# Sell me on Kerry. What will he do differently? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2004, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891 "2004-09-10T08:08:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/21 "2004-09-11T00:03:49Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Oh, I know, this would be a legit campaign for Hitler. “Vote for me cuz I’m not Stalin”. This is pretty much what I see the Kerry campaign as according to you loyal, friendly, Dopers. What? Maybe if Hitler were running against Stalin. Isn’t voting for the challenger the best way to unseat an incumbent who you think has done a poor job? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/22 "2004-09-11T00:47:41Z")
All I wanted were specifics on what his policies would be and what his “vision” for American consists of. The best I’ve seen so far is that he’s not Bush. Such is politics I guess. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/23 "2004-09-11T01:03:58Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Oh, I know, this would be a legit campaign for Hitler. “Vote for me cuz I’m not Stalin”. This is pretty much what I see the Kerry campaign as according to you loyal, friendly, Dopers. I think you really have hit on an interesting point here although clearly not the one you intended. You have explained the Bush campaign strategy to me. I was really puzzled as to why they were being so mean and nasty given that Bush is the incumbent and Kerry is the challenger. You expect the challenger to go after the incumbent while the incumbent is more dignified and touts his own accomplishments. Instead, as the conventions illustrated, one has the reverse. And, the reason of course, is that Bush is so bad that he really does have to convince us that “Kerry is Hitler”. That is his one hope. He is really running a campaign based on making us fear the other guy more. I just hope the American people don’t fall for it. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/24 "2004-09-11T01:38:32Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > All I wanted were specifics on what his policies would be and what his “vision” for American consists of. The best I’ve seen so far is that he’s not Bush. Such is politics I guess. Did you skip my post? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/25 "2004-09-11T01:49:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Did you skip my post? And mine? And those of **jshore** and **rjung**? If you don’t think you’re going to like the answers, maybe you shouldn’t ask the question. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/26 "2004-09-11T02:18:02Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > All I wanted were specifics on what his policies would be and what his “vision” for American consists of. The best I’ve seen so far is that he’s not Bush. Such is politics I guess. Okay, 80 Nobel laureates think Bush’s stem cell policy is a bad idea. They wrote him a letter begging him to not restrict funding. He did it anyway. He offered the “compromise” of letting work continue on 78 or so extant lines. Only guess what, only 21 of them are viable. Very few are available for new researchers–maybe 11?. Some compromise. Scientists have continued to appeal to the White House about these lines, pointing out that they are insufficient in number, are of limited therapeutic value because of how they were grown, are potentially tainted with viruses, and offer no access to research on stem cells among minority populations. Members of his own party have sent letters emphasizing these points, some of them respected conservatives. What does he do? Vow to stick with it through the next four years if he’s elected. Kerry has stated he would lift the ban on federal funding of research on new stem cell lines. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/27 "2004-09-11T02:24:37Z")
Yeah, add me to those who are insulted by the OP’s response. Of course, I predicted in my post that we wouldn’t convince him since it was obvious he didn’t want to be convinced. But, at least I expected more than a 35 word blow-off. Do us a favor, **duffer** , next time you have some brilliant rhetorical question to pose, why don’t you pose it to yourself in private and save us the bother? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/28 "2004-09-11T02:25:44Z")
It’s enough for me that Kerry probably will not invade Iran, Syria, North Korea, or Cuba, and Bush almost certainly will invade some of them, if he gets a second term. (Rumsfeld is already making noises about the Iranians supporting Iraqi insurgents.) But you want things apart from “He’s not Bush!” How about this: Kerry has more and more relevant political experience. Pubbies like to disparage Kerry’s Senate record because he has produced relatively little legislation with his name on it – but he was a moving force in dragging the Iran-Contra business into the light, and the BCCI investigation, among other things. He also helped normalize relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. Just the fact that he has been in the Senate for 20 years, and on the Foreign Relations Committee for 19, should make him a more effective leader than Bush even if he does not have Bush’s advantage of a Congress controlled by his own party. He knows how things work on the Hill, he knows how to negotiate with Congresscritters. When Bush came to D.C. his only experience in public office was as governor of a state where the governor has less effective power than the commissioner of agriculture; as president, he owes his success in getting his way mainly to stubbornness, arrogance, a sympathetic partisan majority in Congress, and the unique political climate post-9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/29 "2004-09-11T02:26:29Z")
why on earth are y’all wasting your time responding to this op? Didn’t y’all see who posted it? Come on now…he started out with an insult. BTW…aren’t they verbotten in GD? This OP should be empty. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/30 "2004-09-11T02:33:06Z")
As for specifics, you can go to his website if you want them. To be honest, I don’t really think it is worth getting bogged down in the specifics because, let’s face it, situations inevitably throw a monkey-wrench into the works and the specifics are likely to change. (Hell, I’d be happy if even the generalities of what candidates said were true…like, for example, when Bush said that he wasn’t much for “nation-building”. In an odd way, that seems to be true since he hasn’t shown much skill for it in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the implication was that he wouldn’t get us involved in situations that required nation-building, not that he would seek them out [at least in the case of Iraq] and then not follow through very well.) What you should be looking for IMHO is their general vision, qualities of leadership, and priorities. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/31 "2004-09-11T02:50:41Z")
There are no Dummycrats, just Dummies! The Dummies are the ones who STILL support Bush’s war even though he failed to find any WMDs…and had to admit to the world “Oops, I had bad intellegence”! Well, that might be the only statement Bush uttered that I agree with! Plus, it’s so funny how that little man claims America will be less safe under Kerry! Really? Then, why did 9/11 happen on Bush’s watch, hmm??? So, if you still support Bush while our American economy dives deeper and deeper into the honeypot (shitter) while Bush just fiddles around and pretends to play the role of a leader…I mean, what more can I say? You either get the picture about Daddy’s Boy, or you don’t! The election is a simple as that! I hope Florida and Ohio give Bush such immeasureable heartburn come 11/2! (Actually, I think there are a total of 6 critical swing states.) Vote Kerry or don’t vote! - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/32 "2004-09-11T02:55:18Z")
As for the “vision thing,” let Kerry speak for himself. The Kerry campaign website ([http://www.johnkerry.com/index.html](http://www.johnkerry.com/index.html)) outlines his policies in the following areas: **National Security:** > [@](#): > > **Launch And Lead A New Era Of Alliances** > > The threat of terrorism demands alliances on a global scale - to utilize every available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike at us. As president, John Kerry will lead a coalition of the able - because no force on earth is more able than the United States and its allies. > > **Modernize The World’s Most Powerful Military To Meet New Threats** > John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to transform the world’s most powerful military to better address the modern threats of terrorism and proliferation, while ensuring that we have enough properly trained and equipped troops to meet our enduring strategic and regional missions. > > **Deploy All That Is In America’s Arsenal** > > The war on terror cannot be won by military might alone. As president, John Kerry will deploy all the forces in America’s arsenal - our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas - to make America more secure and prevent a new generation of terrorists from emerging. > > **Free America From Its Dangerous Dependence On Mideast Oil** > > To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil. By tapping American ingenuity, we can achieve that goal while growing our economy and protecting our environment. **Economy & Jobs:** > [@](#): > > **Create Good-Paying Jobs** > > As president, John Kerry will cut taxes for businesses that create jobs here in America instead of moving them overseas. John Kerry and John Edwards will also stand up for workers by enforcing our trade agreements. > > **Cut Middle-Class Taxes To Raise Middle-Class Incomes** > > When John Kerry is president, middle-class taxes will go down. Ninety-eight percent of all Americans and 99 percent of American businesses will get a tax cut under the Kerry-Edwards plan. > > **Make Washington Live Within A Budget** > > John Kerry will cut the deficit in half during his first four years in office. He will end corporate welfare as we know it, roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and impose a real cap to keep spending in check. And when John Kerry puts forward a new idea, he’ll tell you how he’s going to pay for it. > > **Invest In The Jobs Of Tomorrow** > > Today, businesses are harnessing new technology to manufacture energy-efficient cars, high-grade steel, advanced plastics and other new products. And this requires a bigger, skilled labor force to make them. John Kerry and John Edwards believe we should invest in these jobs and invest in the people who will fill them. **Health Care:** > [@](#): > > **Cut Your Premiums** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will cut family premiums by up to $1,000. That’s $1,000 in real savings people can use to buy groceries, pay the bills, and save for their children’s future. And that will mean more jobs and more competitive American businesses. > > **Cover All Americans With Quality Care** > > The Kerry-Edwards plan will give every American access to the range of high-quality, affordable plans available to members of Congress and extend coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every American child. Their plan will also fight to erase the health disparities that persist along racial and economic lines, ensure that people with HIV and AIDS have the care they need, end discrimination against Americans with disabilities and mental illnesses, and ensure equal treatment for mental illness in our health system. > > **Cut the Cost of Prescription Drugs** > > The Kerry-Edwards plan will reduce prescription drug prices by allowing the re-importation of safe prescription drugs from Canada, overhauling the Medicare drug plan, ensuring low-cost drugs, and ending artificial barriers to generic drug competition. > > **Cut Waste And Inefficiency** > > Today, approximately 25 percent of health care costs are wasted on paperwork and administrative processing. The Kerry-Edwards plan harnesses American ingenuity to cut waste, save billions, and take new steps to ensure patient privacy. **Energy Independence:** > [@](#): > > **Explore And Develop New Energy Sources** > > Tomorrow’s energy economy will be fueled by new energy sources. The Kerry-Edwards plan will invest in the research and exploration needed to turn ideas into fuel and develop renewable energy sources. > > **Develop Tomorrow’s Technology Today** > > Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, America will take the lead in developing the new technology and production methods needed to ensure that resources such as coal and natural gas are used more efficiently and cleanly, and fully integrated into the New Energy Economy. > > **Make America Energy Independent Of Middle East Oil** > > Our security in the war on terror demands an end to our dependence on Middle East oil. Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, we will strengthen our national security while growing our economy and protecting our environment. **Homeland Security:** > [@](#): > > **Track And Stop Terrorists** > > Many of the intelligence problems that allowed terrorists to slip into our country before 9/11 have not been addressed. John Kerry and John Edwards will improve our ability to gather, analyze, and share information so we can track down and stop terrorists before they cause harm. > > **Protect Our Borders And Shores** > > Today, our borders, our ports, and our airports are not as secure as they must be. John Kerry and John Edwards will make our airports, seaports, and borders more secure without intruding upon personal liberties. > > **Harden Vulnerable Targets** > > Chemical industry lobbying has kept the Bush administration from strengthening security at chemical plants, where an attack could endanger 1 million Americans. John Kerry and John Edwards will always put Americans’ safety ahead of big business interests and take strong measures to harden likely targets-including nuclear plants, trains, and subways-against possible attack. > > **Improve Domestic Readiness** > > Our first defenders will respond to any attack with courage and heroism-but they also need the equipment and manpower to do the job. John Kerry and John Edwards will back up their words with resources and ensure that America’s first responders have everything they need to protect their communities. > > **Guard Liberty** > > We must always remember that terrorists do not just target our lives - they target our way of life. John Kerry and John Edwards believe in an America that is safe and free, and they will protect our personal liberties as well as our personal security. **Education:** > [@](#): > > **Meet Our Responsibilities To Our Schools** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will establish a National Education Trust Fund to ensure that schools always get the funding they need. They will also ensure that No Child Left Behind works for schools, states, and teachers by rewarding those who meet higher standards and rewarding schools that turn around and improve. > > **Continue Reform And Put A Great Teacher In Every Classroom** > > Great teachers are the foundation of a great school. As president, John Kerry will enact a new bargain that offers teachers more, including better training and better pay in troubled schools, and asks for more in return, including fast, fair ways to make sure that teachers who don’t belong in the classroom don’t stay there. > > **Offer 3.5 Million After-School Opportunities Through "School’s Open 'Til Six"** > > John Kerry and John Edwards are strong supporters of after-school programs. They give students extra help, keep them out of trouble, and offer peace of mind to working parents. The Kerry-Edwards “School’s Open 'Til 'Six” initiative will offer after-school opportunities to 3.5 million children, through programs that are open until 6 p.m. and offer safe transportation for children. > > **Make College Affordable For All And Expand Lifelong Learning** > > As president, John Kerry will offer a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax credit on up to $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offer aid to states that keep tuitions down. And he will launch a new effort to ensure that all of our workers can get the technical skills and advanced training they need. **Environment:** > [@](#): > > **Create Cleaner, Greener Communities** > > Together, we can improve the environment in backyards and communities across America. John Kerry and John Edwards will revitalize contaminated industrial sites, get toxins out of communities, guarantee our children access to clean, safe parks and baseball fields, and take on traffic congestion and sprawl. > > **Enact A Conservation Covenant With America** > > John Kerry and John Edwards believe that Americans are united in our respect for the land. They will enact a Conservation Covenant with America to ensure balanced protection for our public lands and adequate resources to enhance our national parks. > > **Protect Our Health By Reducing Dangerous Air Emissions** > > As president, John Kerry will reverse the Bush-Cheney rollbacks to our Clean Air Act, plug loopholes in the law, take aggressive action to stop acid rain, and use innovative, job-creating programs to reduce mercury emissions and other emissions that contribute to global warming. > > **Restore America’s Waters** > > Today, approximately 45 percent of our nation’s waterways do not meet the “drinkable, swimmable and fishable” standard set out by the Clean Water Act 30 years ago. As president, John Kerry will implement a “Restore America’s Waters” campaign, an integrated approach to protecting our precious, limited water resources. He will work with states on the toughest water quality challenges, restore damaged watersheds, protect wetlands, invest in our waterfronts and coastal communities, and protect our oceans. **Civil Rights:** > [@](#): > > **Expand Opportunity In Jobs, Education, And Health Care** > > As president, John Kerry will pass tax cuts that benefit all Americans, not just the very wealthy. He will support resources and reforms for schools to meet high expectations and extend the ladder of opportunity to all American children. And he will fight to erase disparities in health and health care with a plan to make high-quality, affordable health care available to all Americans. > > **Rigorously Enforce Our Civil Rights Laws** > > As president, John Kerry will strongly enforce our nation’s civil rights laws, support affirmative action to reduce discrimination and expand opportunity, and strongly enforce equal justice for all victims of hate violence. He will also back the Fairness Act to reverse damage done to civil rights laws by right-wing judges and only appoint judges with a record of enforcing the nation’s civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. > > **Make Immigration More Fair And More Secure** > > John Kerry strongly supports responsible reform of our immigration laws that honors our tradition as a nation of immigrants and makes America stronger. He will offer a reform bill in his first 100 days that allows immigrants to earn legalization, encourages family reunification, and strengthens our border protections. By reforming our immigration laws, John Kerry will honor America’s promise and strengthen America’s economy and security. > > **Ensure Equality For Americans With Disabilities** > > As president, John Kerry will enforce laws that ensure fairness for Americans with disabilities and fight recent judicial and legislative actions that weaken them. He will also fight for strong enforcement of the ADA and oppose the ADA Notification Act. **National Service:** > [@](#): > > **Engage 200,000 Americans A Year In "Service For College"** > John Kerry and John Edwards will offer a simple deal to hundreds of thousands of America’s young people: if you will serve for two years in one of America’s toughest and most important jobs, we will cover four years of tuition at a typical public university. > > **Engage 300,000 College Students A Year In Helping Our Children Learn** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will call on America’s college students to join a national crusade to help America’s children succeed in school and get to college. In return for their service, our young people will receive up to $2,000 per year to pay for college. > > **Pay For College And Service By Letting The Market Set Rates For Loans** > > Today’s student loan program effectively guarantees billions in profits to banks at the expense of American taxpayers. John Kerry and John Edwards will introduce market forces to overhaul guaranteed student loans, saving taxpayers billions without charging students a penny more. Their plan will reward lenders with low costs and high-quality service - not political clout. > > **Engage Seniors In Service To Build A Stronger America** > To help strengthen future generations of Americans, we need our seniors’ help. John Kerry and John Edwards support existing programs that offer avenues for senior volunteer service and they will support innovative new models that create even more opportunities for seniors to serve their communities. When seniors spend time tutoring they free up over-strained teachers to teach, and children get extra help learning. And older Americans can help other seniors in ways no other Americans can. **Science & Technology:** > [@](#): > > **Strengthen Our Economy And Fuel High-Tech Job Growth** > > Venture capital-backed startups have created millions of American jobs. By eliminating capital gains taxes for long-term investments in small businesses, John Kerry and John Edwards will create a business environment that encourages investment in innovation and break down barriers to future job growth and economic expansion. > > **Bridge The Digital Divide** > > Today, America has slipped to 10th in the world in adapting broadband technology. John Kerry and John Edwards will wire every corner of America and provide first responders with a secure broadband network by 2006. > > **Invest In The Breakthroughs Of Tomorrow** > > Today, Americans are discovering new ways to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. John Kerry and John Edwards will invest more in the research likely to create the industries and jobs of the future and lead to discoveries that will help us improve millions of lives and better understand the world we live in. > > **Let Scientists Do Science Again** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will let scientific findings drive scientific decisions and make scientific reports public so all Americans can make informed decisions. To help the scientists of tomorrow, they will improve K-12 math and science education and expand America’s science and engineering workforce. **Stronger Communities:** > [@](#): > > **End The Cop Crunch** > > Today, too many of America’s police officers find themselves with more responsibilities but fewer resources, as the Bush administration has worked to slash funding for the Federal COPS program by 90 percent. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that today more than ever, we need cops on the beat. As a senator, John Kerry fought to create the COPS program that would put 100,000 police officers on the street. As president, he will restore funding to COPS so that we can fight crime and terrorism. > > **Keep Drugs Out Of Our Communities** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will aggressively target drug traffickers and dealers and provide funding for coordinated regional efforts aimed at cracking down on drug trafficking. They will also adequately fund drug prevention and treatment, including innovative approaches to requiring treatment for offenders like drug courts. > > **Protect Gun Rights And Stop Gun Violence** > > John Kerry is a gun owner and hunter, and both he and John Edwards support the Second Amendment right of law-abiding Americans to own guns. Like all of our rights, gun rights come with responsibilities, and John Kerry and John Edwards support mainstream measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists: enforcing the gun laws on the books, closing the gun show loophole, and standing with law enforcement officers to extend the assault weapons ban. > > **Use Proven Approaches To Reduce Gang Violence** > > The murder rate is rising under George Bush, and gang violence is a big part of the problem. Building on successes in several cities, John Kerry will reduce gang violence with a two-pronged approach: First, send a message of zero tolerance for gang violence backed by strong enforcement. Second, offer positive alternatives to help young people get on the right track. **Veterans:** > [@](#): > > **Improve Veterans’ Health Care** > > Today, nearly one-fifth of American veterans lack full health care coverage, and thousands of disabled veterans are being unfairly taxed on their disabilities. As president, John Kerry will provide mandatory funding of veterans’ health care and ensure concurrent receipt to end the Disabled Veterans’ Tax. > > **Improve Veterans’ Quality Of Life** > > Today, America’s veterans suffer from high rates of homelessness and a Veterans’ Administration (VA) that in too many cases remains unresponsive and too complicated. As president, John Kerry will ensure that veterans have the resources they need to find homes and jobs, while streamlining the VA to make it more responsive to veterans’ needs. > > **Keep Faith With Those Who Serve Today** > > By enacting a Military Family Bill of Rights, John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure that today’s men and women in uniform receive adequate pay and full health care coverage (including access to TRICARE), while ensuring that our military is never overstretched and that our troops are always fully equipped for the missions they face. **Women:** > [@](#): > > **Help Balance Work And Family** > > John Kerry and John Edwards will greatly expand after-school programs to serve 3.5 million children and fund a historic increase in the Child Care Tax Credit to meet the needs of overstretched parents. > > **Close The Pay Gap** > > On average, women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that we must make equal pay for equal work a reality, not a slogan. They will ensure greater transparency and fairness by improving enforcement and disclosure about companies’ payment practices. > > **Protect Women’s Health And Right To Choose** > > John Kerry was an original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Equity Act, which ensures women’s access to the highest quality and most advanced health care available. As president, John Kerry will increase funding for breast and cervical cancer research and treatment, require insurance plans to cover contraception and fight for a meaningful Patients’ Bill of Rights to guarantee women direct access to their OB/GYNs. And John Kerry will only nominate individuals to the federal bench whose records demonstrate a respect for the full range of constitutional rights, including the right to privacy and the right to choose. > > **Open College Opportunities** > > For more than 30 years, Title IX has helped extend opportunity in education and athletics to millions of girls and women. John Kerry and John Edwards will defend Title IX and work to expand college opportunities for women. So, the ball’s in your court, **duffer.** What’s wrong with any of these policy positions? How are Bush’s policies better? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/33 "2004-09-11T03:05:07Z")
There are no Dummycrats, just Dummies! The Dummies are the ones who STILL support Bush’s war even though he failed to find any WMDs…and had to admit to the world “Oops, I had bad intellegence”! Well, that might be the only statement Bush uttered that I agree with! Plus, it’s so funny how that little man claims America will be less safe under Kerry! Really? Then, why did 9/11 happen on Bush’s watch, hmm??? So, if you still support Bush while our American economy dives deeper and deeper into the honeypot (shitter) while Bush just fiddles around and pretends to play the role of a leader…I mean, what more can I say? You either get the picture about Daddy’s Boy, or you don’t! The election is a simple as that! I hope Florida and Ohio give Bush such immeasureable heartburn come 11/2! (Actually, I think there are a total of 6 critical swing states.) Vote Kerry or don’t vote! - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/34 "2004-09-11T03:54:55Z")
In the next four years we will have up to four Supreme Court Justices retire. If Kerry is the one choosing the nominees, the Court will end up more centrist than if Bush does. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/35 "2004-09-11T04:13:49Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > All I wanted were specifics on what his policies would be and what his “vision” for American consists of. The best I’ve seen so far is that he’s not Bush. Such is politics I guess. Not being Bush is an important attribute. The main issue in this election, as I see it, is the Bush administration. I will vote for Kerry. Had someone else been nominated – Dean, Graham, Gephardt, Lieberman, Edwards, whoever – I would have voted for him. The urgent necessity is to turn the disasterous Bush administration out of office. The most effective way to vote a Presidential administration out of office is to vote for the candidate of the other of the two major parties. That being said, I can think of a number of positive reasons for voting for Kerry. Others have already mentioned most of them. I think the environment is a biggie. Bush has presided over an alarming rollback of 30 years worth of environmental progress. Kerry, OTOH, gets high ratings from environmentalists. When it comes to the environment, he isn’t just nutral or okay; he’s _good._ ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/36 "2004-09-11T04:28:24Z")
Thanks, **Brain Glutton!** I had not heard of some of the items on your list. **School’s Open Till 6:00** is a great idea. I’ve thought for years that we should do something like that. We’ve got the buildings; let’s use them for as many hours/days as we can. It beats me why people think 9/11 is a reason to keep Bush in office. I’d say it’s a primo reason for turning him out. Two reasons: (1) With a better, smarter, more alert administration – an administration with sounder priorities – 9/11 might have been prevented. (2) His response (attacking Iraq) made about as much sence as it would have if we’d responded to Pearl Harbor by attacking Mexico (I’m quoting someone, but I can’t remember who). ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/37 "2004-09-11T10:41:18Z")
I don’t see how voting against Bush would be such a bad thing. In my opinion it would be perfectly reasonable to vote republican, if it weren’t for their candidate. Bush’s past actions should speak louder than sugarcoated words at an election. If that’s not the case, then let’s have a look at your take on Kerry: > [@duffer](#): > > I know he likes to keep the SDMB meme’s about the Iraq war alive. But he voted for the war and has said he wouldn’t pull the troops until the job was done. So we’re there no matter who’s living in the WH. But he’s trying to play the angle that he’ll bring the troops home? I interpret it this way: Kerry doesn’t want to retreat now that the troops are there. He wants to stay till things are in order and then pull out. While Bush claims the same thing, his past actions rather show that he’s more interested in securing contracts and oil deals first and then perhaps pulling out. Or maybe not. That’s the difference here and not a wishy-washy position at all. Furthermore Bush started the Iraq war for no good reason and there’s a good chance he’ll start other unnecessary wars if he gets reelected. > [@duffer](#): > > Foreign policy. You voted for the use of force. Then you voted they shouldn’t be used. Then you voted that money should be used to pay for the troops in Iraq. Then you said the troops should be pulled out ASAP. Then you said the US has to stay the course and not abandon the Iraqi people. Now you say you’ll not only find a way to bring the troops home, but that you’ll keep them there long enough to finish the job because you have a plan. Same thing as above. It’s not hard to understand, really. > [@duffer](#): > > When you figure that one out, make an argument that you are a better candidate than “Anybody But Bush”. It’s sad that it boils down to that, but yeah, that’s pretty much it. Anybody but Bush - a republican president that isn’t Bush would fill that bill nicely as well imho. This isn’t an election with two brand new candidates and the population should have enough responsibility and awareness to punish bad past behaviour instead of believing election day propaganda despite prior knowledge to the contrary. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/38 "2004-09-11T11:12:34Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > Did you skip my post? No, didn’t skip it, just haven’t had a chance till now to respond. One question. Can anyone tell me I’m wrong in my belief that Ted kennedy co-sponsered the NCLB Act? I thought it was a bi-partisan education thing they did, or was it a different education bill? **BrainGlutton** , that’s the closest I’ve seen for a reason to vote for Kerry, but it was just a quote of his website. The most glaring was the part of veterens getting better health care when Bush already got that passed. I’m still waiting for someone to state why they want Kerry as president and how he’ll do things better. So far I’m getting campaign promises and “he’s not Bush” stuff. I doubt anybody ever expected me to switch my vote. And that wasn’t really the point, I was just asking for reasons to vote FOR Kerry. But the swing votes are what both are after, and Kerry has the advantage of saying what he wants to do if elected, while Bush has over 3 years on record to stand on. I’ve seen it in polls, editorials, and right here on the SDMB. Hindsight is better than 20/20 and the entire campaign is based on what Bush did wrong. Not on what Kerry will do right. Why is nobody pissed about Kerry’s Congressional testimony when he admitted to killing babies and burning villages? Even if he didn’t personally do it, he testified it happened. Which means he saw it happen, yet did nothing to stop it. He’s a vet of 4 months with 3 purple hearts, now under Navy investigation. He might have been better off not playing the vet status. And before anyone mentions the “lies” of the SBVT, those men were in theatre as well. They are every bit a hero as Kerry is. Though I can see 3 wounds in such a short time with him carrying all that camera equipment. I don’t have that many pictures from my frigging wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/39 "2004-09-11T11:32:53Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > **BrainGlutton** , that’s the closest I’ve seen for a reason to vote for Kerry, but it was just a quote of his website. […] I’m still waiting for someone to state why they want Kerry as president and how he’ll do things better. What’s wrong with the ones copied from his web site? Are you looking for top-secret reasons to vote for Kerry or what? > [@](#): > > And before anyone mentions the “lies” of the SBVT, those men were in theatre as well. They are every bit a hero as Kerry is. Ignoring the issue of whether being in theatre automatically makes someone a war hero… being a hero certainly doesn’t automatically put someone in a position to testify about events that he didn’t witness. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891/40 "2004-09-11T12:56:33Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I’m still waiting for someone to state why they want Kerry as president and how he’ll do things better. So far I’m getting campaign promises and “he’s not Bush” stuff. What’s my post, chopped liver? _sniffs_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sell-me-on-kerry-what-will-he-do-differently/263891.md?page=3)