The prospect of a victorious Democratic ticket this November fills me with dread, but since Kerry paired with a pretty smile, I fear there are plenty of previously undecided soccer moms who are now ready to vote a straight Democratic ticket. This ticket might well be labeled Beast and the Beauty.
Ladies, let’s do our homework this time, so that we know who and what we are voting for. A few clicks of the mouse and a google search will tell you volumes. Here’s a little of what I learned in the last fifteen minutes from www.vote-smart.org. The key is to pay attention to what is not said:
Edwards: “I support a woman's right to choose and believe this that right is constitutionally protected. I also support funding for family planning.”
I’ve yet to see anywhere in the constitution that states it is a woman’s right to choose to kill her unborn child. Most of us, even those who may have exercised that right over the years, do not care to see our tax dollars go to pay for others who make this choice. And did you really think people went to these places to plan families? “Family planning” is liberal speak for abortion clinics.
Edwards: “We must protect our country, but we cannot sacrifice the rights and freedoms that define America. We have a right to self-defense, but we must always recognize the larger framework of international law when we make decisions about defending ourselves.”
In other words, we must protect our country, but we cannot infringe on the rights of terrorist groups to plan and execute attacks on American soil. We have a right to self-defense but we must get the UN’s approval before taking any action to defend ourselves.
Edwards: “I oppose diverting payroll taxes to private accounts but support offering matching accounts to workers on top of Social Security.”
What’s not said? I don’t trust the American people with their own money.
Edwards: “I believe we must achieve high-speed Internet access for all Americans, and I support ensuring families have the tools to keep spam and inappropriate material away from their children.”
If you believe you’re entitled to high-speed Internet service, you gotta vote for this guy. And I’m sure the government will be much better at policing it for you than the MSN butterfly. Just look at China.
Edwards: “I support higher pay for teachers, especially in low-income schools; smaller high schools: afterschool programs; offering a free year of college at a public university to students who work 10 hours per week...”
Hey, high speed Internet and a free year in a public indoctrination center. Wonder where this guy stands on freedom of school choice? (Edwards: “Private school vouchers won't help our public schools, but will instead drain limited resources from those schools. I oppose vouchers.”)
Edwards: “I support job training programs, an increase in the minimum wage, greater protection for unionization, and greater help for Americans balancing work and families.”
Interpretation: Raise the wages so your kids will get paid more at their after school jobs and raise your taxes so the government can pay for high speed internet service and free tuition, so that the kids getting paid higher wages can be educated. By the way, is it just me that had no clue that unions need government protection?
Edwards: “I will reorient U.S. assitance [sic] toward supporting open societies, giving more aid to nongovernmental bodies, and cutting assistance to dictators uninterested in democracy and upholding human rights.” No comment. (I haven’t had the time to translate the liberal speak yet.)
True, Edwards is just the running mate, but Kerry is more liberal than Edwards. This ticket leans as far to the left as it can go. Both men were against the partial birth abortion ban. Both Edwards and Kerry believe that a woman has the right to choose infanticide right up until the day of birth.
Both believe our tax dollars should fund abortions for women who want to choose, but that parents should have no right to choose the school their child will attend.
Both want the Bush tax cuts repealed because they believe they know better than we, where our money should go.
Both believe that when the United States has a need to defend and protect itself, we need the permission of the United Nations.
If you’re in agreement with their stances, by all means vote Kerry/Edwards in November. But don’t vote for a nice smile, nice hair, a South Carolina native, a former North Carolina senator or a ‘charismatic’ personality. Vote with a knowledge of the issues and the candidates’ positions on those issues. And be sure to read between the lines to get through all the liberal speak.
