[icruise]

I've seen a lot of right-leaning people on this board talking about how Democrats are only voting for Kerry because they hate Bush, and they don't care about the issues or the candidates' ideas. Since I don't want to post in their little "Republicans only" thread, let me just say here and now that nothing could be further from the truth.

Why do you suppose it is that the Bush haters hate Bush? Certainly, there is some residual resentment from the election of 2000, but the primary reason that I and others dislike Bush is precisely because of his positions on issues ranging from the environment to the taxation, and because of the way he has handled (or as many would say, mishandled) the country post-9/11. Whether it is the over-reaching PATRIOT Act or the way he manufactured reasons for attacking Iraq, we who consider ourselves to be on the left of the political spectrum find his policies to go against everything we believe in. It is particularly galling because of the way it flies in the face of his campaign rhetoric from the 2000 election -- if he had indeed been a middle-of-the-road "uniter" who practiced "humble" foreign relations, you would not have the resentment you have today.

Aha, you say, you've listed your reasons for disliking Bush, but that's no reason to vote for Kerry! But the truth is that Kerry, has ideas (and yes, "plans") that appeal to many of us on the left (his positions on abortion, affirmative action, taxation, the environment, foreign policy, and gay rights to name but a few). This, combined with the fact that the next president will likely get to appoint multiple members of the Supreme Court, makes our support for Kerry much more than just a case of "anyone but Bush." In short, while Bush is a galvanizing force to many in the Democratic party, to claim that Democrats are only voting for Kerry because they hate Bush so much is to drastically oversimplify the situation, and frankly, it's insulting. I don't hate Bush, I hate his policies and his positions on the issues.

[Dakar]

Originally posted by Icruise:
I don't hate Bush, I hate his policies and his positions on the issues.

This needs to be highlighted. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to vote AGAINST someone, IMO.

[thunderous_funker]

Well said.

And don't forget all the people in this adminstration that deserve to be fired.

The Buck is supposed to stop at the president's desk, so he stands to answer for the mistakes of his underlings.

In this administration, however, whenever someone fails miserably, they just circle the wagons, blame the media and insist that Bush had nothing to do with it.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by thunderous_funker:
Well said.

And don't forget all the people in this adminstration that deserve to be fired.

The Buck is supposed to stop at the president's desk, so he stands to answer for the mistakes of his underlings.

In this administration, however, whenever someone fails miserably, they just circle the wagons, blame the media and insist that Bush had nothing to do with it.

"The Buck Stops Here" does not mean "Dump Your Garbage Here"

While the president is ultimately responsible for the general welfare of the country... we need to hold people accountable for their actions on inactions. Look at the flu shot... do you honestly blame the president? Why not the twenty plus people that are between him and the decision to ensure that we have flu shots?

His job (with reference to the flu shots) is to address the problem, define the issue, and find a solution.

I for one don't want a president that must apologize for every little thing that goes wrong. I think it sends the wrong message to the rest of the world... and I'm sure Michael Moore would just LOVE having that clip for his next crusade "for the common man".