Political Insight

2004-10-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

The White House: Bush or Kerry's?

Bush and Kerry on the Critical Issues

2004-10-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

On November 2nd the nation will hand down its verdict and one of two men will be denied the Presidency. Who that person will be is anyone's guess.
Both President Bush and Senator Kerry have fought hard and have built and burned each other's credentials many times over, but in the violent process, the discussion of the issues has been lost as well.
It has become increasingly difficult to find the true substance of Bush and Kerry amid the country-wide political firestorm. The entire media spectrum has been flooded with fear, negativity, and outright lies that harm the whole election process.
Americans deserve to know what the future President believes in and where he stands on the critical issues. Not just how many reasons he can give to vote against his opponent. Hopefully, Americans will agree and will vote for what they believe in instead of what they hate.

The following is a simple tabulation of President Bush's and Senator Kerry's positions on 5 of the most important issues.

Issue: Global War on Terror
Bush: Will continue to hunt down terrorists and regimes that support terror.
Kerry: Will fight war on terror vigorously but will seek world consensus.

Issue: The Iraq War
Bush: Will continue to fight hard against the terrorists and will continue with plans for democracy.
Kerry: Will fight war in Iraq, but will enlist the help of our allies in Europe.

Issue: Homeland Security
Bush: Will continue to reorganize the intelligence community and fund the Homeland Security Department.
Kerry: Will more actively secure the border and make sure that all measures are taken to improve security.

Issue: Economy
Bush: Will make the tax-cuts permanent and will reduce the national deficit over the next four years.
Kerry: Will remove the tax cuts for the upper class and will reintroduce price caps for the federal budget.

Issue: Health Care
Bush: Will reform system to better withstand rising costs associated with lawsuits and prescription drugs.
Kerry: Will create a national health care system that will cover all uninsured Americans.

Conclusion:
Although there are many more issues, polls have shown that the issues above are considered the most important for the majority of voters.
The stances the candidates have taken are very distinct from each other because both men have conflicting views of the world. It should be noted, however, that Bush and Kerry have promised many things during the campaign, but what they will actually do can only be revealed once they are given the power.

2004-10-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Republicans and Democrats fight for power.

Election Fiasco in 2004???

2004-10-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

The fuse has been lit. Lawyers are flooding into the swing states. Lawsuits are pouring into the courts. Allegations of fraud are already taking flight. The legal battle that overtook the U.S during the presidential election in 2000 may well be nothing but a scrimmage compared to the ensuing war that may take place when America chooses the next President on November 2nd.

America has not been as bitter and ideologically split than it is today. Recent polls have shown that the presidency lays in the hands of a small handful of states scattered throughout the country. These "swing states" are going to be the battle field where the future of the country is decided. It is because of this that both Democrats and Republicans have entrenched themselves to wage a war of attrition before, during, and after election day.

We remember all to well the 2000 election fiasco in Florida. For an entire month, ballots were checked and rechecked while lawyers launched salvo after salvo of legal attacks. In the end, the Supreme Court put an end to the crisis and George Bush was declared the winner. However, it was too late, the damage had already been done; the country had been severely wounded.
After 2000, we were promised that Florida would never happen again, but there are disturbing indications that the election will once again be consumed by litigation and partisan spin.

There is still two weeks until the election and problems have already arisen with the implementation of provisional ballots. Provisional Ballots were intended to allow voters who showed up at the wrong polling precinct to still cast their vote, but concerns have been raised over the possibility of fraud since provisional votes could be counted several times.

There have also been problems concerning the actual voting machines themselves. There are still hundreds of counties nationwide that still use the same punch-card system that derailed the previous election, but more importantly, several key counties in swing states are going to use them. This opens the door for the possibility of another Florida style recount.

Punch-card voting is not the only problem, although most states have modernized their voting machines to electronic systems, tests have shown that electronic voting is subject to a host of problems. Things like heat, power glitches, hackers, and computer crashes threaten the reliability and confidence in electronic voting.
Another problem that has surfaced is the overwhelming number of newly registered voters that have to be confirmed before voter lists are created. States like Ohio have been flooded with 100,000 new voter applications and many doubt they can be verified in time, which could cause chaos at the precincts as voters are turned away.

