If the poll's opened today who would you vote for?Follow

here is a great link from the BBC on how each canadate stacks up on the issues.

what each stands for and wants...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2004/election_issues_guide/default.stm

WAR ON TERROR

Bush: Created Department of Homeland Security. Has tripled security funding and pushed for 2001 Patriot Act, which boosts official powers to monitor citizens and detain terrorism suspects.

im not a huge fan of the DHS or of the Patriot act as it stands, but according to the statistics of terrorist activities, i think Bush is at least moving things in the right direction to help ferrit out terrorist and reduce their power around the world, or at least get enough law abiding ppl around the world to stand up against them.

Kerry:

Would reform domestic intelligence putting National Guard in charge of homeland security. Wants amendments to Patriot Act, to increase rights of detainees. Would focus anew on Afghanistan.

um, no thank you. i do not want the National Guard in charge of anything along those lines. i do agree on a renewed focus on Afghan, but do not neglect what we also have going on.

DEFENCE

Bush: Under Bush defence budget has become bigger in real terms than at any time since the Korean War. He still plans to spend more. Wants first part of missile defence system ready by end 2004.

this is not a bad thing, but i question the current need for the missile system, unless it is going to be used to shot down planes that have been highjacked by terrorist to prevent an other 9/11 type attack. then as much as i would not like the idea, i would agree with the military statagy of its deterance.

Kerry:

Says he would recruit more soldiers, raise salaries and invest in new equipment - but makes no commitment to increase the military budget. Opposes national missile defence.

ok, how can you continue to increase the armed services and increase their pay WITHOUT increasing the budget for the services? hello, is it me or does that just smell of a big fat LIE.

GAY MARRIAGE
Bush:
Wants Congress to amend constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman only. Has no problem with states passing laws allowing civil unions for gays.

im not for a consitutional admendments, but i am against gay merriage.

Kerry:
Opposes Bush's proposed constitutional amendment. Also opposes gay marriage, but says states should have power to decide whether to allow it.

i agree 100% with kerry on this issue.

ABORTION
Bush: Opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest, or where a woman's life is in danger. Signed into law a ban on late-term "partial-birth" abortion.

this one i agree 100% with Bush on.

Kerry: Supports woman's right to choose, though opposes third-trimester abortions unless for health reasons. Would appoint only pro-choice Supreme Court judges.

well as im not pro-choice as kerry is, i am against kerry on this 100%.

GUN CONTROL
Bush: Backs law to protect gun makers from lawsuits brought by victims of gun crime. Against extending ban on assault weapons, which expires in September.

i agree 100% that gun makers should not be held accountable for someone elses actions. everyone knows that guns are made to kill, be that a human, or an animal, but they are made to kill.

not sure if i like the removal of the assult weapon ban. need to take a deeper look into it.

Kerry: Proposes mandatory child safety locks. Would close loophole whereby people who buy hand guns at shows are exempt from checks into their background.

i like the idea of child safety locks, but i do not think they should be manditory. i for one do not have any on my shotgun, but then i have also taught my daughter what guns are for and never to go near dadies gun, not to mention the fact that i keep my shotgun broak down into its parts, and keep the ammo in a secrit place. i am the only one in the house that even knows were it is stored. it is no were near my shotgun.

as for those who keep their guns for home defense, a child safety lock will remove the gun from being a part of that home defense as it will A. make to much noise getting it off alerting the attackers to your location, B. take to long to get it off in the heat of the action. ie you need it NOW not 2seconds or more from now.

i do like the idea of background checks at gun shows, but not sure how those would work, or how it would be implemented.

ENVIRONMENT
Bush: Scorned Kyoto global warming pact but wants more spent on hydrogen fuel technology. Backs "environmentally sensitive" oil exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

still not sure i agree or disagree with Bush's act at leaving the Kyoto gloabl warming pact, as i am not convienced it is solely HUMAN made. it is an issue, but i do not feel that HUMANS are 100% responsible for it happening.

most of you should know how i feel about the hydrogen fuel technology, but if you dont it is something i have supported since the first time i saw it back in the early 90s, late 80s. i am major gun-ho for that to come about.

still not sure i like him mucking around up in Alaska though.

