> Dear Ellen: I am curious, just why do you fear a Bush Presidency? You have been polite in your remarks so I know that you speak from your heart, so I am interested in hearing what you fear. <
I appreciate the spirit with which you ask, JDN. Just please remember that you asked <G> and I will say what I think. Disagreement with my viewpoint and opinion is expected but whether it comes from you or anyone else, I hope that it will come in the spirit of a dispassionate discussion rather than in a knee-jerk, defensive or petty manner. I am not saying I expect that from you - not at all - just felt the general warning is warranted given the manner of some posters here. I have heard people question how could Gore not know that Buddhist temple gathering was a fund raiser? Maybe his aides didn't tell him, as he stated was the case, and maybe they did. I really don't know. Maybe he should have 'wised up' (and did?) once he got there, I really don't know. That, to me, is extremely, extremely minor in comparison to the picture I get from Bush.
Bush's history does not lend itself to qualifications for the office of Presidency, imo. He partied for years, by his own admission, and was not successful in his business endeavors. There are several business deals that appear, at best, questionable. He has been suspected of violating SEC rules and in one particular case, his selling of Harken Oil stock, clearly violated SEC insider trading rules (filing his sell nearly a year late) although he was not charged with a violation. On a personal basis he lied several times about his DUI to the press; he is extremely evasive about alleged drug use; there are alleged past affairs; he has lied about his years of military service; and he has lied about medical exams (drug testing) during his service.
His treatment of McCain in the South Carolina primary was nothing short of extremely shameful. That alone showed the lengths he would go to and the dirty tricks he was capable of employing in order to win. I believe that he lacks consistency and integrity, as he has flipflopped in his stance on issues whenever it proved convenient. He 'exxagerated' during the campaign about certain things such as, for example, his exclamations of being proud of the hate crime bill passed in Texas. He did not even sign that bill - it passed without him. He said he trusted the people but when push came to shove, as in the recount process, he showed his supposed trust by allowing his camp to sling numerous accusations of 'mischief' and even fraud but finds no fault with persons who act on a partisan basis that favor him or his position. He has repeatedly shown that he will go to great lengths to silence what he does not want the public to hear. And he does not hesitate to employ the courts to try to get his way - not only in this post-election time but he did so during the primaries also. His first real 'success' at professionalism comes with his governorship of Texas and even that is tainted with scandal, programs that have less than stellar results; and evidence of great favoritism and shenanigans leading to financial reward for his associates and/or supporters and even himself.
I believe that Bush is where he is due to his father's network and the Republican party's feelings toward Clinton. I believe he may be downright dangerous for our country and our ideals of democracy. I do not trust him or what he says. I find the tremendous efforts - the lawsuits and the vile rhetoric - that he and his camp undertook to claim and keep the tiny lead in Florida in this election to be an insult to the right to vote.
These are some of my opinions and thoughts. Anyone else is free to dislike or disagree with them. I will not get into an argument over this as it is not my intent to persuade or convince anyone to change their own opinions. You asked, I answered. It is very frightening to me that so many do not seem to have actually taken a good hard look at each candidate, for their own merit, but have taken an unquestioning, 'support the party' route to the decision of who they voted for. I did not make my decision based on party affiliation. I based my decision on the individual candidate. |
