I’ve seen a few posters here suggest that compared to European politicians, John Kerry really isn’t all that far left, and might even be considered right wing. I’m curious as to the specifics of this, so tell me how he compares to left-wing politics in your country.
He’s way to the right of anything mainstream here. But that’s essentially due to the staus quo of the different nations being so far apart.
As just one example, Kerry could guarantee an election loss by suggesting socialised healthcare. Any British politician could cast their party into the wilderness by promising to abandon the NHS.
I’d say he’s as far to the left of US politics as Tony Blair is to the left of UK politics. Not much, but far more than the other guy. Both embrace the “we won’t raise taxes” mantra, while essentially gambling on the economy rising so they won’t need to raise taxes. But Europe and America are fundamentally different beasts.
Heck, it’s not even just European politics that are generally left of U.S. politics. The middle of the road in Canada is way left of Kerry, too.
Not really comparable. Depending on the issues, I could put him in the moderate right (economical liberalism), conservative right (personnal views about abortion), extreme-right (nationalist stance, pervasive references to religion), forgot-to-take-his-meds-before-the-debate right (opposed to a state run healthcare system). On the other hand, his expressed concern for the well being of the poors and disfranchised could put him on the moderate left too. I can’t think of a french party, even a fringe party, even a sub-group of a major party, where someone with his views could fit in. They’ ar a mix that just doesn’t exist in french politics.
Bush, on the other hand, would most probably belong to the extreme right, though supporting globalization could be an issue and I assume he would take offense with the antisemitism and racism widespread in the extreme-right.
On the overall, I think Kerry could have common views on some issues with most french politicians except the strong leftists, up to and including the moderates of the socialist party, but could never make a political career because regardless of the party, his views would be strongly at stakes with the party’s stance about everything else (assuming, of course, that he would keep expressing the same opinions).
Bush would be considered a complete wacko by everybody. And I think I’m objective, here.
I agree with clairobscur, including the individual issues. Here he could be a Christian Democrat (mainstream conservative,) but he would be asked strongly to keep his views on health insurance and social security to himself because they could seriously harm his party (assuming that those are his real standpoint, not just an assessment of realistic possibilities given the US status quo.)
His open religious references would look a bit odd, but some conservatives do that from time to time.
Kerry would belong in an equivalent of our [small] religious party, considering his thoughts about abortion and same sex marriages. Not left-wing at all. 
The middle of the road in the entire freakin’ planet is to the left of the United States these days.
At what point do we simply admit that it’s the US that’s out of whack?
He’s pro-choice.
Originally posted by Marley23
Is he? My apologies.
Good for him.
“How left is Kerry?”
I’m sorry. My brain can’t seem to parse that question.
If he was a Norskie, he’d probably be welcome in Høyre, our Conservative party. Even then he’d be a bit to the right on a number of key policies.
I would be one angry American if I had to choose between two anti-abortion candidates. I wouldn’t be alone, either. Kerry says he thinks life begins at conception, but that abortion should be legal because he can’t legislate based on religion. If you’ve read that someplace, I can understand where it might seem less than clear.
From a UK point of view he’d be on the right. Though as someone else mentioned he might have to keep his views on healthcare and social security to himself so as not to harm the party image.
However, I wonder how many of his reported views are his own and how many are reading the wind.
In this fairly conservative country without a national health care system, Kerry wouldn’t be particularly out of place in any of the major parties. In fact his pro-choice and pro-stem cell research views on their own would place him significantly to the left of the mainstream.
Bush, however, would be a fringe candidate with no hope of taking anything other than a council seat somewhere in Connacht.