WHat am I going to do?

[zap]

This is my own personal take, I'm sure some folks on both sides will be offended, but I'm NOT trying to offend ANYONE with what I'm about to say. I am confused now, and sad....so here it goes.

For the past two days I have been involved in a very intense political discussion on this board as yall know. Now I just feel sick in my heart. I did not vote for GWBush, I am opposed to every single thing that man holds dear. However, when November rolls around, I am not at all looking foreward to voting for John Kerry. I have two BIG problems with Kerry. #1 he has admitted to committing war crimes in Vietnam.#2 he is opposed to homosexual marriage . I believe that war criminals ought to be punished, not rewarded with the most important job in America! I am proud to be an American, but right now I am so ashamed by the current administration, by the war in Iraq, by the torture and rape of Iraqi citizens wrongly detained by American (and British) soldiers, by the current administration's unbelievable hubris.......what do I do? Do I vote my conscious in November (which in my state means not voting at all as I am prohibited from writing in my vote, which would be for Kucinich) OR do I vote for who will "beat Bush", an admitted war criminal?

Why have things come to this place? How can these possibly be the choices? The man currently in power is seemingly blind to the damage he is causing to the reputation of AMerica. The man in charge is a liar, and a thief, and bent on not only taking away important rights of women, but also bent on ensuring that I as a homosexual NEVER have equal rights. He is bent on destroying our precious natural wilderness areas, and has blatently turned his back on science. This man is dangerous, and his cronies around him are as bad as any group of thugs.

The man who wants to be in charge has not shown himself to be very financially conservative (which I believe we need right now), he is opposed to equal rights for homosexuals, and by his OWN admission, he is a war criminal. How can these be my choices? How can any rational, compassionate human being be expected to choose between these two men?

I have been voting for a long time now. This is the first election where I have seriously considered not voting at all, as I don't see either "choice" as being acceptable.

To all of you on either side of this issue that I've just offended, I am sorry. This is such a mess, yet so damn important. I just don't know what to do.

[Jeff O'Connor]

I'll just try and be as neutral as possible here. I'm pretty damned sure that as much as either of hate the notion, there's going to be some more political "bloodshed" here... hopefully I'm wrong, I never know for sure.

I'm totally with you on Bush, personally. It's important to remember, however, that although he is the President, he isn't the one in Iraq that has, as Limbaugh put it, "had fun" with the prisoners. I personally don't think he would do that. In Vietnam, I think he ran away, or something like that, whereas Kerry participated in "war crimes". If I were 18 I would still vote for Kerry though, as I'm a strong supporter of homosexual rights, and to hell and back, definitely a strong supporter of womens' rights being maintained. I think we've had worse presidential candidates in the past. Granted I haven't been around for too many. I'd just rather have John Kerry in the office than George Bush, because personally - I should stress personally considering the nature of what we're discussing - I think Kerry would handle America in a better fashion than Bush has and would continue to do.

[BlackThorn]

I don't know what to tell you, zapgun, because I'm in the same position (for some of the same, and then some different reasons.) I want Bush out, but I don't want Kerry in. I don't see either option as better than the other, and how can I vote for the "lesser of two evils" when I see both as equally rotten. :rolleyes:

I have no frelling clue what I'm going to do when the time comes. For now, I'm just sitting back, listening and watching the whole spectacle, trying to figure out what to do. Not fun.

[vacantlook]

I am there as well. I don't want Bush in office anymore, and I don't exactly trust Kerry either. So, what do I do? Vote Nader? While that is an option, I hate how it would feel like it'd just be a waste of a vote since there's such a low likelihood that he would ever be elected. Deciding how to vote is going to be considerably tough it seems.

[jayelsee]

#1 he has admitted to committing war crimes in Vietnam.zapgun, I am NOT going to comment because I have made it a cardinal rule that I WILL NOT get involved in anything remotely ressembling political discussions on this board....BUT....are you sure you are not confusing JOHN Kerry (who will be the Democratic nomination for the Presidencey) with BOB Kerry (who admitted to war crimes?). I will try to do a little research later (I'm kinda busy right now, so can't do it right away) and I'll pm you with some information, but I have seen other comments (other places) by those who have confused two men who both served in Viet Nam (but who are NOT the same man).

edited to correct names

[Clarsax]

I've been trying to avoid the political threads here, but I'll throw in my two cents for this one because I'm feeling the same way.

I don't like Bush and I don't trust Kerry whatsoever. I don't want either one of them in the office and am seriously considering giving my vote to a third party candidate this time around. Now, I am aware that there is no chance of anyone besides Bush or Kerry becoming president, and almost anyone would say I would be throwing my vote away. However, I've been thinking it over, and I wouldn't be wasting my vote any more than I would if I voted for someone I didn't want in the office. Right now I don't want to vote for Bush and I don't want to throw my vote to Kerry just because I don't like Bush. If I decide to go third party, whoever I vote for won't win, but at least I'll have voted for someone I wanted to vote for, and when the new president is elected and things keep getting worse, as they probably will, I'll at least be able to say "I didn't vote for him." I still haven't made up my mind on what I'll do, but that's one option that's occurred to me, and after watching all these presidential ads and mudslinging over the last few months, anyone is starting to look better than what we've got to choose from.

[Third EYe]

zapgun, write the DNC and tell them. Rewrite what you posted here to fit that forum, and hope for the best. There are others who feel as you do. '

I personally don't think that Kerry has a snowballs chance in Florida (it's hot down there, Hell is in Michigan and freezes every January)

If you want another candidate worth voting for, you gonna need to start writing letters. Maybe McCain will run under another party.