I am closing in on being 68 years old. I have voted in every election since 1957 when I became 21 yrs. old. In all that time I have only voted for one Democrat, and that was because he was running against my then brother-in-law who I knew was mafia affiliated and a crook. (BTW that Democrat was Birch Bayh who later was to become a U.S. Senator from Indiana where I was still a resident of back then). His son became a Governor of Indiana yet later.

As far as I am concerned, Small Government is better than Big Government, therefore I could never be a Democrat.

Also, I believe we have a right to keep the money we earn, not create welfare programs for those who WON'T work or who are leeches to society, therefore I could never be a Democrat.

I truely believe that families, neighbors and friends should take care of those less fortunate and NOT Government programs, giveaways, therefore I could never be a Democrat.

IMHO, Democrats only initiate and support the welfare programs because they have to have a support base for getting ANY votes at all, therefore I could never be a Democrat.

We ALL know that politicians #1 priority is just getting elected and #2 priority is getting re-elected.

I ALSO believe that only support the party that stands for the values YOU support and by voting a straight ticket, more things get done that will benefit YOU.

That said, just always remember this.

For Republicans, all this country's ills are the fault of Democrats
For Democrats, all this country's ills are the fault of Republicans
No matter who gets elected, this country will most likely survive

Best advise, is NEVER take yourself or politics too seriously,

Ken Bower
San Antonio Texas
Visiting Thailand since 1971
http://homepage.mac.com/mgnewman/KenLat/

Another way to put it:

Republicans think every day is the Fourth of July!

Democrats think every day is April 15th...

[QUOTE]
The voice of reason is back, thank you very much.

1. Democrats big government. Bush runs biggest deficit in American history. Hmmm.

2. Welfare for non-workers? Clinton (democrat) biggest welfare reformer in history. Hmmm.

3. Help the needy with family, neighbors, and friends. What about those without this support network? What if a person's network is ALSO in great need? Should the government let them die? Hmmm.

Vote a straight ticket? Vote your self interest? OK. If you are a right wing ideologic fanatic who also happens to REALLY be rich, income over 200K and/or net worth over 500,000 dollars, then, yes, vote for Bush. Otherwise, it is in the self interest of the vast majority of people to vote DEMOCRAT.

Taiquila~

You're forgetting one important thing: Kerry will raise taxes on everybody! Not just the advertised >200k$ folks - everybody! Small business owners will get hit the hardest as well as those earning <100k per yr.

Only seven months to go...

What's the problem with paying some taxes ?
What's wrong with a strong public sector ?
What's wrong with some (state-sponsored) solidarity ?

For centuries, we've tried to build fair, civilized and homogeneous societies where everyone would have a say and a place.
It's a shame (a crime against humanity ?) that some of us remain individualistic ANIMALS (" I have a right to keep the money I earn ").
We have rights but we also have duties. One is nothing/nobody outside society. One can't make money alone in the desert. One owes something to the country/society in which one was born.
Darwin was wrong regarding human beings: some of them don't evolve, they regress. For a handful of dimes. So sad.

Dear Boon Mee

I believe that this is addressed to you.
What do you have to say?

By the way Anarchist jb, did you ever spit at any soldiers during the Vietnam war?

And you know this how ?

Most people in Europe make a sensible choice, either contribute towards a society where nobody starves and there's reasonable medical care

OR

Dog eat dog and watch your neighbour fall by the way while you do nothing.

Oh by the by the GENT is back but now he's having trouble spelling his name. Drunk no doubt.

http://www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Kerry_Tax_Reform.htm
Not correct info you have there.
From what I can gather, Kerry wants to roll back the tax rate on people earning over 200,000.
He also wants to raise taxes on capital gains and dividends which are now quite low.
This would personally cost me money, and that does not please me, because everyone cares about their own money.
However, there are more important things that patriotic people think about when they vote.

I love this quote:

"The old adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him to fish has been updated: Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his "basic rights."

Sounds a lot like the Ketchup King's new tax plan and his general fuzzy-headed liberal plans to cure the ills of America and the world...

I'll take a good intentioned, ultra-intelligent "fuzzy-headed liberal" over the mean- spirited, nasty, radical right wing ideologue fascist we are saddled with now.

As the Donald says, You're Fired!
Or better yet, Bush is Scary, Vote for Kerry.

I believe we have the duty to give some of the money we earn to the society that enables us to earn that very money.
This is a fundamental difference between an American and a European.

Right...And that's why my sister-in-law and her family who live in Norway pay some ungodly amounts of tax. That cradle-to-grave BS goes against the American grain of self-dependance.

It's the Loony left-liberal Rodham Clinton wing of the Democratic Party who want to make government in the states similiar to European socialists...