Why I voted for John Kerry. Leave message here.

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: November 1, 2004: How are RPCVs voting in the election?: Why I voted for John Kerry. Leave message here.
Your vote makes a difference Your vote makes a difference
Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.



Leave a message here if you are supporting Kerry for President and what you are doing to work to get your candidate elected. Leave a message here on why you voted for Kerry for President.
By Sandy Langley (cache-dtc-aa04.proxy.aol.com - 205.188.116.8) on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 10:12 pm: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because we CAN do better. We have lived in a farrago of lies the last four years. I cannot conceive of four more years of this.
Sandy Langley

By Rick Smith (cache-mtc-ae01.proxy.aol.com - 64.12.117.5) on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 10:22 pm: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because George Bush has been an absolute disaster for the environmental policies that have guided government and public sector acitivities for the last 30 years. He claims that the "Healthy Forest Initiative" protects forests and the "Clear Skies Initiative" reduces pollution. Neither initiative does what it claims to do. His policies starve national park budgets, requiring cuts in visitor center hours, interpretive programs and protection patrols. He is sacrificing parts of the American West for short term oil and gas exploration. He wants to open the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to energy development, despite estimates that it holds less than 3 months of oil resources at the rate we currently consume energy. I just returned from the Dominican Republic, a country solidly in the US camp. I had Dominicans ask me over and over, "What is your country doing overseas?" They could not understand out foreign policy. Neither can I. From a domestic or international point of view, I cannot understand how someone could vote for George Bush. I know I won't.

By Bill Benenson (ca-westla-cuda4-c10a-212.stmnca.adelphia.net - 68.69.233.212) on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 11:31 pm: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because GWB is the worst president in our lifetime, a master monster of lies and slight of hand who makes America into a living nightmare. We must wake up and be who we worked to be for all of our lives before, during and after being in the Peace Corps.

By David Sugarman (c-24-17-137-18.client.comcast.net - 24.17.137.18) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:29 am: Edit Post

Because he thinks before he makes a decision.

By Roger Ponds (cache-ntc-ad05.proxy.aol.com - 198.81.26.106) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:55 am: Edit Post

I am voting for John Kerry, since I feel that "Dubya" has the USA down the wrong path. With the war in Iraq turning out to be a real disaster, it is costing the American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. Furthermore, Bush wants to pass a tax cut of trillions of dollars, most of which would benefit the wealthy ("Dubya" included). Our children and grandchildren will be paying the price for Bush's misguided policies many years from now. Plus the fact that Bush's cronies are spending their time worrying about the sanctity of a union between a man and a woman. We need someone who can solve our economic problems, not someone who is preoccupied with gay marriages.

By Dianne Brause (sdn-ap-011watacop0050.dialsprint.net - 65.176.104.50) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 1:31 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because as I travel in other parts of the world, I see the terrible effects that Bush's current policies are having on the people throughout the planet-especially in the Middle East. So I am voting for the well-being of the rest of the world as well as for my own —and to restore some of the honor for which our country used to stand. As a PCV, during the Viet Nam War, I chose to stand up against policies that were killing young Americans and young Vietnamese for no good reason. Now I stand up again in support of the lives of another generation of young Americans and young Iraquis who are also dying for reasons that make no sense to me.

By Brian Connors (168-199-237-24.gci.net - 24.237.199.168) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 1:42 am: Edit Post

I voted, aerly, for John Kerry because there's absolutely no way I could ever support an incompetent and a liar like Bush. He was never elected President and has governed like a king. He chose to invade a country that did not threaten us and took us down a dangerous path. He's an idiot, and I believe that Americans will turn their rage against this fool and shove him out the door.

Kerry is presidential, intelligent and thoughtful. He has a lifetime of service to his country and - surprise - he even has a record to run on and about which we can be critical! Bush has nothing but losses and a lifetime of failure, insider-ism, and incompetence.

The American people will vote to reverse the miserable mistake the Supreme Court made four years ago. The rest of the world will breath a huge sigh of relief for his rejection.

Go Kerry!

Osama Bin Laden is still out there...any other reasons you can think to keep him in?

By David (h-67-101-102-217.snfccasy.dynamic.covad.net - 67.101.102.217) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 2:02 am: Edit Post

Bush has increased the risk of terrorism and made America less safe. You may call that Bush Bashing, but here in California, we call it "thinking."

By prefer tobe anonymous (cache-dtc-aa04.proxy.aol.com - 205.188.116.8) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 2:03 am: Edit Post

I voted for Kerry because Bush terrifies me. I worry that he is driven more by his religious beliefs than what he believes is in the best interest of the American people. I worry that he is not sharing his real religious agenda with Americans. Having spent almost one year in Iraq, I saw first hand the wishful thinking and lack of planning that characterizes the conflict in Iraq. Thousands of American men and women are dying and being critically injured in a war that we did not need to fight to protect American interests. Thousands of Iraqis are also dying and being injured and becoming our enemies. I work for the U.S. Government and for the first time I'm finding it hard to support my President because I don't believe my President supports America.

