the constitution to outlaw gay marriage, but does anyone know Kerry’s stance on gay marriage? I don’t. It turns out, “John Kerry firmly believes that marriage exists only between a man and a woman,” but he “does not agree that there needs to be an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to defend marriage. John Kerry will work to uphold the civil rights of all Americans, including gays and lesbians.” Not quite as much of a gay marriage supporter as I would have expected.

Didn’t I see another commercial calling Kerry the “most liberal” senator in Congress?

Furthermore, what happened to gun control? Assisted suicide? Copyright rules (we miss you Napster!)? The anti-telemarketer Do-Not-Call list?

There are so many issues that are important to us, but the politicians are ignoring them. The war in Iraq has dominated the issues that are important to us, and we shouldn’t stand for it. We are an intelligent group. We deserve more than catch phrases like “flip-flopper,” “outsourcer,” and “most liberal” (especially since I don’t even think Kerry is very liberal).

Don’t play into the ignorance. Vote for Bush because you support tax cuts, and think they stimulate the economy. Vote for Kerry because of his ambitious health care plan. Or vote because you agree with any of their issue stances.

But please don’t vote for Kerry because he isn’t Bush. Please don’t vote for Bush because he sticks to his principles and seems like a nice guy. If we demand that the candidates return to the issues, they cannot continue ignoring them. And we will be better off because of it.

http://www.georgewbush.com
http://www.johnkerry.com

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