ABB Voter

First off, sorry about the lack of writing yesterday, the Gala Dinner went really late, and I was dead by the time I got back to the hotel. Despite its length, the evening was wonderful as always, and I was very glad to have participated in it. Speakers came from all walks of life and included Elizabeth Edwards, Cheryl Jacques (HRC President) Rosie O'Donnell, Jessica Lange, Max Mutchnick (Co-creator of Will & Grace), and Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop.

The speeches were all very good, and got me even more excited about the work that the HRC is doing. It also gave me hope for this election. Today at lunch, we had another round of exceptional speakers, including Andrew Sullivan, one of the few conservative voices I can often agree with.

Between the two events, I became even more determined to do my part in the comming election. I realize that it's not enough for me to know what is right and to use my vote, I must also use my voice. Too many times have I let people give me weakly founded reasons why they are going to vote for George W. Bush in the comming election.

Now let me start off by saying that I cannot think of anyone who in thier right mind can vote for the president, whether they are Republican or not. In fact Andrew Sullivan said it best when he stated that Republicans have more reason to be outraged at this President than Democrats do, and I think that he's right. My friend Daniel Graves has always told me that he wants to change the Republican party from the inside, taking it back to its roots of small government, and away from the morality that they try to impose upon us. I think that this is a noble goal, but George Bush has taken the party back decades if not centuries on this line of thinking. He has placated the radical right so much that we have all but removed the veil between church and state. I meet more and more Republicans who are rightfully outraged by what he was doing, and you should not EVER support someone simply because of their party if they do not follow with your beliefs. In fact, especially if they don't follow your beliefs, because it shows the party what is truly important. Bush's radical agenda is not mainstream America, or even mainstream Republicans, it is radical, and it is disgraceful.

I have heard lots of people try and justify their decision on economics, so I figure that I will lay that out here too. Since an early age, I have understood the theories of economics very well. Let me be the first to tell you that there are very few people in this country or even this world that benefit from the economic policies of our President. He has lost more net jobs than any President in a century, his "pro-business" tactics don't really help small businesses at all because they give such a boone to large corporations that they can easily quash their smaller competitors. His tax breaks, while moderately helpful to the lower and middle class, take more money out of the government than they ever will put back. The upper class (which got almost all of the money from the tax cuts) are proven less likely to spend their money than middle and lower class citizens, and when they do spend it, they are more likely to spend a larger portion of it abroad. This is not money that is comming back into the economy, completely negating the "trickle-down" argument supplied by this administration.

The final, and worst argument that I see most often comes even from my most repected friends, and that is they don't want to be an "ABB or Anybody but Bush" voter. Let me tell you that first of all, while John Kerry may not be the ideal President, he is certainly better than the sitting one. No one in their right mind can say that Bush has been honest and open with us. He has used false information to lead us to follow his personal agenda. Also note here, that I am not disagreeing with the war (that is a seperate issue I will not yet address), but I am saying that we were not given the adequate information as a nation to make the decision of whether or not we should go to war. He has misled us, and he has not done his job. The economy is not recovering in the areas we need it to, we have made more enemies than friends across the globe, and we have not gained any significant benefits out of his four years. I say to you, YES! ANYBODY BUT BUSH!!!

Finally, I want you to think about what this election means. Last night, Cheryl spoke of this being the "single most important election of our lives" and I believe it to be true. I think that more often than not, people look at the next four years when they consider a President. We cannot do that this time. In all likely hood, the next President will appoint at least 3 Supreme Court Justices. Their tinure on average is 40 years! I don't know about you, but I cannot fathom what our nation would be like with justices appointed by the same man who appointed John Ashcroft. I do not exagerate when I say that it terrifies me. That is the last point I want to make. When you vote for President, you aren't just chosing that man. You are also choosing his entire cabinet. How an you compare the team of Ashcroft, Cheney, and Rumsfield, to the fairmindedness of people like John Edwards. I will again admit that there are better people than Kerry. But I also know that a lot of these good people will work with Kerry should he be elected. His cabinet is stronger and more fairminded, things that we have never seen from the Bush administration.

I am sorry to take you through this political ranting, but I agree that there is nothing more important that I can say as we move into the last 24 days before the election. Please, take my words to heart. Share them with your neighboors, friends and family. Ask questions, seek the truth of what I say, and most importantly think about the ramifications of what this election is. I would love to be able to have the consolation on November 2 of knowing that even if we lose in 4 years we can try again, without Bush, but the truth of the matter is, I honestly fear too much what the country will look like in 4 years should W get elected again. Please... take the time... talk to people... Make the right decision and help others to do so too.