John and Mike, please have a look at this exhaustive research.
Again, John and Mike, a few personal campaign observations:
As you know, John, I decided after the first debate to spend a good part of the next few weeks doing all that I can to educate people regarding the Kerry/Edwards ticket. I spent similar time back in April (almost exactly six months ago) talking about Pat Toomey to a few local civic and community groups, and going door-to-door during the month or so before the April primary election. My heart is less passionately into stumping for Bush than it was for Toomey (mainly because there is a vast difference in the caliber of their conservatism), but the evil represented by the prospect of a Kerry victory makes up for the passion disparity.
In working for Toomey back in April I realized that (1) it is the door-to-door, one-on-one communication that seems to have the most impact, (2) people are very receptive to someone who shows up at their door in a non-aggressive, non-threatening, common sense manner, and (3) most people are not very well informed about either the issues or the candidates. They seem to have latched onto superficial, oft-repeated, soundbite (mis)information, but they are willing to listen.
So, after the debacle that was the first debate, I decided to give it one more try and spend much of my free time between that debate and November 2nd returning to the same neighborhoods I visited back in April. I don’t believe most voters -- here in Pennsylvania, or anywhere else for that matter -- comprehend just how critical this election is, and I will rest better at night knowing I at least did what I could to see to it that Kerry/Edwards do not win Pennsylvania’s twenty-one possibly pivotal electoral votes.
So far I have probably knocked on about 150 doors, and hope to be able to reach 300-400 more by November 2nd. Once again, I am gratified by the number of people who are willing to open their homes to a stranger, and who are open minded and eager to learn things of which they may not be aware.
One of countless examples of what I have run into in the past couple of weeks:
Just tonight, I visited with an elderly couple who have apparently been indoctrinated by material they have received from AARP. I had been under the misconception that people in their age range (late seventies to early eighties) would be immovable in their conservative viewpoint, as members of ‘the greatest generation’. But apparently they, too, can be influenced by the barrage of leftist propaganda spewed forth by supposedly unbiased, senior-friendly organizations.
I bring along with me my copy of ‘Unfit for Command’, as well as dozens of articles/commentaries I have excerpted from Federalist Patriot, National Review, Human Events, American Spectator, Kerry’s ‘The New Soldier’, etc. Most, if not all, of what is contained in those excerpts is completely foreign to most of the people with whom I speak. Tonight, the elderly gentleman was amazed by many of the facts about Kerry’s past that we discussed. And, when I left, he gave me a hug, and said that he was ‘horrified’ (his word) by the many skeletons in Kerry’s closet, and the fact that so few news outlets are taking it upon themselves to bring them to light.
As it was during the Toomey campaign, while I am uplifted by the average person’s willingness to listen and comprehend (and by the number who seem to be swayed toward voting Republican after listening and questioning), it is still very disturbing to be personal witness to the number of voters who had intended (and I’m sure some still do intend) to vote based on superficial perceptions resulting from snippets of campaign advertising, much of which is distorted or out and out fabrication. For every one voter whose door is approached by a Republican hoping to inform them, I am sure there are a thousand who will enter the voting booth in three weeks never having been ‘set straight’. It’s beyond disheartening.
So, while I return home every night uplifted by the fact that people are very one-on-one receptive, the ‘bigger picture’ is pretty grim.
And, even if we pull this election out of the fire, it’s discouraging to look much beyond 2004. With each succeeding year, the American populace becomes less informed and more special-interest oriented. Combining the ongoing illegal alien problem (whose solution is nowhere in sight) with the ‘education’ that our children are receiving in our public schools (placing less emphasis on our proud heritage, and civics in general, every year – focusing instead on phony, leftist multicultural philosophies), and the Marxist influence in virtually every institution of higher education, exactly what kind of optimistic view can we embrace of the intelligence/knowledge/allegiance of the new (both alien and youth) voters coming down the pike? Where is there a reason to believe that future disingenuous, un-American, anti-liberty candidates and programs of the Kerry ilk will be held accountable by a citizenry that is even more apathetic, disinterested, special-interest-oriented, or leftist-indoctrinated than today’s voters?
Patriotism requires allegiance, education, strength, endurance, courage, resolve, and action. But it does not require the wearing of rose-colored glasses. Until our leadership addresses the illegal alien problem, until the number of voters who feed at the government socialist welfare/entitlement trough (as forewarned by deTocqueville) can be dramatically reduced, and until we determine to educate our children as to their proud heritage and the dangers posed by relinquishing it, election results will continue to fall in favor of powerful liars who can voice the biggest promises to the host of least informed minds.
I believe we are fighting a losing battle. But, unless and until the battle is lost, we are called to continue to do our part to keep the enemies (both foreign and domestic) at bay. To do any less would hold us just as accountable as those passive, 'sideline Americans' who choose not to be a part of the crusade to reclaim this republic from the scoundrels who call themselves leaders, but who bear no allegiance to our Founders and their vision.
I’ve had to stop discussing politics with some of my friends, sensing that they are made uncomfortable by my continued pessimism. And I understand that. So I leave politics aside when in their company, and we invariably enjoy our time together. I figure it’s better to temporarily shelve my political opinions altogether than to don rose-colored glasses and verbalize an optimism that I don’t honestly embrace. Can’t pretend to feelings I don’t have, and never did look good in pink anyway. :)
~ joanie
Thanks much for the encouraging reply! As you talk with people, I'd be interested to know if any particular piece of information proves useful for making the case against Kerry. I'm considering doing some shorter pieces emphasizing the most relevant pieces of information.
Not because I'm afraid of talking to strangers, but I imagine that I just wouldn't know what to say. It sounds like have prepared yourself, so that would help a lot.
In my mind, I could find hundreds of things to tell people against Kerry, but the hard part for me would be finding good things to say about President Bush. There are only two that I can think of.
His conduct of the war on terror (a very important positive which trumps a lot of negatives), and
The tax cuts he pushed through
I'm interested in how you handle it when someone asks about the massive budget deficit, the new entitlement programs, his support for the UN, and his leaving our borders open, etc.
If you have the time, you should find a copy of Richard Miniter's new book Shadow War. It documents what the administration has been doing "secretly" in the WoT.
Then again, I think that I hear a book in process ... something along the lines of, let us say, that you did, sort of, return to college. Tell that story, about a brave young woman who ventures into the fray.
I think that you'd be amazed, how many young people would like such a novel, that would support them in the contest.
I wish I had such a novel by Joanie F., when I was in college, as well as headed there. Something that, through the telling of the story, shows a kid how to debate and deliberate and how and where to get information other than in the liberal media of from comrade fuzzy thinker up there at the board.