First I would like to state I will vote for GWB before I will John Kerry. I am just an average guy who reads the news paper about twice a week and watchs the news on TV (the fox network) after work. I don't spend a lot of time on the internet reading up on currant events. I lead about an average life judging by what the other guys at work say they do. I have a high school education at a small school in a very very small town in Louisana. I work as a repairman at a Hydro-Station (a dam) that was built back in 1924.
It is a small old dam so you have to be a jack-of-all-trades...and be pretty good at them. I am middle income and feel extermly blessed to make the money I do for someone who is not well educated and mostly self-taught in my type of job. I have been on my own since I was 16 years old so I went into the work force earlier than most but not by a lot. I am 46 and married with no children (Mrs-Pirk has two married kids with kids of thier own so I have kids by proxy).
I am not starting this topic to say my feelings about GWB are right and anyone who disagrees with me is wrong...I would most likely lose quick judging by the smarts you all normally show in your posts on this board. I just want to share what I feel about GWB (pro and con).
First I will state the main two things I do like about GWB. #1 He is the first president I can remember who understands the very simple basic fact that a weak limited response to violance against either you OR!! your country almost assures a second attack by your opponet. #2 He stuck by his plegde to cut taxs....and did it at the begining of his term(that shows a lot of guts on both counts).
Now to what I am un-happy about.
GWB's support of the status quo for world wide free trade agreements.....I am a firm believer in attaching a "minimum standard of living" clause to any trade agreement. We don't allow a father or mother to decide to have thier 13 year old off-spring to work full-time on a assimbly line in order to make ends meet...why should we have to compete with that from everyother country in the world who is willing to allow it??
GWB's support of law breakers who are willing to work here because they work cheap.....(this next statement is non-pc so be fore-warned). How can you be so double minded as to know on one hand that muslem fundimentalist are making war on the USA and they are by and large tan skined yet at the same time do your level best to allow every tan-skined person who wants to come across the border a way in AND!! allow them to stay????
GWB has done NOTHING to address the huge medical insurance cost we all face...how long will we have to wait for someone who "thinks outside the box" when it comes to this matter??..(my thinking outside the box) If I were president I would attempt to offer a nation-wide insurance program and I would make it clear to the drug companys that if they wanted access to my subscribers then they would sell thier drugs as cheap here as they do anywhere else...secondly I would set-up a tiered payment plan that said if you want the cheapest insurance rates you are willing to go to any provider withing a 100 miles to have any out of the ordinary medical treatment done...and the hospitals would have to compete with everyone else with in a 100 miles for my business. I would recrut every major industry in this endevor as possibable.
GWB has done nothing to address the baby-boomers(atleast not forcefully anyway). He is simply doing the same as every other politicion...waiting for that house of cards to fall in knowing that it most likely won't happen on his watch.
GWB has NOT once used the "line item veto". Perhaps my ignorance is shining through but I thought presidents have the "line item veto" now.
Mr-Pirk
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A proud owner of a Flying Vee. Bestowed by the fine Gentleman VC1111 himself.
Thank you for taking the time to put forth a well thought out position, and objections, about G.W. Bush. It sounds to me that you have much more "meaningful education" then many others with an abundance of "school education and the resume to boot".
I also will vote for the President again....because I honestly believe he is a much better choice than any thing the opposition if putting forth. I think your evaluation of his clarity on responding to terrorism in an effective and meaningful manner in spot on. He did demonstrate political will early by pushing his tax cut through against all opposition. Something he is given little credit for by a large number of "fair weather voters".
He has either failed to take stands on issues.....that I wish he had! Or he has taken contradictory stands on several other issues in opposition to my beliefs. But in total......I think he has handled the most significant issue of his administration....(response to terrorism).....in the most exemplary manner. I do believe that as a nation we are at a crossroad in history......and how we respond...or don't......to the current threat may well determine if western civilization continues.....or doesn't! And I honestly believe many people, especially Americans seemingly not involved "in their minds", have failed to realize the import of what is transpiring! It is abundantly clear that there are religious sects in this world.....that will settle for nothing less than the destruction of western civilization as we know it! They have said so........they have written so.....and they are demonstrating that in their behavior. I have no idea "what evidence" will be required before the naysayers will wake up...and accept reality. Some of them will probably go to their graves.....in disbelief!