Kerry: Wants to sign up again to Kyoto pact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Promises to invest in hydrogen-based energy technology and other clean, renewable fuels, including ethanol.

as for the kyoto pact, to me it is a non-issue, but that is due to my lack of information on said pact. what it means for the US, or not for the US, etc...

as for his promis to invest in alternat fuel systems, if he really means this, and is not flipp flopping again i would be very pleased.

HEALTH
Bush: Proposes tax credits for low earners who take out health insurance, to help cut numbers without access to health care. Has introduced a prescription drug benefit for elderly people.

now i like the tax credit as that would really help my family out greatly.

i wish he would lower the age on the drug perscription benifit though. my mother-in-law could use it as she is 63 and in dire need of some help.

Kerry: Proposes opening up the existing health care programme for federal government employees to all adults, and giving money to states to help them reduce the number of uninsured children.

this would be nice, but how are you going to pay for this and reduce the budget by 1/2 as you want mr. kerry?

BUDGET / TAXES
Bush: The US had a budget surplus in 2000 but now has a huge deficit. Bush has proposed steps to halve it by 2010 - but wants Congress to make permanent tax cuts he made in 2001-2003.

let him keep moving as he has. he has done well to keep the economy alive and not drop us into a 20s type depressions. i would love the tax cuts to stay, but not sure they need to be made permanent, just not majorly adjustable over any short amount of time.

alow them to work something like an ARM for a home loan. the tax rate can move up or down, but only in very small amounts and never more then X amount over Y amount of time.

not sure that is a good analagy, but i hope it gets the point accross.

Kerry: Promises to cut budget deficit by repealing Bush tax cuts for high earners and pegging federal spending increases to the rate of inflation, except in areas of defence, security and education.

NO NEW TAXES i like my lower tax % thank you. means i get to keep more of what i make as it is mine after all not yours mr. kerry.

JOBS / TRADE
Bush: Promises to enforce trade agreements so that US producers compete on a level playing field. Proposes spending more on training at community colleges and vocational schools.

not 100% sure i like the top part if it means companies have to pay more to build things, thus rising the manufacturing cost, thus rising the distributor cost, thus etc... in other words it can bring the price of goods up considerably, but then i could be wrong about this one 100%..

as for spending money on education, im all for that.

Kerry: Promises to create 10 million jobs by 2009. Would review all trade agreements in first 120 days in office, to check that exporting countries meet labour and environmental standards.

how now are you going to make 10mil. new jobs in that time? i can tell you, you are going to ride the back of the success that Bush has already started in saving this nation from the devistation wrot by both Clinton and 9/11.

as for the last bit of that, see above on how i feel about the potential harm that could cause.

enjoy, discuss, what ever, but that was a nice post from our friends across the pond.

its no different then driving along and not watching your speedomitor and going 60 in a 55 zone. its still against the law, even if you did not intend to go 60.


yup. and about as serious.

When Lurch and his Shove It honey give 50% of their billions away as a show of good faith for their inequitable tax scam, then I'll consider voting for them. When you have the cash like they do it's easy to regally impose higher taxes on people like me while calling me wealthy. Meanwhile they have so much money they haven't even noticed it. ****, they prolly light the fires in the fireplaces with $1000 bills.


Shame they don't have as much money the kid from Conneticutt who's running the country now and his family.

Man when you have that much money you can buy almost anything. Like an election...

You make over $200k a year? Because if not, your tax rate probbaly goes down under Kerry.

That's not important though, because the facts don't matter.