By conscientiousvoter (ts6-110.dialup.ucsc.edu - 128.114.228.110) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 2:44 am: Edit Post

Bush is not a man of intellectual curiosity; he doesn't even read newspapers. The "flipflopping" of which people accuse Kerry shows me that he thinks deeply about issues and lets his conscience guide him based on the information he's gathered. That puts him far more in touch with the electorate (and the larger world) than a president who panders dangerously to corporate power and fundamentalist ideology. With a record of corruption that starts with his being put in office by his brother and his daddy's court appointments, I can't believe anyone is behind Bush.

By Colin Gallagher (adsl-64-173-176-86.dsl.mtry01.pacbell.net - 64.173.176.86) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 3:00 am: Edit Post

Bush is a slum lord. He needs to go and fast. It is critical that Americans wake up and understand that with this man at the helm, our very Constitution is in danger. Beyond the problem of not being able even to discern who actually wins the Presidency due to widespread voter fraud and intimidation, which by all appearances is being largely conducted by Republican elitists and extremist neoconservatives who have abandoned their moderate brethren, our President has committed numerous actions at home and abroad, of the sort that inspired the Declaration of Independence. We certainly don't need a man who inspires his citizens to turn on each other; we need someone who can wilfully abandon the tactics of fear and revulsion for those of reason and understanding.

By David Ziegenhagen (dziegen) (user-1121fiv.dsl.mindspring.com - 66.32.190.95) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 3:11 am: Edit Post

Our country has lost so much during the last four years. We are in a war which is an atrocity based on lies. Civil liberties have been seriously compromised, and there have been other losses, as well , under the guise of "homeland security." The true agenda of the Bush administration was (1) to implement as many as possible of the long-standing far right goals and (2) to invade Iraq because of the designs of the "neocon" group. At home, the economy is a distaster, and there have been huge steps backward environmentally. If Bush wins, I truly do fear for the future of our country.

By michael williams (cts219103099103.cts.ne.jp - 219.103.99.103) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 3:47 am: Edit Post

I voted for Kerry because America and the world will be a better place without a smirking, arrogant, right-wing, person like GWB as president of the USA. If GWB is elected or steals this election like he did in 2000, woe is the world.

By David Cohen (dialup-4.236.189.249.dial1.newyork1.level3.net - 4.236.189.249) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 5:14 am: Edit Post

Imagine, if you will, that George W. Bush, Dick Chaney and Donald Rumsfeld had been in charge during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Is there anyone out there who does not believe that the idea of an "embargo" would have been soundly derided by this bunch? The end result would have been a major part of the world (including both the US and USSR) under a cloud of radioactive dust.

John Kerry (unlike George W. Bush) understands that complex problems require not simplistic solutions but complex solutions. For the sake of my 8-year old daughters, I believe it is vital that we have a leader who understands this.

By Harvey Paige (155.cleveland-14rh16rt-15rh15rt.oh.dial-access.att.net - 12.75.98.155) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 5:36 am: Edit Post

After admitting that Bush is so scary that I would have voted against him regardless of the opposition's identity, I am happy to report that I voted for John Kerry because I believe he will be a president of whom we will be proud. Our reputation in the world may recover in the next four years; it could not get worse! Kerry will appoint Supreme Court Justices who will preserve our civil liberties. Kerry may even be able to get us out of Iraq without the terrible consequences to all involved that I fear are our destiny after the disasterous war.

By Irene B. (fl-nked-ubr2-c3a-132.miamfl.adelphia.net - 24.53.192.132) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:15 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because the last four years have been a disaster -- our standing in the world is the lowest it's been, the lies, mismanagement and incompetence have ruined our country. If W steals the election again he would have a no holds barred run to do whatever damage he pleases. God help us!

By Robert Woodward (faculty2-cis695.unh.edu - 132.177.47.95) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:25 am: Edit Post

Don Quijote was NOT a leader

By Thomas R. Carter (165.13.65.76) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:30 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because he will rectify the A to Z of Bush administration errors:

