Content, Please

I am trying to take a step back and look at the election process thus far. As I have said before, neither candidate has impressed me with their vision. Some of my friends say that Bush is 180 off the direction they think the country should go. Their willingness to not consider the fact that Bush is doing the right thing in removing those who wish to harm this country in the furtherance of their goals is a fundamental part of that assessment, so I therefore can't say that Bush's direction is completely inimicable to mine.

That Bush can be divergent from absolutely wrong gives Kerry the opportunity to screw up by being as wrong, if not more wrong, than Bush according to my values. Essentially, Bush has been as far wrong on social issues and spending as Kerry has been on foreign policy and spending. In one sense this makes me an Undecided, in that I have not chosen between the two. Given that I live in California, the only state that gives Massachusettes a run for its blueness, my vote is not going to count for much of anything other than adding to one or the other's general tally for the supposed "mandate".

The big caveat that I have to make in this matter is that I have to make my decision in a vacuum of real information. All that I am seeing are tales from thirty years ago standing in place of who these men are now. So, gentlemen, can we please have some discussion on what your economic plans are? In this request, I also call on the media to give the Nam stories a rest and get to the boring stuff. Lets talk about military allocations and budgets to social services. I would rather blast Bush for stuff like the Federal Marriage Amendment than for him not showing up to Guard duty. I would rather rip Kerry for having been wrong on every issue of foreign policy of the Reagan Administration than for him lying about being in Cambodia on Christmas Day of 1968. One set of data tells me what they might do for their four years as president, the other tells me what they were like thirty-plus years ago. So far as I am concerned, I care more for the next four years than what has happened before. Show me a plan that would work for me, and yes, let me see if I can trust you to carry it out, and I might be tempted to change my vote from Libertarian.

Update: Here's an easy way to pick up my vote: Legalize the possession of rocket propelled grenades for the purpose of blowing up cars with obnoxiously loud stereos. Granted, it does appeal to my baser nature and circumvent some of my inclinations toward the sanctity of private property, but damn, I could use the satisfaction.