Personally, I think the most equitable system would be to let those like Smash who think 50% tax rate isn't outrageous go ahead and pay that amount and determine what they'd like it to go to. That way the gubbment gets the additional tax dollars they think is necessary and they get the moral satisfaction of having been the better person for giving more to causes they feel strongly about. The rest of us who know better get to keep our hard earned money.


I'm spending your hard earned money right now. Thanks for donating it to people in my tax bracket, it's mighty kind of you. Hey, by the way, keep paying for the poor so I don't have to, ok?

Great, great. You're a great hard working american sucess story. God bless you!

em pats Totem on the head. You benefit from tax cuts for me...yes you dwo! Yes you DWO!

Spending that money is your right. Better you wasting it than some senator wasting it on pork barrel projects or giving it to the lazy poor. Hey, if your wife lets you play with her money, go for it, more power to ya. I'm certain there's a bunch of us who'd kill to be a kept man as yourself.


Yes, thats wite good wittle Totem. It's gwood for you to pay for my tax cut! Yes it is!

I think you're confused. That's the tone of voice and vocabulary that Alla takes with you after one of your temper tantrums, Smash. Mimicry is one thing, but it's unbecoming for you to act like this: Little spoiled rich kid

Totem


Sure it is, little Totem. Just keep my paychecks coming so I can take an extra long vation this year.

Will do. In fact, I'm supporting you in the style you've grown accustomed to even as we speak. I just picked up a member of the Democratic voter base just minutes ago. He was pullng a Chappaquidd1ck and somehow missed the turn, just like your mentor, Teddy K. Sadly for you, he will be removed from the voter registration rolls as soon as the felony kicks in.


Doesn't matter, California's all locked up. Go on a killing spree of Democratic voters if you want. Your vote's meaninlgess this election. On the other hand I think I'm going to vote Absentee in Virginia, which the Dems have a real shot of winning.

It's a shame I can't see directly which part of the $100,000 or so in Capital gains I didn't have to pay to taxes this year comes from you and Gbaji. That'd be more fun. Like if you had to each directly write me a check, then we'd all be more aware of the system worked.

Bush is da best.

Ahhh, but you'd have to write a $50,000 check to your local bum, err, homeless person to assuage your guilty conscience and let you sleep at night. After all, such inequity in the wealth distribution of America must grate badly on your fragile world view, what with your compassionate liberalism and all. That is what you said once, isn't it? A 50% tax rate would be ok with you to help out the disenfranchised and needy among us?


I give probably $50k a year to charity. There's a diffrence between taxing myself at 50 percent while no one else does and taxing everyone equally at 50 percent.



Just checking. I wouldn't want you spouting Democratic party line/propaganda and actually living a Republican lifestyle. That'd be unseemly. Wait-- oh yeah! That's what your man Kerry does. Nevermind. Carry on with the spreading of caviar on that cracker, sir.


It's the people who make the most money who have the biggest moral obligation to help out the less forunate.

Both me and Kerry buy caviar with your money though.

Now you know why I had you pay for that coffee, I was saving you the postage!

Someone didn't get the "only one dread lord per Asylum" memo.

I skipped a lot of posts cause I'm too lazy to read em. But I was skimming through while digesting my ever-so-healthy lunch from Krispy Kreme (brought to work yesterday morning, no less).

I came across this gem of wisdom from Totem:



You know, it's not such a bad idea. Who here would give money to the goverment for a specific purpose only?

not quite. if you or i were to of taken those documents or any classified TOP SECRET documentation without authorization we would end up behind bars for many man years.

that is an act of high treason. the reason berger got off is the same reason OJ got off. money = power.

Yes, because getting them would require more illegal activities.

Confidential and top secret classified things are leaked on a daily basis. Be it by corruption, giving heads ups to corporations, to the news for leveradge, or a myriad of other reasons, they get leaked (il)legally, yet nothing is ever done about it.


It came into play here because there's a vary obvious public agenda that Republican's have in this situation.


I'm still quite suprised it was mentioned, even in election years that sort of thing is barely ever drawn attention to.