A = Abu Gharaib, an indelible stain on America’s reputation that began at the top
B = Bin Laden, the real threat still at large, free to attack us again, and gloating on television
C = Cheney, influence peddler, friend of the rich, throwback to the politics of greed
D = Defense against Terrorism: vulnerable ports, bridges, tunnels, atomic plants ignored
E = Environment: years of progressive laws undone to serve corporate interests
F = Foreign Affairs: Post 9/11 support transformed into near-universal fear and hate
G = Gas: consumers gouged as the Saudi royal family and gas companies gain windfall profits
H = Halliburton, the return of influence peddling on a multi-billion dollar scale
I = Iraq, a tragic and costly error compounded by even costlier mismanagement
J = John Ashcroft, sworn to protect and defend a Constitution he doesn’t understand
K = Ken Lay, Bush’s close friend and supporter led Enron, the symbol of corporate greed
L = Lies: “Success” in Iraq, Kerry’s record, WMD, Saddam and 9/11, tax “benefits”
M = Medicare prescription drug plan to enrich pharmaceutical companies
N = No Child Left Behind, under-funded accountability does not mean better results
O = Opium, again being cultivated in “free” Afghanistan in record amounts
P = Patriot Act, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, parts of which undermine our Constitution
Q = al Qaida, recruitment growing daily in response to Iraq and Bush’s foreign policy
R = Rumsfeld, defense forces destroyed by ideological intelligence, poor planning, poor management
S = Social Security under twin threat: trust fund raided to finance millionaire’s tax cuts; privatization
T = Tax benefits for the rich while services decline and local costs, taxes, tuitions rise
U = Unemployment, loss of manufacturing jobs, jeopardizing our economic future
V = Voters: tens of thousands disenfranchised ensuring Bush’s 2000 “victory”
W = World Trade Center, cynically turned from a national tragedy to political advantage
X = The “X Factor”: millions of dollars of Saudi support for Bush family enterprises
Y = Yucca Mountain, nuclear waste disposal plans symbolic of broken Bush promises from 2004
Z = al Zarqawi, a terrorist we could have stopped who now kills and maims our troops

And these don’t include:

Attempts to prevent establishment of the 9/11 Commission
Calling the Presidential Daily Brief on the al Qaida threat an “historical document”
Allowing, if not encouraging the revelation that Valerie Palme worked for the CIA
Ignoring the ominous threats posed by Pakistan, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia
Encouraging Ken DeLay and his cohorts as they trade Congressional action for political funds
Blurring the separation of church and state
Jettisoning fairness in the treatment of all our citizens
Eroding trust in and respect for the office of the President

The list goes on…..

It’s time for a change.

By Dennis King (nyhqoutbound.unicef.org - 57.69.14.65) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:31 am: Edit Post

Voted for Kerry as a vote for the US to return to moral leadership at home and abroad.

By haven whiteside (cache-dtc-aa04.proxy.aol.com - 205.188.116.8) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:37 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because I beleieve he will not fight unnecessary wars. The Iraq war is unnecessary and morally wrong.

By Butch Hill (dhcp-224-072.cns.ohiou.edu - 132.235.224.72) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:50 am: Edit Post

I voted against GWB because he has done so much to destroy the international good will that many thousands of PCVs have worked to establish.

By Tania Carlone (adsl-67-118-19-201.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net - 67.118.19.201) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 7:58 am: Edit Post

It should certainly be evident to anyone who has lived abroad and who has had the unique privilege to view the world through the lense of another culture, why GWB and his disastrous and dangerous administration MUST GO! Kerry presents the only viable alternative.

By Margaret Riley (mriley) (dhcp-152-3-244-58.aas.duke.edu - 152.3.244.58) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:15 am: Edit Post

I voted for Kerry because I believe in a no-CARB diet in 2005: no Cheney, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, or Bush, and absolutely no Rice. Bush and his cronies have managed to take America from a strong economy and respected place in the world (Clinton escapades aside) to a country that is trillions of dollars in debt, less secure than it was before 9/11, and a focus of wonder and disbelief around the world as they question how we could elect such an incompetent as our leader. While he may claim to be steadfast in his beliefs and decisions, the fact that he makes the decisions he does is the greatest concern: it isn't his decisiveness that people should focus on, but the decisions he's made. I'm hopeful that the new generation of voters who haven't yet appeared in the polls will be our saving grace, and deliver a victory for Kerry in 2004!!

By Mark Bukowski (net.bv.com - 147.182.5.50) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:16 am: Edit Post

There is only one choice - for American leadership in the world. World Leadership requires, first and foremost, good citizenship in the world. The USA must lead through moral correctness and through concensus brought about by listening to its good friends and neighbors. We must return to that path and away from bombs and intimidation to win true friends and defeat our strident enemies.

By Ric Rothney Sierra Leone 79 (65.111.197.100) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:23 am: Edit Post

I truly feel that Bush has not been the proper steward of our country's values on many fronts including environment, foreign affairs, education ("No Teacher Left Standing"),and the economy. Kerry offers compassion and intelligence but will have a tough time rectifying the devastating blunders of the past administration, especially in the area of foreign relations. I am praying very hard for a Kerry victory!!!!!

By John Smart (c68.117.113.30.pf.wi.charter.com - 68.117.113.30) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:24 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because he is a thinking person, someone who is capable of re-examining isues and possibly even changing his mind. Now that should not be such a remarkable thing, but our experiences under the current administration are so scary, the national policies so stubbornly wrong-headed that they curdle the blood. I voted for John Kerry because he is not George W. Bush!
John Smart
Uzbekistan '95-'98

By Margaret Rohter (adsl-68-72-123-206.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net - 68.72.123.206) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:29 am: Edit Post

America needs to regain the respect of people in other countries. We need to find allies and not create new enemies. Those of us who have served in the Peace Corps know that America can do better.

