Uproar over Kerry Iraq remarks

[Sunstone]

The saddest thing of all is that it honestly seems to me this is what the American elections are all about. People seem to have only the most vague notions of what their candidates stand for, if any notion at all. They vote for the candidate who comes out on top in campaigns that are only childish fights with no real discussion of any issues.

You might as well watch a Mexican soap opera and then choose who to vote for based on their resemblence to the lead characters, because Mexican soap operas are about as real as American election campaigns.

The ignorent should not be allowed to vote. When people come to vote, they should be able to identify their candidate's positions on three of a list of 10 major issues. If they can't even do that, get the **** back to your trailer, or suburban bungalo, or penthouse apartment as the case may be.

Some people vote on the issues, some people don't. I think both kinds of voters have their place in the system. I've known several people over the years that have told me, when it comes to voting for a presidential canidate, they pay less attention to the issues than to their sense of whether a candidate is likely to do something stupid, like start a nuclear war. They judge candidates on personality and character rather than on issues. I actually don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[Djamila]

They judge them on their character? I find that very difficult to believe. It is virtually impossible for the average American citizen to know anything about a specific politician's character, unless they are personally acquainted and know each other quite well.

Given the format of American elections, in which the main objective seems to be to dig up dirt on the other candidates and spin their downfall to your advantage, I don't believe they're a great place to even begin looking for character. The Republicans who went after a decorated war veteran (John Kerry), and spun his downfall to the advantage of a man who'd never been to war (George Bush), have no character in my mind.

They're judging character from a make-believe soap opera in which the actors are never revealed. It'd be like watching Days of Our Lives but all everyone does is sit down in good lighting and talk about what the other characters did the night before. You know absolutely nothing of each actor's character.

 

[Ody]

It was as if he was playing into the radio pundit's opinions.

 

[BUDDY]

They judge them on their character? I find that very difficult to believe. It is virtually impossible for the average American citizen to know anything about a specific politician's character, unless they are personally acquainted and know each other quite well.

Given the format of American elections, in which the main objective seems to be to dig up dirt on the other candidates and spin their downfall to your advantage, I don't believe they're a great place to even begin looking for character. The Republicans who went after a decorated war veteran (John Kerry), and spun his downfall to the advantage of a man who'd never been to war (George Bush), have no character in my mind.

They're judging character from a make-believe soap opera in which the actors are never revealed. It'd be like watching Days of Our Lives but all everyone does is sit down in good lighting and talk about what the other characters did the night before. You know absolutely nothing of each actor's character.

All the more reason to pay close attention to the words and actions of our candidates and representatives. If we have only limited information concerning someone who is trying to gain our trust and lead us, then it is necessary to pay attention and realize that what they say and do means something. Kerry may have a war record, but his actions following his service to the present speaks volumes for how much he despises the military and how easily he believes military members to be the bad guys.

As to the format of our elections, this is the way that it has always been done. If you think that candidates are mean to each other now, you should see what is was like for the first hundred years or so of our history. At the very least, we are improving and talking more about issues now, than we used to. I have to believe it is getting better and better as we grow as a nation and become more aware of our place in the world.