This is the last installment of "stuff I learned during the debates". Unattributed quotes below are straight from the transcripts, found at <a href="http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004c.html">Debate #2</a> ("Rage in the Cage") and <a href="http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004d.html">Debate #3</a> ("Bloodmatch --- back for more Blood"). <h>Head to Head</h> <dl dt_class="field"> Patriot Act <ul> Kerry says he supports the Patriot Act. He also says it needs to be pretty much massively rewritten, but he doesn't have the gonads to say it's a piece of crap, because that offends too many of the wrong people. Bush doesn't think the Patriot Act has affected citizen's rights </ul> The Internet(s) <ul> Kerry mentioned his web site several times and directed people there for more information Bush talks about <iq>the Internets</iq>. WTF? Has he ever even used a computer? </ul> Gay marriage <ul> Kerry doesn't support gay marriage, but supports partnerships, whatever that means. We already have a legal definition for when people want to spend their lives together: why do you need to make another one? Bush supports gay marriage if it's <iq>between a man and a woman</iq>. </ul> Ronald Reagan <ul> Kerry loves him. (WTF is up with that?) Bush probably loves him even more </ul> Faith-based programs <ul> Kerry believes in them strongly and will support and increase them Bush invented the damned things and would like to funnel all federal dollars into them, so you need to take a Jesus loyaltly oath to get a piece of bread in a soup kitchen. </ul> Abortion <ul> Kerry spent several minutes talking about abortion without ever (not once) actually saying the word. He seems to probably support a woman's right to choose, but he's so heavily politicized, it's kind of hard to tell. Bush thinks abortion should be outlawed, but will settle for making abortion so difficult, socially sitgmatizing and painful that no one gets them anymore. Rues every dollar of federal money spent on any program that ever uttered the word abortion. </ul> 9/11 <ul> Kerry thinks this is a reason for <iq>hunting and killing terrorists</iq> Bush thinks this is a reason for everything. </ul> Terrorists <ul> Kerry thinks that terrorists are mindless, soul-eating machines, born to kill without reason and with an undying and unexplainable hatred of America. He thinks we should protect our borders and industrial centers better. Bush thinks that terrorists are mindless, soul-eating machines, born to kill without reason and with an undying and unexplainable hatred of America. He thinks we should <iq>stay on the offensive</iq> ('cause that's worked out great so far) </ul> Changing his mind <ul> Kerry seems to alter his opinions when the facts have changed Bush never, ever, ever reconsiders anything </ul> Health Care <ul> Kerry sees this as the country's greatest failure, pointing out that every other first world country has a system Bush doesn't care how those other pansies are doing it and thinks the current system works just fine </ul> Jobs <ul> Kerry thinks we need to stop tax incentives that encourage American firms from hiring outside of the US. Thinks companies should have to pay a living wage for all jobs and wants to raise the minimum wage. Seems to support prosecuting companies that hire illegals rather than the illegals themselves. Bush thinks that a job is a job, regardless of how much it pays; also thinks that migrant workers should be allowed to do jobs that <iq>no American wants to do</iq>. Is happy with the market regulating pay levels, even if that doesn't result in a living wage. He <iq>will talk about the 1.7 million jobs created since the summer of 2003, and will say that the economy is "strong and getting stronger." That's like boasting about getting a D on your final exam, when you flunked the midterm and needed at least a C to pass the course.</iq> (<a href="http://pkarchive.org/column/101204.html" author="Paul Krugman">Checking the Facts, in Advance</a>) </ul> Social Security <ul> Kerry thinks we should leave it alone and stop thinking up ways to plunder it Bush thinks that young people (teens on up) should be able to invest that money in the stock market instead. They are far more likely to invest it in an iPod or 20" rims. </ul> Definition of work <ul> Kerry, several times, in fact, mentioned that he wants programs to have enough money to get their job done Bush is happy to call an increase an improvement, no matter what. (Pell grants here are an example --- Bush's administration saw one million more of them distributed, but each grant is, on average only half of what it was four years ago) </ul> The Military <ul> Kerry thinks we're overextended, but also thinks we should have sent more. Thinks we should increase the military by 40,000 people. Perhaps it's jobs program? Bush says there will not be a draft, because everything is hunky dorey. </ul> Religion <ul> Kerry bases his entire life around religion and his faith (<iq>My faith affects everything that I do, in truth. ... I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith...</iq>) Bush bases his entire life around religion and his faith (<iq>First, my faith plays a lot --- a big part in my life. And that's, when I was answering that question, what I was really saying to the person was that I pray a lot. And I do.</iq>) </ul> </dl> <h>Kerry Quotes</h> <bq>But you know what we also need to do as Americans is never let the terrorists change the Constitution of the United States in a way that disadvantages our rights.</bq> <bq>Being lectured by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country.</bq> <h>Conclusions</h> Kerry is <ul> a politician, through and through. He stands for something if it doesn't get in the way of his career not going to fix a lot of things that are wrong with America, but has the taken the big step of admitting that there are things wrong with America Talks a lot about war; will stay in Iraq; will hold the course in Israel Also talks a lot about domestic programs and actually addresses problems in a meaningful and halfway-honest way (for a politician) </ul> Bush is <ul> Petulant, whiny, defensive, occasionally hostile; seems to beg you to agree with him Self-contradicting: <ol> He says we can't get cheaper meds from Canada (as he promised four years ago) because they <iq>might not be safe</iq>. When asked what he's going to do about the shortage of flu vaccine, he suggests Canada as our last hope. Does everything possible to protect a baby before it's born; does everything possible to prevent paying for a single thing once it takes its first breath. </ol> Is too stupid to even realize that the <iq>you can run, but you can't hide</iq> slogan backfires horribly because the first guy he applied it to, Osama Bin Laden, is still hiding quite nicely. Seems to be <i>for</i> the Dred Scott decision, which disallowed citizen's rights to any black person, regardless of slave/free status. Is too stupid to realize that he's too stupid to talk about history in any depth or meaningful way. If he's forced to admit that something's <i>not optimal</i>, he claims he <iq>inherited it</iq> from Clinton. </ul>