By Russ Gaulin Zaire 79-82 (cache-rtc-aa05.proxy.aol.com - 152.163.100.9) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:46 am: Edit Post

I think the eloquent messages in this section sum it up. Compare with the "Why I voted for Bush" section, and it is clear where the voices of reason lie. And our demographics -- those of us with deep personal experience out in the third world overwhelmingly see the need for international cooperation, truthfulness, and adherence to our national ideals, as opposed to giving them lip service while eroding our freedoms and our international standing. The war on terrorism is an idealogical one, and as we are seeing, it can not be won simply with firepower. Bush's message seems to be "We are winning the war on terror, we are safer today. Be afraid, be very afraid." I've had enough, and I hope Kerry wins by at least one percent, so we can get back on track without another agonizing post-election battle.

By Sharon Shear Scott (0-1pool0-34.nas4.vienna1.va.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.0.34) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:50 am: Edit Post

For the same reasons I joined the Peace Corps 40 years ago: I am in favor of peace and justice. I'm thankful to be as passionate about it now as I was then, and to be hopeful that we can make a change now that will direct us back toward those goals.

By Michael Willingham (208.17.194.107) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:54 am: Edit Post

Two tours of duty in the Peace Corps, eight years working at the United Nations, and twenty-five years working on environmental issues only serve to remind me that we have to be world citizens first . . . John Kerry at least recognizes that need

By Tim D (n128-227-67-174.xlate.ufl.edu - 128.227.67.174) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 9:07 am: Edit Post

We need to reestablish that we actually care about the well-being of the peoples of the world and not just the peoples of the united states: In this, I think Kerry will be better than the other guy

By Thomas Dews (209-116-77-208.ip.cathedral.org - 209.116.77.208) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 9:09 am: Edit Post

Kerry recognizes that cooperation is a motif for the future. The quality of his thinking is good, and I think his motive is genuine, unlike the present administration. I voted for Kerry because I'd like to see a restoration of our democratic values, and return to a possibility of trusting our government.

By Ronald L Kuykendall (ca01-ch02-bl03.accel.atl.earthlink.net - 207.69.140.32) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 9:11 am: Edit Post

Although I would be a member of the Greens Party if it was significant in this country, I voted for Kerry because I think Bush is a neo-fascist whose only concern is for international big business and the wealthy. I think he is an ignorant mouthpiece for VP Dick. The two of them are evil in what the want for America. In the past I have voted for Nader, Jackson and others, but this year I voted against Bush in the only way that made sense.

By Steven Stewart Sierra Leone, 1977-80 (cache2.cdc.gov - 158.111.4.26) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 9:17 am: Edit Post

My vote is not only against George Bush, but I believe John Kerry is a man of courage and integrity, someone who will be a thoughtful leader, and a uniter rather than a devisive force as Bush has been. One need only compare the Barak Obama speech at the Democratic National Convention with the rant of Zell Miller at the Republican National Convention to see a clear difference in the tone and attitudes of the two parties. The hostility and ruthlessness of the Bush campaign (especially the false Swift Boat ads) convey their lack of morality and their desire to win at any cost. I voted for Kerry because I want to once again respect our president.

By HARLAN GREEN (harlangreen) (lsanca1-ar10-4-60-086-192.lsanca1.dsl-verizon.net - 4.60.86.192) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:09 am: Edit Post

Bush lost his right to rule after 9/11 when he chose to divide rather than unite us, when he chose right wing zealots instead of those best qualified, when he refused to change course when it was obvious he was on the wrong one, when he...do I need to go on?

By zyg plater (laws316plater.bc.edu - 136.167.171.33) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:09 am: Edit Post

2000 was a coup here in the USA. The rightwing group that took over the White House has been as successful in dismantling 50 years of civic law in civil rights, environmental protection, education, housing, consumer protection, and tax equity (not to mention foreign affairs and federal budgetary solvency) as it has been in manipulating the press and public with misinformation and fear. We are becoming a high-tech banana republic. Iraq attacked the WTC. Freedom is just another word for Halliburton. The flag means the USA listens to no one, no facts. I pray that a Kerry Administration has a chance to take on the thankless task of crawling us back from the shambles, and awakening Homer Simpson and other Bush voters to the fact that they have been grievously gulled.

By Moriah Hart (cisco-ts4-line78.uoregon.edu - 128.223.209.32) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:19 am: Edit Post

I am horrified to be a citizen of a country that is in essence a schoolyard bully with ADHD. I expect John Kerry will return dimplomacy to our interactions with other countries as well as follow through with needed support for domestic issues such as schools. There is no point in asking teachers to make miracles if we do not provide the financial means to do so.

