Why Bush won - It's pretty simple, really -- Kerry was a poor candidate.

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.salon.com

Nov. 4, 2004 | Am I the only one who thinks the Bush victory isn't a fundamental realignment of the electorate (a rightward shift toward "values") and instead suggests something more simple -- that John Kerry was a pretty poor candidate with a not-exactly-great political team running against a pretty good candidate with a tested political team who, as the incumbent during a time of war, probably couldn't have lost against anyone anyway, no matter how badly he did in the debates?

Exit polls show that almost everyone who voted for Bush did so because they loved him, while a large number of people who voted for Kerry did so because they hated Bush, not because they were particularly fond of Kerry. I'm one of these people and I know that many others (the Dean supporters, the former Nader supporters, the Edwards supporters, the moderates) also only supported Kerry because he was the guy on the ballot not named Bush.

The flip-flop charge wasn't a mere political slogan, it was real. Who knows where Kerry stood on what? To me it's clear that's what did him in. Was he a hawk or a dove? If he was a hawk, why did he vote against the first Gulf War? If he was a dove, why did he vote for the second? Was he for gay marriages or against them? Saying that you believe marriage is between a man and a woman, but that you also believe that the Constitution shouldn't ban gay marriage, is a position of political convenience, an attempt to have it both ways. You don't please the people who, like me, believe that we should have gay marriages, and you certainly don't please the people who believe that gay marriage should be outlawed. All you're telling people is that you can't make up your mind. And that was his problem with Iraq, too.

[cubsfan forever]

1. Horseshit! The election was stolen! n/t

Professor 2

[leftyandproud]

14. GET OVER IT

Yes I said it...I'm sick of these "he stole it" threads.

The GOP creamed us...picked up more governorships, more state houses, more senate seats, and more house seats...They increased majorities EVERYWHERE across the country and Bush got 3.7 million more votes than kKerry. It is fucking OVER.

Deal with it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Warren O'Dell

Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell Warren O'Dell

[ElsewheresDaughter]

2. that's BULLSHIT!

[blm]

3. What a moronic assessment. Did Fox and Friends write it for him?

Is this more David Horowitzing? Attack the left pretending to BE from the left.

[2Design]

4. BS - the media gave him a free reign and went after a war hero

[BlueEyedSon]

He won the primaries, so the system says he was the best

of what we had to run

[aquart]

5. We aren't veering right. Kerry was a great candidate.

The election was stolen by Republican-run machines. There is NOTHING else to discuss.

[Anakin Skywalker]

12. Agreed.

The no paper trail part greatly disturbs me.

[Warpy]

6. Now that is an example of self loathing and dumbfuckery

if I ever saw one. Kerry was a good candidate. He made two serious blunders, but he ran a clean campaign. He addressed the issues and spoke powerfully about them. He was a great candidate.

He got Diebolded.

[dand]

7. Why Bush won - think diebold stupid.

[Tempest]

8. What the fuck does a technology writer know about politics?

Farhad Manjoo is a staff writer for Salon Technology & Business.

[MrTriumph]

9. Kerry did a great job

From someone who was not enthusiastic about Kerry to start with, I say he did a great job.

[Tempest]

11. I agree

Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach (or write).

This guy must have been a failure in the IT world.

[TexasSissy]

10. That description of Kerry's positions is simplistic and naiive, much

like Bush described Kerry's positions.

I understand, and agree with, many of Kerry's positions. Because someone doesn't agree with them, or they are too nuanced for that person to get, doesn't mean there's something wrong with them.

Gay marriage - Kerry was personally against it. He only said that when directly asked about his personal opinion on it. Governmentally, his position was/is that that's a state issue to be determined by each state. Therefore, he doesn't think it should be addressed federally by putting it in the federal Constitution or whatever. Pretty simple. What's not to understand about that?

The 1st Gulf War - I disagree with his vote there, but I understand it. A lot of Dems voted against it. He didn't think that everything else had been done that was possible, before war was declared.

Iraq War - He gave the authorization because he believed & trusted Bush (which was foolish) when he said he needed that authorization when he went to the U.N., so that when he went there & dealt with Saddam everyone would know he had the full weight of the U.S. behind him. He promised he would not go to war until after the inspections were completed and all diplomatic means were exhausted - the war would be a last result. Bush lied (surprise).

The problem with Bush is that he sees issues as black or white. You're either with us or against us. It's right or wrong. It's war or not. Foreign policy issues, I believe, are never that stark. Kerry sees things as more complex and nuanced. So anyone who sees things as black and white (lots of stupid Americans, apparently) would have trouble understanding Kerry's positions.

Since he was never actually President, people could not see the ACTION that his positions would have generated. They would have understood that better, I think.

[Ardee]

13. All these knee-jerk reactions

and bile directed at the author....yet Kerry really did run a so-so campaign, IMO. While he was eloquent when describing his position on a womans right to choose (he would be a President for all Americans, not just those who felt as he did)he just failed to call Bush on his lies and distortions in a clear and decisive manner, again, IMO. He seemed to be far too much of a me-too guy on far too many issues.

I honestly feel that we have seen two very weak campaigns from the Democrats, in 2000 and again this time and it just makes me wonder......

[Skittles]

15. a poor candidate for misinformed voters

who prefer a stupid asshole who pretends to be president - badly

[cornermouse]

17. A little too pontifical and ponderous for me.

I voted for him anyway. But he didn't always seem natural which could have led some people to erroneously conclude that he was lying.

He was probably at his best in the debates and I think that he would have probably done very well once in office.

[phantom power]

18. I usually like this guy, but he really blew it with this essay

Hawk or dove???? Give me a break.

[a new day]

19. Kerry was excellent, the news this morning makes him even better

John Kerry politely listened to a hagiofied Bill Clinton (made godlike by poor memories and his ample charm) tell him to bash gays and come out in favor of the 11 ballot measures banning gay marriage.
Kerry wouldn't do it.

That's character, folks, and we had a candidate who has it.