With all the problems that could manifest themselves on election day, there is one that trumps all the others: lawyers. Lawyers are the one factor that will certainly shape the ultimate outcome. It is no secret that lawyers will turn up the heat regardless of what happens. It is estimated that both parties combined will deploy some 30,000 lawyers to monitor, report, and file complaints in order to influence the election in their favor. With the presence of so many partisan lawyers, frivolous suits are an inevitable fact and will add confusion to an already nerve-racking process.

With all this in mind, the coming election could be a repeat of 2000. Whether it be machine failure, voter fruad, partisan lawyers, or a combination of all three, we can look forward to a prolonged post election as the war unfolds. We can only hope that when the dust settles that the country will be able to move forward and that there won't be to much harm done to the election process as a whole.

2004-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

President Bush & Senator Kerry; both seeking to lead the country.

3rd Presidential Debate Scorecard

2004-10-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

We have moved one step closer to the ultimate conclusion of the Presidential election. The three debates that took place this October were a decisive set of duels that could make the difference on who will be the President of the United States for the next four years.
It will take some time to determine the fallout from the debates, but it can be agreed upon that both candidates have accomplished their goals. Bush sought to cast doubt upon Kerry's ability to lead and Kerry sought to make himself a viable alternative to President Bush.
As the election draws near, the United States will choose to take one of two very distinct paths. It will be either to continue with President Bush or to take a new path with Senator Kerry. It will be up to the American people to decide who to follow into the future.

The following is a score card of what the candidates said on certain issues and who won the exchange.

Issue: Securing America
Bush: On the offense against terror. Kerry doesn't understand threat. Created Homeland Security Dept.
Kerry: Bush not doing enough. Pledge to rebuild alliances. Promise to wage smarter war on terror.
Winner: Bush- Has shown that he has fought hard against terror, Kerry answer not unique.

Issue: Taxes
Bush: Kerry's record is that of raising taxes. Raising taxes will hurt economy.
Kerry: Bush tax cut benefited mostly rich. Will raise taxes on high-earners to pay for programs.
Winner:Bush-Low taxes have helped economy. Kerry can't hope to pay for everything by taxing rich.

Issue: Fiscal Responsibility
Bush: Will cut deficit in 5 years.
Kerry: Will reinstitute pay as you go. Bush hasn't vetoed any spending.
Winner: Kerry- Bush hasn't shown any fiscal discipline.

Issue: Jobs
Bush: Job loss must be fought with education. 1.9 million jobs created.
Kerry: Bush lost 1.6 million jobs. Will fight for equal playing field. Will close tax loopholes.
Winner: Bush- Fastest economic growth in 20 years. U.S on the right track.

Issue: Education
Bush: No Child Left Behind has raised standards; increased funding. Increased Pell-Grants.
Kerry: Bush not funding education.
Winner: Bush- Kerry claims of not enough funding education unsubstantiated.

Issue: Homosexuality
Bush: Don't know if it's a choice. Support constitutional amendment to define marriage.
Kerry: It is not a choice; ask Dick Cheney's daughter. Homosexuals deserve same rights as Heterosexuals.
Winner: Bush- Kerry usage of Dick Cheney's daughter was in bad taste.

Issue: Abortion/Stem Cells:
Bush: Pro life. Signed Partial Birth Ban; Kerry voted against it. Will promote alternatives to abortion.
Kerry: Devoted Catholic but disagree with Church. Pro Choice. Will protect Row v. Wade; Bush won't.
Winner: Tie- Kerry is weak on principle and Bush won't tell who he will appoint to Supreme Court.

Issue: Health Care
Bush: Support creation of private savings account. Support medical liability reform.
Kerry: Bush not done enough to keep costs down. Will allow Americans to choose gov. Insurance.
Winner: Tie- Both Kerry and Bush plans have serious financial problems.

Issue: Social Security
Bush: Support privatization. Will make priority during 2nd term.
Kerry: Bush's plan will cut benefits. Solution is fiscal responsibility.
Winner: Kerry- Bush hasn't made Social security a priority. Bush plan problematic.

Issue: Immigration
Bush: Have increased border security. Support temporary worker card. Kerry Supported Amnesty.
Kerry: Bush hasn't secured border. Will prosecute employers of illegals. Will tighten border security.
Winner: Bush- Temporary worker card plan has potential.