By Annette Stofer (168.156.104.149) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:23 am: Edit Post

My vote is based both on needing to see George W and his administration removed from the seat of power and to see Kerry put in his place. As a nation we should be ashamed of the last four years in which unelected leaders have made a mockery of democracy here at home and have seen the world as theirs to plunder. I know that John Kerry can get us back on course. I don't envy him the difficult job that lies ahead. So much to repair from 4 frighteningly destructive years. And so much for all of us to do to see it happen. At least Kerry will listen to voices of the American citizens, something that Bush never believed he needed to do.

By John McAuliff (ool-44c753df.dyn.optonline.net - 68.199.83.223) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:40 am: Edit Post

I can't remember an election in which I felt so much was at stake and the result was so uncertain.

However, the election of John Kerry is only the first essential step to undoing the damage. Returned Peace Corps volunteers through the National Peace Corps Association should play an active role in insuring that Kerry's internationalist perspective receives grass roots support and wins in the internal battles of his Administration.

Closest to home, we should insure that the Peace Corps is restored and reborn, insisting that the director and politically appointed staff all be returned volunteers.

Iraq will be the biggest challenge. The Republicans were right. On the surface there is not a big difference in what the two candidates said about what should happen now. During the campaign Kerry and his advisors had to adopt some of the super-macho rhetoric of the incumbents to demonstrate they are not "girly-men" in the face of the undeniable danger we face.

However,a Kerry Administration must be prepared to review and discard the false premises of US intervention in Iraq if it is to avoid repeating Lyndon Johnson's credibility trap in Vietnam and get us out of Iraq quickly and with honor.

Kerry must take seriously the implications of the fact that the US had no credible legal justification or international political support for invasion. As a result, the US has no alternative but to negotiate a cease fire and political solution under UN auspices with all Iraqis, including those who are politically or militarily resisting our occupation.

Hardest of all, we must negotiate with and release the leaders of the regime we overthrew and hold under detention illegitimately (subject to probable mistreatment).

Saddam Hussein poses a special problem and should be turned over to the International Criminal Court. Judgment of his shameful record has to be separated from the motives of the US for removing him from power and of the fellow-Iraqis who aspire to replace him.

If you have any doubt about the urgency of the situation, the New Yorker summons up the pain of the past four years in an essay length endorsement of John Kerry, the first such action in its 80 year history: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/?041101ta_talk_editors

Equally compelling is "American Nightmare", by Gary Kamiya, executive editor of Salon.com.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/11/01/nightmare/index.html

By Joel Wingard (c-67-170-42-199.client.comcast.net - 67.170.42.199) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:43 am: Edit Post

I voted for John Kerry because he is willing to re-open dialog with the nations of the world. I believe a Kerry administration will be more likely to look at the root causes of terrorism, i.e., poverty and fear, and then promote programs to overcome these, e.g., changing World Bank and IMF policies, improving education infrastructure, supporting international health initiatives and global environmental initiatives.
Domestically, he is more sensible about health insurance reform, social security, education and economic policy.

By Jan Owen, Peru 67-68 (pool-141-153-181-109.mad.east.verizon.net - 141.153.181.109) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:48 am: Edit Post

This was such a clear choice. I voted for, to paraphrase Bill Moyers, "we, the people," a spiritual idea embedded in a political reality -- one nation, indivisible -- and against "a charade masquerading as piety and manipulated by the powerful and privileged to sustain their own way of life at the expense of others."

By Dan Miller (200.23.202.103) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:56 am: Edit Post

In the book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author made the distinction between the romantics, who thought the world worked by magic that only those initiated into the dark secrets could understand, and the classicists, who thought the world worked by rational principles that could be understood by anyone who took the time to learn those principles. Bush and the rest of the neoKhans are romantics and have absolutely no idea of reality but go by their "gut instincts" and in adherence to their political (religious) dogma. Kerry is a classicist who thinks through problems rationally and comes to conclusions based on reality. Four years of the neoKhans have just about destroyed our country. There is no way that it can survive another four years of them.

By esbreidenbach (dsl-196-148.zhonka.net - 66.228.196.148) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:56 am: Edit Post

It scares me beyond anything else I have lived through to consider 4 more years of George Bush. It scares me even more to believe that half of our country supports this person. But then I must acknowledge that the republican operatives have done a masterful job of dividing the nation and blurring the real issues. It is something we must learn from very fast.

By Kevin Cronk (mail.watershedcouncil.org - 66.129.41.57) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:59 am: Edit Post

This poll disgusts me as it reinforces conformation to the (in my oppinion non-democratic) 2-party system. There are many other candidates on the ballot from other parties, but the poll gives only three choices - democrat, republican, or non-voting. What a crock of shit!

