Candidate Comparison - Quest for Power, 2004: No Difference

Candidate Comparison - Quest for Power, 2004: No Difference

Politicians and their allies in the major media like to talk of the allegedly vast differences in the two main candidates for president. One of the more far-reaching examples of this claim is from AOL News and Time Magazine. Their “decision guide” to help people “decide which candidate to vote for” crafts a list where one candidate “strongly opposes” a given issue while the other guy is typically shown to “strongly favor” that same topic. Most of the time, government supporters speak in more general terms that one candidate is “conservative” while the other is “liberal,” whatever that means. Or they highlight the party differences on some minor nuance of a federal program.

The purpose of this false message, which is widely promoted, is to convey the notion that your vote really makes a difference-- America will head in one of two completely different directions, depending on your opinion. Of course, what they don’t mention is that the more the public participates, the more validity it gives to politicians, no matter how badly they abuse their power. After all, these are YOUR elected officials. YOU supported it. Thus, the public should enthusiastically: Get Involved! Support Someone! Support the System! Get Out and Vote!

In reality, both Bush and Kerry are virtually identical when it comes to the central issue of federal power. Both want to keep it massive and arbitrary. A more realistic comparison of the candidates is shown below.

GENERAL INFORMATION	Kerry	Bush

Private Sector Experience	Almost None (three years of quasi-government legal work, in “private” practice)	Almost None (failed “manager” of three small oil firms, PR work for Texas Rangers; all due to connections from his Dad)

Military Service: Has Killed People	Yes – with his own hands	Yes – by his orders

ISSUES

Taxes / Federal Power
Socialized Medicine	Yes – for everyone	Yes – for elderly and poor

Socialized Education	Yes	Yes

Force Young Workers to Pay for Old Non-Workers	Yes	Yes

Fed Budget: Is $2 Trillion too Much	Hell No	No

Arbitrary Power for Executive Agencies to Write Rules, Enforce Rules, and Judge Those Rules (i.e., EPA, OSHA, FDA, IRS, EEOC, etc.)	Strongly Favor	Somewhat Favor

Constitution or Enabling Act	Enabling Act	Enabling Act (with some reservations)

Military
US to be World Police	Yes – with UN Approval	Yes – without UN Approval

US to Starve Poor People with “Sanctions”	Yes	Yes

Federal Right to Kidnap Teenagers	Yes	Yes

Did 200,000 Iraqis Killed by Bush I influence 9/11/01 Actions	No	This Question Violates the Patriot Act

Large, Standing Army in Peacetime	Yes	There will be no Peacetime

Attack States for Quitting	Yes	Yes – Remember Lincoln

Culture / Religion / Patriotism
Pay Lip Service about “Sanctity of Life”	Yes – Somewhat	Yes – Sanctimonious

Who Decides on Marriage License: Church, State or Other	State	State

Force Kids to Recite Loyalty Oath Each Morning	Yes	Yes – with flaring nostrils

Racial Preferences	Strongly Favor	Somewhat Favor

Federal Police State on Drugs	Strongly Favor	Strongly Favor

Farming / Resources
Socialized Farming	Yes	Yes

Inflate Prices of Milk, Sugar, Honey, Rice, Bread, and Many Other Foods to Buy Farm Votes	Yes	Yes

Force Smokers to Pay Tobacco Growers (over $200 Billion)	Yes	Yes

Free Food for Poor Fat People	Yes	Yes

Subsidize Wasting Water to Grow Food in Western Deserts	Yes	Yes

Lecture Private Citizens about “Conserving” Water	Yes – Sanctimonious	Yes – Somewhat

Media / Free Speech
Strictly Limit Access to “Public” Airways	Keep Out the Subversives	Keep Out the Subversives

Force Broadcasters to Hold Federal License	Show them Who’s Boss	Show them Who’s Boss

Grant Multi-Billion Dollar Tax Breaks for Newspaper Barons to Exploit Child Labor	Reward your Allies	Reward your Allies

Debates Open Only to Major Parties	Keep Out the Subversives	Keep Out the Subversives

Debates Moderated by State-Licensed Lackeys	No Tough Questions	No Tough Questions

October 27, 2004

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Steve Seachman is an engineer and freelance writer from Nashville , TN.

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