This Election Rhetoric

“Vote for me, vote for me
I want the nomination for the Presidency
Vote for me, vote for me
If I am elected, this is how it will be.”

Thirty-Seven years ago, anticipating yet another presidential election filled with partisan propaganda, the group Chicago wrote the song, “Vote for Me.” That was 1977 and this is 2004, a testament to the fact that some lessons are just hard-learned.

Our candidates talk about why they should be chosen as the winner in the upcoming presidential election. Mr. Bush cited the successful new prescription drug discount plan for seniors during his speech at the GOP convention. Someone must have forgotten to tell him that most eligible seniors have not applied for the discount cards. I can understand why with the variety of over 40 different discount cards why it would be hard to chose. Mr. Kerry talks about his idea for universal health care. This sir is a very lofty idea. Why should we be listening to a man whose running mate’s career as a gold digging injury lawyer is part of the reason that health care is so expensive in the first place?

On defense, Kerry is a flip-flopper on the $87 billion finance package for Iraq, but Bush who threatened that if the bill came across his desk with certain key language that he didn’t like, he would veto isn’t. Bush said during his convention speech that “funding our troops isn’t a complicated matter.” Well, I guess he forgot about the complications the bill would have faced had he vetoed it. Apparently not as simple as Bush makes it out to be. John Kerry this year, opened his mouth and said that he had the support of many world leaders of nations that are our allies and the White House called his bluff.

It seems as if both candidates are choosing their words very carefully. Bush cites 200,000 manufacturing jobs lost during Clinton’s final days. He says that he’s created 107,000 and they’re working at beating this job deficit left by Clinton. He doesn’t however let you know that there have been 2,000,000 jobs lost during his administration. You will not however find that in any speech that our president makes. John Kerry talks about the private sector jobs lost and doesn’t talk about the public sector jobs created while our current president is in office. They tote each other as being liars. Last time I checked, purposeful omission is a lie.

I could go on and on about the numerous flip flops of both Bush and Kerry and still be writing the day of the election. Which candidate am I voting for? I haven’t figured out yet, I’m still doing the research on that one. I haven’t figured out which one is telling the truth.