What it all boils down to is which candidate best understands the spirit of the founding documents (FDs) of our nation, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The author suggests that the reader take a few moments to read the FDs, in order to have an appropriate frame of reference from which to evaluate the rest of this article.
Both candidates talked about how many jobs the government had or hadn't created, so apparently neither candidate seems to grasp the fact that it is not the U.S. government that creates jobs, but the free marketplace. The FDs contain nothing about government being empowered to create jobs.
Both candidates talked about things the government has done to protect the environment, so apparently neither candidate understands that individual Americans, not the government, are responsible for their own property, and the free market is perfectly capable of handling the issue of stewardship of resources. That said, President Bush definitely delineated the better policy, least intrusive on the citizens of America.
Same goes for medical care. Neither candidate seems to understand that the FDs do not give the federal government any power relating to medical care, but Bush seems to have the less intrusive plan. No sentient American should want the federal government involved with doctors, drugs, or insurance, at all, period.
And taxes...hoo boy. Everybody talked a lot about taxes, budgets, and government spending ad nauseam. It's hard to say which candidate would really spend more money, but it's easy to say that either one of them will be a big spender--just in different areas. In general, Bush will overspend most often in areas where the FDs actually authorize the government to spend money, whereas Kerry will overspend anywhere he sees fit.
Both candidates talked about Supreme Court justices. Bush seems to respecct the FDs in this regard, stating that he would nominate "strict constructionists." Kerry managed to mention a lot of stuff that apparently he thinks is in the FDs (he said plainly, "These are constitutional rights."):
Other than the fact that "equal opportunity" is built into the FDs, and the reserved rights of individuals are already inclusive of every citizen regarless of gender, none of this is contained in the FDs. In fact, since the Declaration of Independence lists "Life" as one of the unalienable rights granted to every human by their Creator, it should be obvious to anyone who respects the FDs that there is no such "right to choose" to kill an unborn child, thus abridging one of that child's most fundamental rights. Kerry said that this fundamental right to life is actually just an "article of faith" that cannot be legislated. He obviously hasn't stopped to read the FDs lately.
Both candidates talked about federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Kerry fully supports federally-funded killing of human embryos in the pursuit of a mystical cure for various diseases (AIDS, Parkinson's, whatever), and Bush supports the use of cell lines from embryos that have already been killed. Ethically, it might be a fine line, but ethics don't even have to enter into it. The fact of the matter is that, if this venture is worthwhile, then the free market will support it. The government has no FD authority to delve into medical research. They need to stay out of it, and let the market have its way.
In conclusion, neither candidate fully understands the proper role of the federal government as delineated in the FDs. However, President Bush's policies suggest that he has far more respect for the FDs than does Kerry. Most important, Bush understands the concept of the Declaration's unalienable right to life, and he attempts to incorporate that into his policies. Kerry believes murder is perfectly OK, and should be funded with your tax dollars. He talks a good game about equal rights and equal opportunity, but he is overtly prejudiced against those who have no political voice, no ability to speak for themselves. Thus, he is not fit to lead.
Posted by jon at October 9, 2004 12:57 AMAmen, Brother!
Posted by: Kelly Seaton at October 11, 2004 10:03 PM