By J. Dale (burleson.rtp.epa.gov - 134.67.6.24) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 11:02 am: Edit Post

Mine was mostly a vote against Mr. Bush. I know we can do better. Bush seems much more willing than able to do the job even though it is a lot of hard work as he told us in the debates.

By Ann Podolske (pool-151-203-153-33.wma.east.verizon.net - 151.203.153.33) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 11:15 am: Edit Post

In addition to all of the beautifully-worded reasons noted above, I voted for John Kerry because he views the word "lesbian" as a noun and not a slur, and becase Teresa Heinz Kerry is a world citizen, not a Stepford Wife. I believe they could do a lot to mend our country's strained relations with the rest of the world, as well as our strained relations with each other. Besides, any incumbent who has to rely on scaring the bejesus out of people to get elected should be ashamed of himself.....

By Cal Jones (1cust158.tnt50.lax7.da.uu.net - 68.136.90.158) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 11:19 am: Edit Post

"WAR" I still have a hard time using the term other than in a metaphorical way to describe an effort to counter evil in general, or such things as the "war on poverty" or the "war on drugs." Our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq were not as a result of any declaration of war... not by the US, not by anyone at all. Our actions were pure, unadulterated invasions, power grabs, and at best can only be characterized as police actions.

I think the world was/is (?) inclined to consider the action in Afghanistan justified (or if not entirely, then at least it was not a criminal act), but the invasion of Iraq was definitely illegal, as the UN's Kofi Annan has opined. There is no doubt that if the UN or anyone had the power to enforce such a view, the US leadership would be defined as war criminals over Iraq.

In short, what is called "the war" is the issue that turns my mind. All the other possible issues, I fall on the liberal side generally, but I could compromise on too... none defines my motivation to vote for Kerry anything like the "war" that really is not a war at all, but only the power grabbing invasion to instill fear in the world over oil and greed, over religion, over personal revenge, over the unfettered motivation of a bully to achieve criminal purpose against humanity in some incomprehensible wannabe despotic fashion that has been common since the dawn of man on earth. All war is terrible; this police action that is mischaracterized as a war due to its hideous dimensions is not only terrible, but also inherently downright illegal and imponderably sinful.

By Jonathan R.C. Green (fw-dcise.ascensionhealth.org - 198.184.142.106) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 11:32 am: Edit Post

We need to increase the Peace Corps budget and make more friends overseas. George Bush doesn't know how to do anything but make enemies. The longer we stay in Iraq, the more recruits we give to al Qaeda.

By Susan McFadd (cache-mtc-ae01.proxy.aol.com - 64.12.117.5) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:28 pm: Edit Post

In addition to all the above thoughtful words, I voted for John Kerry because he is an honorable man who cares about his fellow Americans and is ready to begin what may be a very long process of dialog with other members of the world community. - countries who were once our allies before GWB. We need to heal as a nation and as a world - and that will never happen under this current administration, given their agenda. They have dismantled the Bill of Rights and the balance of power built into the Constitution. If Bush is "not elected" again, this nation will have been pushed over the brink. It is already embarassing to call oneself an American - and I am not alone in saying that. Echoing others, my prayers are that John Kerry wins - and by a large enough margin of votes.

By Tony Zurlo (c-24-0-3-28.client.comcast.net - 24.0.3.28) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit Post

John F. Kerry is the only sane choice.

Like most Americans, I respect the opinions of people from around the world, have an extremely busy life outside of politics, believe the Iraq war is wrong and dangerous to American security, suffer from declining health benefits, am outraged by the massive national debt, deplore corporate welfare, and must work beyond retirement age because of the anemic economy.

There is a new "silent majority" made up of intelligent citizens who want profoundly to restore the dignity and honor of the U.S.

By dubs (adsl-20-65-82.mem.bellsouth.net - 66.20.65.82) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:51 pm: Edit Post

I voted to make the world safer, saner, and smarter. As a parent of two young boys, issues important to our family include America's standing in the world community, clean air and preservation of ecosystems, social equality and justice, energy independence, sustainable jobs, and universal health care. America, and the world, deserve real leadership-- which is why we voted for John Kerry.

By Colleen Clark, Turkey !V (user-uinj4tt.dialup.mindspring.com - 165.121.147.189) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 1:13 pm: Edit Post

Like Sharon Shear Scott, I voted for Kerry for the same reasons I joined the Peace Corps in 1964. International cooperation and understanding are critical to the world's future. International terrorism in NOT just a problem for the U.S.
The utter bungling of the invasion of Iraq from the lies about the WMD to the incompetence of the occupation - the indifference to the looting that we now learn has put untold thousands of pounds of explosives and weapons in the hands of insurgents and terrorists, the failure to accomplish any kind of reconstruction, etc etc etc. threatens our national security, to say nothing of making the Middle East more unstable. The Bush administration has tried to make a virtue of messianic ignorance in the name of fighting messianic ignorance. I hope the fundamental good sense of the American people prevails today.

