KERRY SPEAKSAfter a shaky, nervous, fumbling start, John Kerry got comfortable and got rolling. He showed much more passion and enthusiasm than I thought he could muster. And he delivered his speech better than I thought he could. It was short on specifics, of course, but if filled with specifics I'm sure I'd have complained about a laundry list. He spoke about goals that, for the most part, I agree with, but offered no real plan and didn't say what he was really going to do. He's going to "reward" companies that don't move jobs overseas, which seems to me to mean rewards are coming to every single one of our employers. In the next breath, he tells us he's going to close corporate loopholes and eliminate tax breaks for companies, so I don't know how he plans to "reward" U.S. based companies.
He's going to expand the military by 40,000 troops, but I can't tell how. Hire more recruiters? And he's apparently going to eliminate deployments of the national guard and reserve troops. Don't know what the purpose of the reserves and national guard will be if that's the case.
He wants to cut the deficit in half by eliminating part of Bush's tax cut, then says he'll use that same money to "invest" in job creation, health care and education. No mention of what the nature of these investments will be.
But in the big picture, I don't know how this speech will be perceived. It may be seen as hopeful and optimistic about what it can be. But much of his formulation of that theme was built around describing a negative and saying he
won't do that. It seemed a negative structure to me, but I'm not disposed to like the policies that he'll propose. Maybe he closed the deal on those undecideds who don't like Bush but need to like Kerry. We'll see what the polls say right before the Republicans put on their show.
THE FEDERAL REVIEW POLITICAL MICROCOSMWow, the comments are getting hot today and the insults are flying. Some examples:
--for the love of all that is good within you, please don't stoop to such childish antics anymore
--Luckily, your opinion on the topic means about as much as my opinions on the upcoming RNC. That is to say, not much...
--I know it would've been better for you if could've gotten your panties in a twist about "Bush-bashing", but Edwards played it better.
--Suck it up, whiner...
--Are you that narrow minded that you can't see any good in a positive up lifting speech.
--please don't be so disingenuous Winston
--Brian: You're fucking wanker idiot.
--Hypocrite.
--Not a flip-flop so much as Kerry hatred...Keep it up Murali! You're having a great day!!!
--You stupid fuck.
--If you actually post quotes, intelligent arguments etc, the Brian's of the world never respond. So, fuck yeah, bitches, I'm gonna speak your language. Fuck Kerry!
--I'll let that speak for itself while everyone posting here ponders what a jackass you look like right now.
--Hello it has been proven that the only lies were from The democrate Media and the MIND FUCKED Democrates.
--what a bunch of followers. well we always need truck drivers and Pizza delivery people for sunday football.
--The only jackasses are dumb Democrats like you.
--You can't post any your thoughts. All you do is Cut and Past[e].
--The only way these Dumbo-crats can communicate is by calling people names. Good arguments don't matter to them. Thinking doesn't work. So, the only way to communicate with them is to speak their language and call them for the dumbasses that they really are.
See how much fun we are having here? Come on in, the water's fine. And here's a
challenge. If you want to write down the reasons you like your candidate without mentioning the opponent or using code like (because he won't mislead us into war), then send it on by email or in the comments box and I'll post it up here. Even if it's pro-Kerry.
A FREE PASS TO EXPLOITATIONThe Republicans are now free to use any image, any feeling, any argument from 9/11 for political purposes. John Edwards has used the buildings falling and the dead American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and, more importantly, the feeling that goes with it to bolster his arguments. Fine. But they'll freak out if the RNC shows President Bush's statement on the rubble that they people who did this will hear all of us real soon.
And now Edwards is worried about WMD. And to be fair, has always taking it seriously, but his running mate hasn't.
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE DEMOCRATSAmerica is not great. ("Our dominant international challenge is to
restore the greatness of America, based on telling the truth, a commitment to peace, and respect for civil liberties at home and basic human rights around the world." -
Former President Jimmy Carter)
America is either not a world leader, or not moral. ("I want to see America restored as the moral leader of the world." –
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean)
Democrats have been ashamed to call themselves Democrats. ("Never again will we be ashamed to call ourselves Democrats . . . Never again will we be ashamed to call ourselves Democrats. Never. Never. Never." – Howard Dean)
Democrats have lost faith in America. ("John Kerry will give us back our faith in America." -
Teresa Heinz Kerry).
Democrats have lost faith in themselves. ("He will restore our faith in ourselves." Teresa Heinz Kerry).
No more searches at airports, and you will be allowed to bring box cutters on board, because no civil liberty can be sacrificed for security. ("With John Kerry as President, we can, and we will, protect our nation's security without sacrificing our civil liberties." - Teresa Heinz Kerry)
A President Kerry will tote a rifle and patrol the streets of Fallujah. ("No one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will — and he will always be
first in the line of fire." – Teresa Heinz Kerry)
Democrats want Republicans to join them in a tax revolt. ("We bear no ill will toward our opponents. In fact, we'd be happy to have them over for a polite little tea party. I know just the place: right down the road at Boston Harbor." –
Senator Edward M. Kennedy).
America is dependent on other nations for its wealth and strength. ("Interdependence defines our world. For all our might, for all our wealth, we know we are only as strong as the bonds we share with others." – Ted Kennedy).
It's time to retreat and lick our wounds. ("We need a President who will bind up the nation's wounds." - Jimmy Carter).
America does not respect basic human rights. ("Our dominant international challenge is to restore the greatness of America, based on telling the truth, a commitment to peace, and respect for civil liberties at home and basic human rights around the world." - Jimmy Carter).
Getting attacked on 9/11 by terrorists made Americans proud. ("After 9/11, America stood proud" - Jimmy Carter).
