2 Part Question for those who voted for Bush

Just an interesting sidebar to this... I'm currently in a very conservative area of Virginia (in my county, Kerry only got 25% of the vote) and I was doing my practicum in 5th grade on Wednesday when the results were announced.

It was very interesting to hear a child comment 'Yeah, I'm glad Kerry didn't win because he doesn't believe in God.'

Now, I don't know what these parents are telling these kids, but it was very hard for me to not jump up any say anything for fear of being attacked by my cooperating teacher (VERY Pro-Bush).

I was just shocked that these kids even though though (after this child said that, many more agreed that they had heard the same thing).

This year I dont think anything was typical.
People were torn, some known democrats voted for Bush but it doesnt mean they see eye to eye on everything and vice versa. I think it shows us tat what is one persons priority may not necesarily be others. But the great thing abou our country is that if we dont like one president we have an opportunity to change him but the downfall comes when you find a president the majority fels is good for a country and he only gets 8 years..many feel this way about clinton, same as some feel about BUsh. i dont know if we will ever have an election where everyone walks awy 100% happy.

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Posted by verdila

I don't think Kerry is amoral - but I do think some of his choices he made about the Vietnam war were wrong, and his record in the senate isnt the greatest.

I am also for parental consent for children under 18 seeking abortion and I am against partial-birth abortions.

I am for stem cell research as Bush is with already created cells, but not with creating new stem cells or cloning - this worries me.

I think Kerry would have been too liberal as president and that would have affected the decisions he made as Pres. Additionally or rather ultimately, I just didn't trust what he said since he changed his opinion so many times.

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I think that the Republicans did a brilliant job of painting Kerry as a 'flip-flopper'. I would be interested to know what he changed his opinion about so many times that made people doubt his competence as a presidential candidate.

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Posted by DebsNY

Just an interesting sidebar to this... I'm currently in a very conservative area of Virginia (in my county, Kerry only got 25% of the vote) and I was doing my practicum in 5th grade on Wednesday when the results were announced.

It was very interesting to hear a child comment 'Yeah, I'm glad Kerry didn't win because he doesn't believe in God.'

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Wow, that is pretty scary!

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Posted by Moehick

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Posted by DebsNY

Just an interesting sidebar to this... I'm currently in a very conservative area of Virginia (in my county, Kerry only got 25% of the vote) and I was doing my practicum in 5th grade on Wednesday when the results were announced.

It was very interesting to hear a child comment 'Yeah, I'm glad Kerry didn't win because he doesn't believe in God.'

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Wow, that is pretty scary!

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Posted by lanikai
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I think that the Republicans did a brilliant job of painting Kerry as a 'flip-flopper'. I would be interested to know what he changed his opinion about so many times that made people doubt his competence as a presidential candidate.

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Well, for one AND in Kerry's own words - he said he voted FOR The 87 million before he voted AGAINST the 87 million in aid for our troops.

Kerry said Iraq and Hussein was a grave threat and he voted for the war because he thought they had WMDs also. Then, later on in the campaign he said that terrorism was a nuisance and that Hussein was not a threat and that we shuold not have 'rushed' to war.

He said he fought to end the marriage penalty tax but his record shows that he voted against it..

Let's see what else, he voted for the Patriot Act but then in a debate he criticized it and attacked it. I can go on and on that he takes both sides of almost all issues depending on which way the wind blows and that is why some people were scared abuot how he would be in office.

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Posted by verdila

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Posted by lanikai
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I think that the Republicans did a brilliant job of painting Kerry as a 'flip-flopper'. I would be interested to know what he changed his opinion about so many times that made people doubt his competence as a presidential candidate.

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Well, for one AND in Kerry's own words - he said he voted FOR The 87 million before he voted AGAINST the 87 million in aid for our troops.

Kerry said Iraq and Hussein was a grave threat and he voted for the war because he thought they had WMDs also. Then, later on in the campaign he said that terrorism was a nuisance and that Hussein was not a threat and that we shuold not have 'rushed' to war.

He said he fought to end the marriage penalty tax but his record shows that he voted against it..

Let's see what else, he voted for the Patriot Act but then in a debate he criticized it and attacked it. I can go on and on that he takes both sides of almost all issues depending on which way the wind blows and that is why some people were scared abuot how he would be in office.

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It's just sad that the majority of Americans don't know how voting works.. That sometimes you want to vote for something, but you have to vote against it b/c there are often times rider bills you don't agree with, or you agree with the substance of the bill but you want some different method of paying for it,,e tc.

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Posted by verdila

I understand how voting works but I dont think that is an excuse for changing positions constantly or saying one thing and doing another -- it's sad to me that people don't get that and I'm tired of that response. It doesn't explain why someone would vote for something like the Patriot Act and then bash it in a debate.....

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Yes it does... I'm sorry- but if you agree with the content of a bill, but you don't like the way it is funded, and think it is funded another way- you have to vote no.. and that is exactly what Kerry did.

You cannot vote Yes- but explain yourself- you can only vote yes or no- and although i† oftentimes isn't as simple as a yes or no answer- you have to reduce it to a yes or no.

Regarding the Patriot Act- I think a lot of people voted for it because at that time if you didn't, you were pretty much a communist- you can't take that vote out of the context of the time it was created/voted on. In retrospect, a LOT of people (Republicans and Democrats) that voted for the bill have a problem with it.

Again, just because you agree with something doesn't mean you cannot change your mind.

Since when has that become a character flaw?

No, it is not a character flaw, just someone who is awfully confused....

Leaving your wife when she is critically depressed and suicidal and then getting that first marriage of 18 yrs annulled so you could marry another rich heiress could be tho...

Good point, but is driving drunk and abusing alcohol a character flaw or a mistake in youth or even a disease (alcoholism is a disease)... Not sure if the coke snorting allegations are true.

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Posted by verdila

No, it is not a character flaw, just someone who is awfully confused....

Leaving your wife when she is critically depressed and suicidal and then getting that first marriage of 18 yrs annulled so you could marry another rich heiress could be tho...

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I don't think it's up to you or anyone to read into what Kerry did in his marriage.

As far as I am concerned,, you weren't there and don't know anything about his marriage. It's an unfair assumptioin.

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Posted by verdila

Good point, but is driving drunk and abusing alcohol a character flaw or a mistake in youth or even a disease (alcoholism is a disease)... Not sure if the coke snorting allegations are true.

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I would say driving drunk and using illegal drugs are character flaws. There are plenty of people that drink but don't get behind the wheel and endanger lives...that is some 'mistake'.

Regardless of if you are republican or democrat..she has a point...

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Well that's just it - both sides paint a negative portrait of the other side

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And that is the reason why people are confused at election time. Becasue we have to sift through the bull and make what we feel is an informed decision..sometimes after it is made..information comes to the surface to discredit so many candidates..and this includes Bush, Kerry, Clinton..etc.