By Colleen Clark, Turkey IV (user-uinj51b.dialup.mindspring.com - 165.121.148.43) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 2:03 pm: Edit Post

Addendum -
Another reason to vote for Kerry -
The Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prison scandal!! It didn't become a campaign issue, but it's the single most disgusting achievement of the Bush administration.
The Turks say, "The fish stinks from the head."

By Michael Anthony Lanigan (0-1pool64-6.nas42.oakland1.ca.us.da.qwest.net - 65.147.64.6) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 3:30 pm: Edit Post

Why did I vote for Senator Kerry? Essentially because he is the better candidate. The three debates showed that Kerry, can think on his feet. The stumbling, mumbling inadequacy of Bush in the debates was a national embarrassment. How could anyone watch this “C” student trip all over his tongue and vote to give him four more year?
I chose Kerry because of his record: a much decorated combat veteran who volunteered for combat in Vietnam as opposed to his opponent who, through political favoritism, rode out the war in the Texas air national guard and then even refused to take a required flight medical and shined on his ANG commitment-- and got away with it.
I voted for Kerry because he is not afraid to act on his convictions even when they bump up against the establishment as they did with hihs leadership of the VVAFW and his senate investigation that uncovered the unlawful excesses of the Reagan administration’s illegal funding of the Contras with Medellin cartel drug money. I voted for Kerry because he has well thought out plans to begin digging America of the corrupt mess Bush and his neocon handlers have made of our government.

But even more than that, I would vote to remove the incompetent Bush from office just on the basis of his awful record. Let’s review a few of his less than wonderful accomplishments:
He spent the surplus left him by the Clinton administration; looted the social security fund, then said he wanted to privatize it. His administration oversaw the creation of the biggest deficit in the history of our nation; the most personal bankruptcies ever filed in a 12 month period; the loss of two million jobs lost or sent overseas (outsourced, and the creation of a tax break from our non-existent treasury going mostly to the rich and to be paid for by generations O Americans yet unborn.
In his first year in office he spent more days on vacation than any president in history; held fewer press-conferences and then only when they were staged and scripted. His administration created the “Patriot Act” that gutted out Constitution and the Bill of Rights and then created the biggest bureaucracy in the history of our nation—The Department of Homeland Security. He gutted decades of environmental law to favor his corporate buddies with access to wilderness areas for corporate rape. His has been the most secretive administration in history. He dissolved more treaties than any president in history. He doesn’t read the papers and has admitted he gets his marching orders from on high. He has divided the nation; lost us our standing as the moral leader of the world and shaken the faith and trust of our allies. He made more campaign trips and accepted more corporate election donations than any president And most importantly he led us unprepared, and without an exit-strategy, into an unnecessary war that has killed over 1,100 young American soldiers and an estimated 100,000 Iraqis (half of them women and children). His war, founded on lies and distortions, will eventually cost our broke nation over $200 billion dollars (They just bellied up to Congress begging for another $70 billion in additional funding. And what is truly obscene is how his administration gave no-bid multi-billioin dollar contracts to their favored corporations.

The accomplishment list goes on, but let Bush speak for himself. It is said that our spoken words are a reflection of the clarity of our thinking:

“Wait for us to succeed peace. Wait for us to have two states, side by side -- is for everybody coming together to deny the killers the opportunity to destroy.”
-- Kennebunkport, Maine, June 15, 2003
“I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things.”
-- aboard AirForce One, June 4 2003
“First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill.”
-- Washington, DC, May 19, 2003
“I think war is a dangerous place.”
-- Washington, DC, May 7, 2003
“. . .we insist that Congress be wise with your money, we're going to make sure we spend enough to win this war. And by spending enough to win a war, we may not have a war at all.”
-- Kennesaw, Georgia, February 20, 2003
“We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.”
-- Trenton, NJ, September 23, 2002
“I'm the commander--see, I don't need to explain--I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”
-- interviewed by Bob Woodward, Crawford, TX, August 20, 2002
“We hold dear what our Declaration of Independence says, that all have got uninalienable rights.”...
-- addressing community and religious leaders in Moscow, May 24, 2002
“And so, in my State of the -- my State of the Union -- or state -- my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation -- I asked Americans to give 4,000 years -- 4,000 hours over the next -- the rest of your life.:”
-- Bridgeport, CT, April 9, 2002
“I talked about making the death tax permanent, so that Rolf can pass his assets to a family member, if he so chooses.”
-- O'Fallon, MO, March 18, 2002. The White House official transcript added a footnote indicating Bush meant "repeal" of the tax.
“Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes.”
-- Ontario, CA, January 5, 2002
“This crusade ... is going to take a while.” (The Arabs really loved this reference to a “crusade”.)
-- Washington, DC, September 16, 2001
“My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the -- in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen.”
-- Crawford, TX, August 13, 2001
“If you're like me you won't remember everything you did here.”
-- Yale University, New Haven, CT, May 21, 2001
“There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead.”
-- Washington, DC, May 11, 2001
“This administration is doing everything we can to end the stalemate in an efficient way. We're making the right decisions to bring the solution to an end.”
-- Washington, DC, April 10, 2001
“You can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”
-- Washington, DC March 31, 2001
“You teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.”
-- Townsend, TN, February 18, 2001.
“This is an impressive crowd, the haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base.”
-- Al Smith Memorial Dinner, New York, NY, October 19, 2000
“More and more of our imports are coming from overseas.”
-- reported in Slate, September 25, 2000
“I'm a uniter not a divider. That means when it comes time to sew up your chest cavity, we use stitches as opposed to opening it up.”
-- on David Letterman, March 2, 2000. (the audience booed)