We shouldn't go to war to prevent attacks, only to retaliate. ("The United States has alienated its allies, dismayed its friends, and inadvertently gratified its enemies by proclaiming a confused and disturbing strategy of preemptive war." - Jimmy Carter).
President Bush did a wonderful thing when he freed the women of Afghanistan and Iraq. ("It is time for the world to hear women's voices — in full and at last" - Teresa Heinz Kerry).
America is not home to the ideals of freedom and equality and opportunity and fairness and common decency. ("Ideals like freedom and equality and opportunity and fairness and common decency for all - ideals that all Americans yearn to reclaim." – Ted Kennedy).
Blaming America for 9/11 is "goodwill". (see
Le Monde article "We are all Americans": "But the reality is perhaps also that of an America whose own cynicism has caught up with. If Bin Laden, as the American authorities seem to think, really is the one who ordered the Sept. 11 attacks, how can we fail to recall that he was in fact trained by the CIA and that he was an element of a policy, directed against the Soviets, that the Americans considered to be wise? Might it not then have been America itself that created this demon?") ("How could any President have possibly squandered the enormous goodwill that flowed to America from across the world after September 11th" – Ted Kennedy). ("But in just 34 months, we have watched with deep concern as all this good will has been squandered by a virtually unbroken series of mistakes and miscalculations." – Carter).
America's vision for itself should be defined by other nations. ("Most of the world still knows what we can be — what only we can be — and they want us to be that nation again." - Teresa Heinz Kerry).
America is not shining, hopeful and bright. ("It is the America the world wants to see: shining, hopeful, and bright once again." Teresa Heinz Kerry).
Fighting to free Iraqis, prevent Saddam from funding terrorists and bring democracy to the middle east is not leading through the power of ideas and is immoral. ("And it is a moral nation that leads through the power of its ideas and the power of its example" - Teresa Heinz Kerry).
The cooperation and contribution of the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, Poland and many others is meaningless. ("Unilateral acts and demands have isolated the United States from the very nations we need to join us in combating terrorism." - Jimmy Carter).
Jimmy Carter knew how to defeat the Soviet Union. ("Let us not forget that the Soviets lost the Cold War because the American people combined the exercise of power with adherence to basic principles, based on sustained bipartisan support." - Jimmy Carter).
Jimmy Carter's deal with North Korea in the 1990s was George W. Bush's fault. ("Elsewhere, North Korea's nuclear menace, a threat far more real and immediate than any posed by Saddam Hussein, has been allowed to advance unheeded, with potentially ominous consequences for peace and stability in Northeast Asia." - Jimmy Carter).
We need unilateral, preemptive action against North Korea. ("Elsewhere, North Korea's nuclear menace, a threat far more real and immediate than any posed by Saddam Hussein, has been allowed to advance unheeded, with potentially ominous consequences for peace and stability in Northeast Asia." - Jimmy Carter).
America doesn't accept it's responsibilities. ("America has responsibilities that it is time for us to accept again." - Teresa Heinz Kerry).
We should do what our WWII ally, France, our WWII enemy Germany, and our Cold War enemy, Russia, want us to do - and ignore our allies Great Britain, Australia, Israel, Poland, Italy). ("We should have strengthened, not scorned, the alliances that won two World Wars and the Cold War." – Ted Kennedy).
The sacrifice of our soldiers is in vain. ("More than 900 of our servicemen and women have already paid the ultimate price. Nearly 6,000 have been wounded in this misguided war." – Ted Kennedy).
America is not a symbol of hope, not able to build all there is to build, break down any barrier, tear down any wall. (". . . what America has represented: a symbol of hope, . . . Americans believed that they could know all there is to know, build all there is to build, break down any barrier, tear down any wall. . . .It is the America that people all across this nation want
to restore." - Teresa Heinz Kerry).
Carter cannot differentiate between a fact and a wish. ("You can't be a war president one day and claim to be a peace president the next, depending on the latest political polls." - Jimmy Carter).
Leading America and numerous allies in wars to liberate Afghanistan and Iraq is not "leadership". ("What America needs is leadership." - Carter).
In only 4 years Presdient Bush's policies have caused there to be violence in Israel. ("The achievements of Camp David a quarter century ago and the more recent progress made by President Bill Clinton are now in peril. Instead,
violence has gripped the Holy Land, with the region increasingly swept by anti-American passions." - Jimmy Carter.
Supporters of President Bush (at least 45% of the country according to polls) are extremists. ("What a difference these few months of extremism have made." - Jimmy Carter).
Americans are cowards at heart, who aren't tough enough to remain calm in the face of danger. ("Second, we cannot maintain our historic self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic." - Jimmy Carter).
American foreign policy should be "go along to get along". ("The administration has alienated long-time allies." - Ted Kennedy).
Jimmy Carter doesn't have that old malaise feeling. ("But I am not discouraged. I really am not. I do not despair for our country. I never do." - Jimmy Carter).
People who chose to go into the military and serve in the war on terror do not have free will. ("So, you would sacrifice your child to secure Fallujah? I want to hear you say that." -
Michael Moore).
A lie does not require mens rea or scienter. (MOORE: Uh huh. So, in other words, if I told you right now that nothing was going on down here on the stage…
O'REILLY: That would be a lie because we could see that wasn’t the truth.
MOORE: Well, I’d have to turn around to see it and then I would realize, oh Bill, I just told you something that wasn’t true… actually it’s President Bush that needs to apologize to the nation for telling an entire country that there were weapons of mass destruction).
Barack Obama is a smart guy. ("In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?" "There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America -- there is the United States of America." -
Barack Obama).
