This election is really getting me down. Is there any reason to think Kerry has a chance in this race? My hopes were so high a month ago, but it seems that the majority of Americans have completely fallen for Bush's tricks. The electoral maps show Bush with a commanding lead, while the national polls go back and forth between huge Bush leads and tiny Bush leads. Is there any hope left? How could America be on the verge of making the same mistake again? Are there any positive signs out there that I might have missed?
What are you talking about? Bush is tied with Kerry! -- Batman Jones (doing his best Iraqi Information Minister impersonation)
Don't bother, I can't see your post. Last time I checked, you're not a progressive, so why don't you bugger off.
You're not the only one. I look at it this way: Before the season, everyone had really, really high hopes for the Astros, to the point where a lot were predicting that they would reach the World Series. They started off strong, and then proceeded to underachieve and disappoint, by making some really stupid mistakes and playing like idiots. All of a sudden, they got hot and showed that just maybe they might challenge for this thing. But a season of underachieving and losses might prove too much to overcome unless something really special happens. How they play from now on will determine whether they make it or not. There is no room for error. Kerry is really defining himself lately, but it might not be enough to win. Too little, too late. Another four years of George Bush seems like a surreal and dangerous thing, butI think we just might be heading in that direction unless something special happens. No more mistakes, Kerry. Finish strong. Please.
The only hope for kerry is all the people who didn't vote in the last election. however, he's done a crap job in convincing people in swing states that he's better than what we have now. I'm going to blame the dems on this one for getting such a weak guy who didn't decide to run on this president's multitude of mistakes until LAST WEEK. Then again, Bush hasn't just tricked the country, he's molded our thought process to think in black and white, to see things as only good and evil. 9/11 has made us more callous and selfish, as it is shown that Bush is incapable of learning from mistakes. Our country is changing, where it was once the educated person who decided our national policies, it is now the simpleton who can sway the scared masses into doing whatever he wants by speaking in black or white terms.
TJ, I didn't know you were a progressive, you ol' dog you. (Either that or you can not effing read the title before you post).
Why the sarcasm? Because he told the truth? He could have left out the, "bugger off," which some Britons (and their cousins) might find offensive, but otherwise, what did he do to deserve criticism? Trader_J's whole reason for posting in this forum is to derail threads and get people angry, so what did ZRB do, but tell the truth? Are you a progressive? ZRB, it's a cliché, but I'll throw it out there anyway... it ain't over 'til it's over. I'm convinced that Kerry will win. It will be a squeaker, but I think he will pull it out. I think he has run a terrible campaign, until very recently, and that the way that the Party did the convention was lousy. I didn't vote for Kerry in the primaries but, despite the stumbling around, trying to find his "message" to sell himself to the American people, I think he will be a far better President than Bush. When it comes time to vote, I think the American people will realize that taking a chance on Kerry is preferable to having 4 more years of a man we have all come to know for what he is... an incompetent and dangerous President, unsuited for the office.
ZRB: Gore was up 10 points this time last election. The next month Bush was up 10. It ended up tied. From this point in 2000 to the election, the race took a 20 point turn and then went 10 back to tie. Right now Bush is up anwhere from 1 to 13 points. With the possible exception of the CBS poll (11 pt. gap) the polls showing a wide Bush lead have been heavily weighted to registered Republicans at 40% representation even though considerably less of the voters in 2000 and 2002 were registered Republicans - see Rasmussen Report, a right-leaning polling firm for an explanation of how the polls with the extreme divides are off. I don't know the methodology of the CBS poll. Gallup, in particular, took extreme liberties in evening out the sample regardless of voting history. That's one reason Gallup's not the indisputed gold standard anymore -- their recent polls (going back to 2000) have been considerably less reliable than Zogby's. Zogby's explanation is that his sample is based on the percentage of registered R's, registered D's and independents that voted in the last election. As of today, Zogby's got Bush 46 - Kerry 43. Apart from polling data, you might find hope in the fact that Kerry has run an incredibly poor campaign and has hopefully hit rock bottom. Bush has escaped largely unscathed considering the situation in Iraq, the deficit, the still considerable net job loss, his highly unpopular health care plan and the fact that Osama's still running around. There's a long way between today and the election. There's a reason the race traditionally begins in earnest on Labor Day.
Kerry's gonna lose. There's no hope. I swear I always say the public is smart but they aren't. Most of them still believe there's a connection between Saddam and 9/11 and there isn't. They just believe the GOP machine's lies and doubletalk. And they buy the generic kerry wants to raise your taxes (as if we're all in the top 5%). The only bright spot is that Bush can't run again after this, and the GOP doesn't have a candidate this stupid in the pipeline.
The primary voices we are hearing (either here or the media) are from the party faithfuls on either side. There is a large contingent of everyday Americans, otherwise apolitical, that are wise to "compassionate conservatism" who will make the difference in this election.
How come you automatically assume anyone who doesn't share your opinion has fallen for tricks and aren't capable of forming their own opinion. It's this kind of arrogance that bothers me (on both sides).
I sure hope so. This election has actually made me wonder if there is some value to polling tests: Voters must pass a basic intelligence/knowledge exam in order to cast a vote. Many people are far too lazy (and, on the flip-side, some are too busy trying to earn a living) to engage in any critical examination of the facts. I'm beginning to believe that a representative democracy is no longer a realistic means to achieving a balanced and just society. People are apathetic, and when they're not apathetic, then they're easily manipulated. Then, the most pitiful, are those adherents who dreamily identify themselves with "leaders" who make the most blatant displays of power, and then support those "leaders" rabidly in order to preserve their own newfound identity - as a make-believe member of a powerful group. (And, meanwhile, the "leaders" could give a **** less....) In reality: Just 'cause Bush dropped some bombs, and you support him, that doesn't make you powerful, sucka! Because the majority of Bush-supporting Americans have fallen for the Bush Administration's tricks. Others like how Bush makes them feel powerful (as they take credit as an "American" for everything some other American did). In the end, I think the winner of this election will not necessarily be the most capable leader, but the leader most capable of manipulating the public, and I'm hoping ol'-lesser-of-two-evils Kerry gets much better at it very soon.
What a bunch of crap. You guys are really getting out of hand. You honestly believe that the only reason people are voting for W is because they're lazy and not intelligent? Wow. Talk about being close-minded. If you don't like our democracy, maybe you'd like a place like Cuba, where they don't have elections for their leader. It's not that far of a swim if you can get down to Miami. Oh, and the intelligence/knowledge exam is a GREAT idea. How about we institute a poll tax, a literacy test and maybe even a grandfather clause alongside that? You know those ideas were tried during Reconstruction and didn't go over so well with all parties involved...
I dare say that America has changed slightly since reconstruction. This form of democracy isn't working for all but the richest residents of this country. The US needs to change its electoral system and fast. I'd start by doing away with the electoral college and switch to a popular vote with a run-off system. That way people could vote for Nader and they would still be helping Kerry. I wish the public were smart enough to trust them with compulsory voting.
I understand what you're saying about this election. It's depressing to see that people can be tricked by smear campaigns and their own unfounded fears. People seem to be more focused on what happened 30 years ago instead of the present. I don't know if I can take George Bush for another 4 years, maybe I'll go to school in Canada or something.