Issue: Minimum Wage
Bush: Minimum wage not the problem; it is education. Must diagnose the problem early.
Kerry: Will raise minimum wage to $7.
Winner: Bush- Raising wage wont solve problem. Bush is right to focus on education.

Issue: Overstretched Military
Bush: Must win in Iraq. Currently training Iraqi troops to relieve Americans.
Kerry: Bush not getting help from allies. Will create 2 more army divisions.
Winner: Kerry- Bush foreign policy has severely overstreteched military.

Issue: Gun Controll
Bush: Support gun controll. Will prosecute criminals.
Kerry: Bush didn't fight for assault weapons ban. Will fight for ban.
Winner: Kerry- Bush didn't even try to fight for assault weapons ban.

Issue: Affirmative Action
Bush: Have met with Black leaders. Don't believe in quotas.
Kerry: Bush hasn't worked with Black leaders. Support Affirmative Action.
Winner: Kerry- Bush has not had a working relationship with Black leadership.

Conclusion: In total: Bush won 7 exchanges, Kerry won 5, and 2 were ties. Although Kerry didn't win as many exchages he did seem come across stronger than Bush in presentation. In terms of actual arguments, Bush started off strong during the beginning of the debate, but Kerry finished stronger towards the end. However, once again, there was no knock-out punch during the debate so it will be up to the American public to decide who won the debate.

2004-10-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

A prototype interceptor missile is fired.

"Star Wars" Resurrected

2004-10-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ronald Reagan once envisioned a system of lasers and missiles known as "Star Wars" that would protect the homeland from the destruction of a Soviet nuclear attack. This year, Ronald Reagan's dream will finally be fulfilled.
We have come a long way since the days of "Star Wars" but the same basic principle of protecting the United States from nuclear missiles has not faded. Within the next couple weeks, President Bush is expected to announce the deployment of the National Missile Defense which was inspired by Reagan's "Star Wars". Although a prototype, the system will serve as a shield against possible missile attacks from rogue nations like North Korea and Iran.
The creation of the National Missile Defense System was one of President Bush's campaign promises in 2000 and has been a high priority during the administration even after the Sept. 11th attacks. However, serious concerns have been raised about the possible consequences that would stem from such a bold step. Alarming concerns such as cost overruns, the possibility of starting a world arms race or unnecessarily straining world relations are all concerns voiced by prominent world leaders and Americans at home.
It is without a doubt that the unveiling of the missile defense system will spark a political firestorm that will encompass many nations. However, it is up to the United States to determine whether deploying the National Missile Defense System is in its best strategic interest.

The following is a brief analysis of the benefits and consequences of deploying the National Missile Defense System.

Benefits:
1. Should the missile defense shield be reliable, it would be priceless in avoiding a nuclear strike upon American cities. According to the Missile Defense Agency, the defense system would be capable of shooting down up to a dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM's) fired anywhere from the Middle East to East Asia. The interceptor missiles could also be mounted onto mobile units, thus expanding its capabilities to protect any corner of the world.
2. The missile defense system would also be helpful in avoiding a nuclear exchange. The missile defense system could make nuclear missile delivery obsolete and as a result rogue nations would find no value in spending the enormous amounts of money to build ICBM's.
3. A national missile defense would also serve as a valuable bargaining chip during tense negotiations with hostile nations, such as North Korea.
At the present moment, North Korea has the upperhand against the U.S because it has 1-2 ICBM's capable of reaching the West Coast. Consequently, North Korea can make demands knowing that the U.S must walk a tight rope for fear of Korean retaliation. If, the U.S had a missile defense shield, America could negotiate without having to submit to North Korean demands.

Consequences:
1. The National Missile Defense System runs the risk of being one of the most expensive failures in American history. Current budget estimates predict that the cost of maintaining a missile defense could exceed 100 billion dollars and the technology has proven to be faulty at best. Tests have shown that for every 10 dummy ICBM's launched, the interceptor missiles missed six times, even though the dummy ICBM's were broadcasting their exact position to the interceptor missiles.
2. A missile defense system could force other nations to develop more effective delivery missiles and drive them to create their own missile defense systems, thus starting a new global arms race. Signs of this have already surfaced. Russia recently announced that it would fit all its current missiles with multiple warheads to counter the low number of American interceptors. Russia also announced that it would build a new fleet of high-maneuverability missiles that would render any missile defense useless.
3. The deployment of a national missile defense could give the impression to the world that the U.S is positioning itself in an aggressive posture. This could result in heightened tensions and further erosion of world support for the U.S.

