Terror, War Records, Mudslinging... How about we try tackling some actual issues?
Swift Boat Veterans For Truth.... The CBS Document Fraud.... Bush's National Guard Scandal.
All a load of irrellevant BULLSHIT. Who cares who did what over 30 years ago? Look back on your own lives, if you're old enough glance back at the person you were 30 years ago and some of the things you did that you wish you hadn't given your current knowledge and wisdom. If you're not old enough, just look back to the things you did in High School or College. How many here can say they didn't do anything which might be brought back to haunt them if someone decided to dredge it up? If you think there's nothing in your life that could be used against you should you aspire to political office, you're lying, most of all to yourself. But look back at those transgressions, those days, weeks, months or years in which you did whatever stupid thing you did. Now, look at yourself today. Is what you did all those years back an accurate reflection on who you are today? Probably not. Who you were in high school was different from you you were in college and is certainly different than how you are today. We learn, we grow, and we change. How would you feel if your entire life could be torn to shreds by some old fling you had one summer in college? Would that be fair? Nope. Why then are we pulling this crap with our presidential race? Both sides are guilty of it. The left attacks Bush's National Guard records... the right is attacking Kerry's Vietnam service and now the CBS document fiasco. But honestly, does it have ANYTHING to do with what's going on today, or who these two people are in so far as their ability to be the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth?
NOT ONE THING.
We are so wrapped up right now in a passionate hatred for the opposing side that we can't see more than two feet in front of us. We've wasted this campaign saying how evil/stupid/spineless the other side is. We base our agruments for who we're voting for based on them NOT being the other person. I'm stuck in a position now where I know I will not vote for Bush because of my feelings over how he's handled Iraq and The War on Terror... not to mention his drive to get a Constitutional Ammendment banning Gay Marraige. He's done some good, but those are major stumbling points for me and I can not in good conscience vote for him. I'm left in a place a LOT of Americans are right now, they know they don't want to vote for a particular candidate but can not for the life of them come up with compelling reasons to vote for the other guy. I don't like voting for someone whose entire campaign has been "Hey, I'm not Bush! Yay me!" Sadly, in the system we have, if I want to see Bush gone, I have to vote for Kerry. Yet I have NO idea what he stands for, and could very well end up being worse in some situations than Bush. I'm not comfortable with that.
On the flip side, everything I've seen and heard out of Bush so far is "Look at me and my accomplishments in the Middle East!" And the fact that he doesn't waffle like Kerry. Well, it's all well and good to point out past achievements, but what is he going to do moving forward? What are his plans and priorities? I don't know... and I've had a hard time getting some of my right leaning friends to articulate why he's such a great President and should be relected.
I want to know what the candidates PLAN to do after they win, I want to know what direction they plan on taking this Government and this nation as a whole. Both sides are too busy discrediting the opposition to actually sit down and say what they are all about. This has left the undecided and the people who are in the middle without a candidate to truely stand behind.
We're a little over a month away from election night. I want to see both parties just ignore what the other is doing... Bush, don't talk about Kerry, and Kerry don't talk about Bush.... and Nader... you can just go sit in your little corner while we all laugh at you, silly man. It shouldn't matter what the OTHER guy says or does or plans to do. All that matters is what YOU plan to do. Give us something to hold up in the air and say "This is what I'm voting for!"
Our economy is still suffering, there's still a large unemployment problem... we have crime and poverty in our own country that needs to be addressed. We have troops stationed in hostile locations around the world and we have no plan for bringing them home. We are fighting over religious issues and a renewed swell of racism is reappearing in our nation (this time directed towards Muslims). These are issues that matter, these are the things we should be talking about. Not what someone said someone else did decades ago.
Give me a reason to vote FOR you as opposed to AGAINST the other guy.