I voted for Kerry because I don’t want a person who’s syntax is that scrambled sitting in Crawford with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

By Don Gilbert (finn.yumaed.org - 204.118.103.129) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 5:18 pm: Edit Post

I voted for Kerry because I do not want the richest Americans to get the biggest tax breaks. I also want to prevent jobs from being outsourced overseas, and people losing their healthcare. The war in Iraq should never have happened, and I think President Kerry would handle the war on terrorism with more intelligence. We need to rebuild our alliances with other countries if we hope to make our country safe.

By Paula Stiles Cameroon 1991-4 (138.251.153.6) on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 8:32 pm: Edit Post

I'm an Independent and I voted for Kerry. Why? Because he's a Vietnam vet who had the guts to criticise the war afterwards. He has a brain and education, and he actually uses them. When people say, "We voted for you, so listen to us when we say NO," he's not likely to reply with, "Well, that's just your opinion." NO. When you are an elected official, you do what your *voters* want, not what you want. You represent a body of people, not solely your own opinion, not even mostly your own opinion. That's democracy. It seems clear to me that Kerry, from his "waffling", recognises this fact far better than Bush ever will. Kerry may be rich, but he didn't use Daddy's money to get out of fighting a war and then thirty years later turn into a world-class bully. If we're going to be in the middle of a thoroughly nasty and stupid conflict, let's have somebody in the Oval Office who's actually been shot at, who didn't hide behind his family's money and position when he was called up and who isn't likely to try to cheat his way into the White House. Will Kerry be all that much better than Bush? Who knows? He's the dark horse. But I can't see how he could be any worse.

By Marianne Espinoza (sproxy2.state.de.us - 167.21.1.225) on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 - 10:37 am: Edit Post

I voted for Kerry for many reasons. The most glaring is my distrust of Bush. His need to be a 'cowboy' is ruining the reputation of USA overseas. Having spent 14 years overseas, I know that America was not always liked, but that Americans were. I also find his connection to the oil community very disturbing. He thinks too much like an oilman. I also feel that his use of the armed forces reflects his feeling of indistructablity and he has not been fully prepared for what the forces found in Iraq. This reflects terribly either on the caliber of the people surrounding him or on his lack of understanding.

By Dan Hatch (cpe-24-94-79-235.hawaii.rr.com - 24.94.79.235) on Thursday, November 04, 2004 - 3:36 pm: Edit Post

Like others I voted more agaist Bush than for Kerry. I deeply regret that the Democratic Party didn't take a strong stand on moral values such as killing 100,000 Iraq civilians as a counter to "sanctity of life" regarding fetuses. That they didn't focus on values such as honesty, integrity, concern for the welfare of the poor, affirmation of the importance of personal worth and dignity of all individuals as a counter to racial profilining, etc. Surely a stronger platform on environmental concerns, and the financial bankruptcy of this nation that even Asamin Bin Laden points out. "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand." These are the words of Jesus as found in Matthew 12:25. There is MUCH healing to be done in this nation, and I personally feel that RPCVs have an important role to play in that healing.

By R.E. Granger (c-24-21-81-42.client.comcast.net - 24.21.81.42) on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 12:09 pm: Edit Post

John Kerry has the vision and understanding of our world needed to lead real multilateral problem solving. And we have some HUGE global problems that need solving!

By cindy (dialup-4.243.245.182.dial1.sanfrancisco1.level3.net - 4.243.245.182) on Friday, February 04, 2005 - 6:53 pm: Edit Post

OK so imagine you have the choice of voting for Kerry or voting in your neighbor's cat.

By armin blaess (84-122-203-239.onocable.ono.com - 84.122.203.239) on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 3:59 am: Edit Post

armin blaess love & peace all over the world initiative

By Anonymous (217.77.216.64) on Monday, June 19, 2006 - 12:04 pm: Edit Post

i even dint know what to say )

By egorka (83.234.90.24) on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:57 am: Edit Post

Putin loh

By Bernard hronek (adsl-75-58-40-74.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net - 75.58.40.74) on Thursday, December 14, 2006 - 2:19 pm: Edit Post

Didn't vote for Kerry.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: