AIM Canvassing
From out of nowhere, a high school friend send me an instant message:
Dustin: why vote Democrat?
Me: hey
Dustin: hi
Me: well, because bush doesn't understand the war on terror
Me: and his tax policies are designed to benefit people who make more than $300,000/yr, but actually end up costing the middle class more in the long run.
Me: also, because bush's policies consistently fail to accomplish what he claims they'll accomplish, and then he lies about it rather than own up to his mistakes.
Me: now, that's why not to vote republican this time around.
Me: why to vote democrat?
Me: well, john kerry does understand the war on terror, and he knows how to win it.
Me: he understand how the economy affects average people, and is willing to do things to help our economy grow, and to help the poorest americans afford health care--something bush doesn't give a shit about.
Me: so, voting democrat will make us safer and wealthier.
Dustin: how is kerry going to fight the war on terror?
Me: 1a) by going after terrorists with our armed forces, wherever they are--meaning, afghanistan
Me: 1b) while actually providing enough troops, and enough equipment--bush was against appropriating enough money for body armor and humvee armor.
Me: 2) by not pissing off people who don't hate us already.
Me: 3) by restructuring our intelligence community in a way that works, instead of appointing party hacks such as porter goss
Me: 4) kerry understands that islamist terrorism is done by international terrorist organizations, not evil countries. yes, saddam was evil, but he didn't support terrorists in iraq, because it would have weakened his power. the problem is with failed states (like iraq is now), not evil states (like iraq was two years ago).
Me: 5a) homeland security--we currently allocate far more money per person to prevent terrorism in places like wyoming than new york city. does this make sense?
Me: 5b) we need to be checking more ships as they enter our harbors. this is something kerry wants to do and bush doesn't want to talk about.
Me: 6) nuclear nonproliferation--bush pulled us out of the nonproliferation treaty, thereby encouraging other countries to pull out and get nukes. and he hasn't done enough to secure not-well-guarded nuclear materials in russia.
Me: i think that's enough for now.
Me: OH!
Dustin: haha
Me: 6b) kerry realizes that the missile shield ("star wars") isn't going to work for another 10 years, but bush acts like it works now... this doesn't make us safer. we need to prevent people from getting nukes, because we simply don't yet have the ability to shoot them down. also, that won't do anything to prevent a suitcase nuke in downtown atlanta.
Dustin: I'm speechless
Dustin: :)
Not the most eloquent explanation of how Kerry will fight the War on Terror better than Bush, but it helped confirm my friend's doubts about Bush. I think I hit the important points. Tell me what I'm missing. . . .