Today I had a rather heated discussion with a friend on who she was going to vote for in the 2004 presidential election. After much debating, we decided that neither one of us liked either canidate very much, so the argument became, which candidate is the lesser of two evils. So I was wondering what the hatrack community thinks?
Edit: becuase i can't type
[ April 21, 2004, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: J T Stryker ]
Posted by Xaposert (Member # 1612) on :
Bush has had his chance and has proven himself a bad choice for president. With Kerry we can only speculate that he's a bad choice - he's untested. So, even if you hate both candidates, I still say vote for Kerry. Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Opus in 2004.
This time, why not the worst?
Vote Meadow Party!
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Tresopax is correct, although I will only vote if it does not conflict with my schedule otherwise. And if I remember to register.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I think that it would be disasterous if Kerry got to dictate our foreign policy. It would mean that we would get all of the negatives from this war on terror and none of the positives.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
Yes, but Bush and his Cabinet are eroding our civil liberties faster than Kerry might. I doubt he would be any worse in that area.
Posted by J T Stryker (Member # 6300) on :
quote: I think that it would be disasterous if Kerry got to dictate our foreign policy. It would mean that we would get all of the negatives from this war on terror and none of the positives.
I agree
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
At this stage, I'm almost in the "anyone but Bush" camp; he's managed to screw up every single policy initiative about as badly as I could have imagined that he would. That he hasn't screwed up as badly as is POSSIBLE is not, I'm afraid, much to his credit.
What keeps me from being in the "anyone but Bush" camp is, I'm afraid, the fact that it's not too late for someone to reanimate Stalin's corpse and get him the Democratic nomination. If that were to happen, I would probably feel compelled -- albeit not without some misgivings -- to vote against zombie Stalin.
[ April 22, 2004, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
I think I might vote for a third-party candidate, or even write someone in. Sure I'd be throwing my vote away, but I wouldn't have to feel guilty about being directly responsible for getting Kerry elected or Bush re-elected. The throught of voting for either really bothers me, but so does the thought of not voting at all. Chris Bridges, have you considered running? I kind of liked some of those policy ideas you had, and we desperately need a President with a good sense of humor.
Posted by StallingCow (Member # 6401) on :
There should be a "none of the above" option that forces the parties to go back and find someone worth voting for.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
Or you can just go and vote for Bush like me. Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
[img]http://richardberg.net/bin/temp/cthulu_caves.gif[/img] Why settle for a lesser evil?
4 years ago I disliked the major candidates enough that I voted for Browne. 4 years later my dislike hasn't waned, but a stark fear has also been injected into the mix. non_bush_with_chance_to_win++
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
I am not overly pleased with Bush. But I don't dislike him either. I do not like Kerry. I also must agree with Porter. So for now, I'd vote Bush. Lesser of two bads. Posted by BrianM (Member # 5918) on :
True conservatives have a duty this election to turn the fiscal idiot out of office. If Bush stays in office then he will continue to weaken the dollar and our civil liberties. No tax cut or self-gratifying war is worth those losses.
I have been a Republican all my life until now, Bush has caused me to re-register as Indepandant, and I will be voting Kerry. He actually has a good tax policy and solid ideas to improve the slum Bush has put us in. He has ways to improve job numbers without hurting free-trade instead of the wishy-washy free-trade/protectionist-whore Bush has become. Anyone who votes for Bush is doing so under full knowledged that he decieved the American people about the nature of war in Iraq, and that he has done more than any other President to erode the Bill of Rights.
How do you know whether George Bush is a free-trader or protectionist? It depends on the political weather of time you ask!
[ April 22, 2004, 03:39 AM: Message edited by: BrianM ]
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
When I'm not crazy about either candidate, to the point where it is basically a choice of the lesser of two evils (which describes most elections for me), I tend to go with the incumbent, or the "known evil." I already know his flaws, and the blunders he is likely to make, and I have learned to deal with them. With the other guy, I know he's a screw-up, but I have no idea in what ways his flaws might manifest themselves, and I'd rather not find out. So I'll probably vote for Bush.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Except, lawguy, that most second term presidents tend to get more extreme, since they don't have to worry about re-election.
-Bok
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I do not think we should have gone to war. I suspect we still do not and never will know the real reasons we went to war. I think the decision was made and the excuses for it found or dreamed up later. That irritates me.
So, unbelievably, I'm voting for the alternative. Besides, I'm hoping Theresa Heinz will be entertaining as a first lady.