Conclusion:
The deployment of the National Missile Defense System is one of the most controversial actions by the U.S in modern history. Although it has the potential to make the world safer, it also has the potential to damage the stability of the entire world. It is a grave risk.

However, in the interests of United States national security, a missile defense is necessary to thrwart a strike from the numerous rogue states that wish harm to the U.S.
Deterrence worked during the Cold War against the Soviets, but today we face Islamic extremists that are willing to die themselves if they can harm the U.S.

It is because of the nature of America's enemies, that the U.S cannot be defenseless if an extremist Islamic regime threatens the United States with nuclear missiles.

That being said, although the ramifications of the National Missile Defense System are yet to be fully understood, it can be concluded that it will protect the United States from a potential doomsday scenario that is certain to happen someday in the not to distant future.

2004-10-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

President Bush and Senator Kerry shake hands before the start of Friday night's debate.

Debate Analysis

2004-10-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Presidential debate last night was an insightful exchange of ideas, and gave the American people a much better view of both candidates. The previous debate was tainted by President Bush's inability to offer dynamic arguments in response to Kerry's relentless attacks. However, the debate last night was much more interesting and thought provoking, thanks to President Bush's great improvement in his debate abilities. Whereas Kerry undoubtedly won the previous debate, Bush was able to rebound and edge-out Kerry to win last night's debate.

The following is an analysis of the strenths and weaknesses of both Senator Kerry and President Bush.

Kerry Strengths: Most political pundits would agree that Kerry's performance was slightly better than his last. Senator Kerry impressed the audience with his ability to articulate his arguments with ease with his ability to quote believable statistics. He was also highly effective in attacking the President on the deficit and health care, by using his prosecutor style of confrontation. Kerry's brightest moment came when he was attacking Bush on his failure to fund education.

Kerry Weaknesses: Senator Kerry stumbled in a couple of instances when asked to explain his own stance on certain issues. Kerry used the same response of "Its not being done right" when asked to explain why he had changed his position on several key issues like the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, and No Child Left Behind.
Senator Kerry's biggest mistake of the whole debate was when he criticized the President for not providing armor to American soldiers in combat. Kerry stepped on a land mine because Bush was then able to point out that Kerry voted against the 87 billion dollar supplemental aid package that funded American soldiers.

Bush Strengths: President Bush exceeded expectations during the debate because he was better prepared to spar with Kerry, than he had been during the last debate. Bush seemed more relaxed in the town-hall format and was able to better connect emotionally with the audience than Kerry. President Bush was well armed with facts and was successful in pointing out Kerry's controversial voting record on many issues, which he had failed to do in his last encounter. President Bush had a strong compossure and gave a commendable performance.

Bush Weaknesses: President Bush's debate style, although much improved, still failed to match that of Kerry. There were many instances where Bush ended his remarks in odd places, which undercut the emotion he built during his statement. President Bush also had one of his trade-mark moments when he wandered into Supreme Court slavery decisions when asked who he would appoint to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.
At a couple of points during the debate, Bush appeared out of character when after Kerry would finish speaking Bush would say "I'm still trying to figure that one out". They call the President "High-road Bush" for a reason. Bush's comments seemed rude and uncalled for, since Kerry was respectful to Bush.

Conclusion: Both candidates failed to explain thier own plans on Iraq, the defecit, and health care. They simply said that they had a plan, but neither Bush nor Kerry revealed any substance. They instead made broad philosophical arguments that had little detail.
Overall, both candidates did well. Bush improved much more than Kerry, but Kerry still carried the debate in style. Bush was much more effective in planting seeds of doubt by constantly reminding the audience of Kerry's voting record.
Senator Kerry was unable to shift the entire debate against Bush as he did last time, and was unable to defend his voting record or properly explain why he was opposed to so many things he had once supported.
It is because of this, that it is fair to conclude that although there was no clear winner of the debate, President Bush was able to carry more arguments, and attack Kerry's record, thus winning the debate by a slight margin.