But I commend you on both a well thought out, and stated, position on your misgivings with the President. Now, if we can just get the majority of Americans to sit down and think through todays' problems as well as you apparently have!
Glad to have you contributing!
Dave
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You can live life, or simply grow old!
Mr. pirk I will be voting for Bush also, an as with you it will mainly be because of the war on terrorism and some of his other stances, but he does not THRILL me at all otherwise, but Kerry repulses and scares me. We need more voters like you who look at a persons record and compares it to other records and decides whose record more closely matchs thier own.
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The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Well said here guys! I can't disagree with anything said here!
I will be voting for GWB too!
His job rating, is less than sterling, thats true!
His response to terror and national security, along with a renewed sense of national pride, are excellent though!
He was the right man for the time, and I think that he is still needed for another term!
There are those who say "he is the lesser of two evils!"
For one thing, I don't think the term "evil" applies here towards GWB! Renewed national pride, and strength of moral character, rule out the word "evil," here! (Especially compared to the last White House residents!)
Secondly, as the lesser of two "evils," I'd say he is the FAR lesser of two evils!
I say, give GWB his due second term, and hopefully we will find a strong conservative to replace him with in four years!
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Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty or Safety!
Ben Franklin
I LOVE my country, I FEAR my government!
If your mother was an abortion proponent, would you be reading this right now?
I know this will shock a few people,if the election was held today I would vote for shrubby.
Just don't expect me to ignore the thgings he does that are potentially terrible for this country.
Hi Charlie P,
I would hope you don't overlook his shortcomings! (Nor the shortcomings of any of our elected leaders.) The only way we can make substantive comparisons of those same officials is by looking honestly at their faults.....as well as what they have done right! I know that is always going to be a subjective comparison....but that is why we all get an individual vote.
Now if we can continue to convince more Americans to do what you do.....what mr-pirk does......and what the majority of the posters, to this point on the thread....say they do. Compare the candidates on their record....not rhetoric....and vote accordingly, our country would be the better for it! I think it is not only important....but imperative....that we do what we can individually to mobilize support....and insure Kerry does not have an opportunity to harm this country with his vascilating position(s). Not only has his political history been fickle......but he is an even worse pandering, dithering, liar, than Bill Clinton was! (Or maybe he is under the influence of the same substance Ted Kennedy is?!?!?)
Dave
P.S. By the way Charlie.....that wouldn't shock me! From what I've read of your posts.....I give you credit for thinking through the issues, (even when you don't always agree with the subject)!
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You can live life, or simply grow old!
I am very unhappy with Bush. I can't find a whole lot he is doing right at the moment. But I absolutely will not vote for Kerry. The man is a slug. The Democratic party as a whole is becoming very immoral, but I think that Kerry could be even worse than Clinton. I just cannot vote for someone with the agenda that he has. Besides, he just looks wierd.
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We must be the change we wish to see in the world -- Ghandi
http://www.rightminded.net
We are going to always have that kind of behavior! Sometimes it is the individual's nature......and at others it may just be in "the heat of battle" kind of behavior. But it unfortunately is inevitable!
I think the only time I would "call someone a liberal....or a Democrat" for pointing out a politicians' (in this case Bush) faults. Is if they then told me they would vote to put someone even "more liberal" in office.......simply because they disagreed with Bush on some issues. Because that.....would cause me to doubt their motivations. (Or at a minimum it would cause me to doubt their reasoning abilities!)
But you are right......in many of the discussions under the heading of politics.....the "name calling" starts flying! Maybe that's why I always was told if you wanted the conversation to remain "civil".......skip politics and religion!
Dave
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You can live life, or simply grow old!
You know what, you have to pick a set of things that are of the utmost important to you and vote accordingly. No candidate will fit every bill. GW is against abortion, he against gay marriage, hes got morals and principles from what I can tell and because of that I'll vote for him again.
If immigration is your #1 priority, another candidate might promise more. If pulling out of Iraq is your #1 priority, another candidate might promise that. etc etc etc ..... gotta prioritize whats important to you.
BTW, no one forces you to vote for GW. Cast your vote for who you'd like to see as President, be it Nader, GW, Kerry or anotehr independent/write in. No vote is wasted.
Why I'm un-happy voting for GWB
