[Vision2020] what's wrong withour political system--improved by Kerry

[amy smoucha]

Yeah, I'm beginning to like Kerry too.  I couldn't get beyond lukewarm about 
Dean.  I really didn't like his healthcare platform, and he seemed like more 
of the same, as in status quo.

Kerry's take on international affairs and peace are pretty heartening.  Also 
we really, really can benefit from having a veteran in office. Services for 
vets, including healthcare, have declined so dramatically it's shameful.  I 
think Kerry could reverse that trend.  His understanding of real people 
could lead to some improved domestic policies, including veteran's affairs.  
On Project Vote Smart, www.vote-smart.org , you can get lots of information 
about candidates.  I was very encouraged, for example, by the ratings Kerry 
received from interest groups.  He seems to vote his platform (and mine much 
of the time).

Also, it seems as though, like Clinton, he's married to a woman as qualified 
to run the country as he is.  Though Clinton made me mad a lot, he was an 
extremely intelligent man, which is part of why I was so angry--I think he 
knew better.  Kerry and his wife are obviously wise and knowledgable.  Heck 
he may even deliver speeches that include complex and complex and compound 
sentences--remember those?

Let's roll him in, and then we have the work of holding him accountable when 
he gets there!

Amy Smoucha


----Original Message Follows----
From: "Dick Schmidt" <dickschmidt@moscow.com>
To: <asmoucha@hotmail.com>
CC: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Tim's feminism/what's wrong withour political 
system
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 07:03:27 -0800

Amy,

I made the mistake last election in voting for Bush. I wrongly based my
decision on Cheney being much brighter than Lieberman, because Bush and Gore
were both on about the same mentality level,  and both had been born with a
silver spoon in their mouths. I now think we would have been better off with
Gore. We may have not had a 9/11 incident.

I watched the 60 Minutes interview last night of John Kerry. When the
campaign started I had Kerry on the bottom as I thought he was a pompous
ass. I sure learned different last night. He is another man scarred by the
Vietnam war. He gave a very good explanation of why he voted to go to war
and that Bush did not do the three things he had promised before starting a
war. He sounds like a man who can be trusted.

Dick Schmidt



----- Original Message -----
From: "amy smoucha" <asmoucha@hotmail.com>
To: <timlohr@yahoo.com>
Cc: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2004 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Tim's feminism/what's wrong withour political
system


 > I completely agree, Tim.  It's a shame that we have to make decisions
about
 > "wasting" our votes on candidates who truly represent our views.  It's
also
 > far too tempting not to participate in a political system that has only
two
 > unsatisfying parties.  I voted Nader last time for many reasons, and I
 > really wanted the Democratic party to get a message.  I think they got 
the
 > message.  Women & people of color didn't turn out for Gore/Lieberman.  
And
 > enough of us voted Nader to make a difference.  Do I regret it?  I regret
 > Bush being in the White House, and so many things he's done.  Those who
told
 > me not to vote Nader correctly predicted all the atrocities I'm seeing,
 > except, thank goodness, there have been no vacancies on the Supreme 
Court.
 >
 > This year, I will participate in the party system and vote (and-gulp-give
 > money to) any Democrat  who can beat Bush, in large part because of the
 > likelihood of a vacancy on the Court.  O'Connor has been the swing vote 
in
 > too many decisions, and the world looks scarier if Bush gets to appoint a
SC
 > Justice, especially after his Pickering stunt.
 >
 > It's sad business, but really a huge ethical decision--whether to support
 > someone who is offensive, but who is *closest* to my values, or to hold
high
 > standards and place myself outside of the process by doing so.
 >
 > I think both stances, however flawed, are reasonable ways to participate
in
 > our system.  Me, I'm a waffler.
 >
 > Amy
 >


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