[ April 22, 2004, 10:53 AM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by PaladinVirtue (Member # 6144) on :
I'm leaning on the Bush side of the fence at this point. Why? Because I have not heard enough of Kerry's plaform. All I ever hear is "blah blah, Bush is a stupid liar, blah blah, I hate GW too, blah blah," Reminds me of Student Government election in highschool... I am eager to hear a debate between the two; to hear what Kerry really has to say about issues. All I have heard thus far are critques, not plans. If he dropped, or rather exspanded beyond, the "I'm not Bush" platform, and I found I liked what he had to say, then I might change my mind. Remember there is plenty of time for that yet. To have your mind resolutly made up at this point of the campaign tends to limit your perspective and ability to make an informed desicion dosn't it?
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
I just want to point out that many fiscal conservatives are getting behind the idea of voting Bush out of office to show their displeasure with his financial policies, while otherwise voting the Republican ticket in order to keep control of both houses in Republican hands and to create some semblance of a check on proposed spending from the executive.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
And in case anyone is interested, I wish I could throw away my vote on a third party candidate. I'm so disgusted with the lack of spine so much of my party presented in passing the Patriot acts I and II.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
The cycle of Bush's tax cut is not complete. So I'm reserving judgement on that matter. As a conservative, I am not happy about the Patriot Act etc. But I don't see Kerry rescinding all that. If someone knows different, please tell me. I think he's looking forward to inheriting Bush's X-ray specs.
I think my major hang up is abortion. While I grant that there is a difficulty in attempting to regulate medical procedures, I don't think federal dollars should be going to fund abortion.
As Kerry is so fond of saying, his position on civil unions is the same as VP Cheney.
VP selection is another can of worms.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:I have been a Republican all my life until now, Bush has caused me to re-register as Indepandant
I don't understand this. You disagree with Bush, so that means that you cannot be in the same party as hiim? I disagree with a great many things that Bush has done, but I stay republican. And look at how conservative OSC is, yet he's a democrat.
Posted by Xaposert (Member # 1612) on :
What's the point in being in a party if you disagree with it's leadership?
This is why I stay independent. You've got to be free to affiliate yourself with the right ideas and leaders, whoever they may be, so you aren't stuck on the side you disagree with.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
See, I've never understood the idea of staying in a party which ideals you don't believe in. The entire idea of putting party loyalty before principles is bizarre to me.
I can somewhat see it when you're invested in a party based power structure, but for the voter populace at large its an oddity.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I think Kerry is the lesser of the two evils... I don't like Bush at all, but we do need to stay in Iraq till the end, and so many Democrats are calling for us to evacuate. But I'm sure if Kerry gets into office that the system will inform him of the dire consequences if we do leave...
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
My point is that you can disagree with the *people* and yet still agree with the ideals of a party.
You don't have to change party affiliation to not vote Bush.
[ April 22, 2004, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: mr_porteiro_head ]
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
I don't see why it's such a big deal to change parties. it happens all the time, I'd rather be in a party that represents my ideals than remain in one I don't agree with just so I'll be seen as "loyal."
Edit: I understant this is really just reiterating what a lot of people have said. Sorry I'm not a very fast typer.
[ April 22, 2004, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: Epictetus ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I've done research, listened to NPR and read articles. Perhaps I am being judgemental, but Bush has yet to provet o me he is a competent president. Therefore he will not get my vote.
Posted by BrianM (Member # 5918) on :
to answer Mr Portero head:
Bush symbolizes the takeover of the GOP by the neocons, and their policies are Empire Lite, and deficit spending and devaluing of our currency. I noticed all of Bush's defenders have ignored the currency devaluation. Even if Kerry was in favor of ridiculous stuff, the fact that he is not in favor of devaluing our currency is the singlest biggest reason to vote for him just to get Bush out. With all the outsourcing and re-alignment of the Global economy this is the worst time ever to be doing currency devaluation. If Bush stays in we could easily wind up asking for the IMF to bail us out, this is no fiction, this is reality. Many of you can never imagine a total economic breakdown of the US because of our monetary safeguards since the depression, but the biggest single one of those safeguards is that we don't gigantically deficit spend and we don't devalue our currency and we definately don't do both at the same time!!! I would beg all of you who think voting for Bush is getting a "known evil" over a possible one in Kerry to reconsider, you are making horrible generalizations and the devil is truly in the details.
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