Preaching To The Choir, Part I
Well, it's getting close to the Republican National Convention. This will be the last of the political conventions and then campaign season kicks off in earnest. I look forward to the unending barrage of political ads reminding me of why I dislike professional politicians. Election season for me ends with an exciting day of sitting around and helping my friends and neighbors navigate the complexities of electronic voting. I, unlike many of my fellow citizens, have already decided who gets my vote this fall. As a public service to you, I'm going to explain my reasoning and see if it rings true.
First off, let's start with my least preferred candidate in this election, John F. Kerry. I will not be voting for John Kerry in this election or any other, unless an election for Herman Munster look-alikes pops up on the Web. I have a host of reasons for this, but I'll just hit the major points that rely on incontestable facts. I am not voting for a guy who accuses himself and his fellow service members of war crimes, then 30 years later tries to claim he was a war hero. This strikes me as being more than slightly opportunistic. In a similar vein, I have a huge problem with a man who goes and meets with enemy leadership during a war while he still holds a commission in the US military. I do not consider this behavior honorable, or principled dissent. From where I sit, it looks so close to treason as to be practically indistinguishable. I cannot in good conscience think this man would be a good Commander In Chief during wartime. I just don't see how that's possible.
In the decades since then, he has done nothing to redeem himself. When he bothers to show up for the Senate, he consistently votes against military and intelligence spending, or anything else that would actually contribute to the national defense. Instead, he spends his time conducting "investigative hearings" that accomplish less than nothing. His current platform, which might more accurately be termed a plank, seems to rest almost entirely upon the fact that he served in Vietnam for four months 30 years ago. (By this standard, in 2024 I will be 1.33 times more qualified than John Kerry to be CINC because I spent 6 months in theater in 1991.) His economic and health care policies, what little have been unveiled, strike me as misguided at best and horribly disastrous at worst. His foreign policy seems to be nothing more than a vague hope that other nations will ignore their vested business interests and contribute military forces that are simply inadequate to help us in whatever unspecified next steps need to be taken in the war on terror. His entire campaign, and much of his Senate career, appears almost completely void of substance. I don't see anything in his record that indicates to me he has the seriousness of purpose that the country needs right now. I just can't vote for him, based on his actions and inactions.
First off, let's start with my least preferred candidate in this election, John F. Kerry. I will not be voting for John Kerry in this election or any other, unless an election for Herman Munster look-alikes pops up on the Web. I have a host of reasons for this, but I'll just hit the major points that rely on incontestable facts. I am not voting for a guy who accuses himself and his fellow service members of war crimes, then 30 years later tries to claim he was a war hero. This strikes me as being more than slightly opportunistic. In a similar vein, I have a huge problem with a man who goes and meets with enemy leadership during a war while he still holds a commission in the US military. I do not consider this behavior honorable, or principled dissent. From where I sit, it looks so close to treason as to be practically indistinguishable. I cannot in good conscience think this man would be a good Commander In Chief during wartime. I just don't see how that's possible.
In the decades since then, he has done nothing to redeem himself. When he bothers to show up for the Senate, he consistently votes against military and intelligence spending, or anything else that would actually contribute to the national defense. Instead, he spends his time conducting "investigative hearings" that accomplish less than nothing. His current platform, which might more accurately be termed a plank, seems to rest almost entirely upon the fact that he served in Vietnam for four months 30 years ago. (By this standard, in 2024 I will be 1.33 times more qualified than John Kerry to be CINC because I spent 6 months in theater in 1991.) His economic and health care policies, what little have been unveiled, strike me as misguided at best and horribly disastrous at worst. His foreign policy seems to be nothing more than a vague hope that other nations will ignore their vested business interests and contribute military forces that are simply inadequate to help us in whatever unspecified next steps need to be taken in the war on terror. His entire campaign, and much of his Senate career, appears almost completely void of substance. I don't see anything in his record that indicates to me he has the seriousness of purpose that the country needs right now. I just can't vote for him, based on his actions and inactions.
posted by T at 12:55 PM
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