A Father's Request to Fellow FReepers

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My oldest daughter turned 18 just in time to vote in this presidential election. She is a product of a the California public school system and is attending a Western state university. I convinced her to register to vote because of the importance of fulfilling her civic duty, but she still hasn't made up her mind between Bush and Kerry. Her appetite for politics is pretty low and she doesn't have much spare time to read up on the issues and candidates because of her college workload.

How would you go about convincing her to vote for Bush? Can you recommed a short and concise summary of the candidate's positions? I especially want to explain to her how dangerous Kerry would be to our nation's survival, but she tends to dismiss any information provided by Dad as being terribly biased.

I've saved many articles over the spring and summer from many great authors and analysts like Steyn, Davis-Hanson, Henniger, etc., but it takes a person a long time to digest all these to form a coherent view of why Bush is good and Kerry is bad.

What would you do? Thanks for your help!

[christie]

.
I put together a couple of web sites to help counter the media garbage.

First is an easy to read chart of what the media was saying pre-911 (and after): Connect the Dots...Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

And then I have the John F. Kerry Timeline which has lots of facts and quotes about the president-wannabe.

This should be a start.
.

[nmh]

Have her read this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1247669/posts

Or just spend some time on FR.

[Capriole]

I would send her this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1247968/posts

It's relatively short and sweet, quite persuasive.

I would tell her also that although many of her friends may be voting for Kerry, few of them will be able to put together a coherent defense of the man and his positions; their arguments may be amusing but will be facile, no more complex than saying, "Dude, Bush is an idiot, yo." Even his supporters cannot claim great enthusiasm or put together a non-emotional case for his election.

I would say also that it might be difficult to be a Bush supporter in California, particularly in college, but if she wants to be a real adult she must sometimes take unpopular positions and do what is right and courageous rather than what is weak and popular. (It usually helps sway kids when you can appeal to their vaunted "maturity.")

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

If she can be talked to about the validity of the Iraq War, use this link

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1244142/posts

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

Go to stolenhonor.com and get their DVD and have her spend 42 minutes watching it. Its a medium youth can relate to, it takes less than an hour of her time, and it leaves little doubt about what sKerry did to his comrades in arms and his fitness to be commander-in-chief.

[silent_jonny]

Excellent!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thank you.

[lsee]

Kerry and Bush side-by-side

Read the sample pages...

[wagglebee]

Ed Koch, the very liberal former NYC mayor has written extensively why he is supporting Bush, solely due to the war on terror. This probably isn't enough to immediately change her mindset, but it might be a start.
http://newsmax.com/pundits/Koch.shtml

[gaspar]

Take away her credit card.

[MoJo2001]

This is courtesy of my Dad who has used this on one of my sister in laws.

Answer these questions!
(Since this is your daughter, we'll change the scenarios.)

1) If a guy tries to rape you, do you have the right to defend yourself? Yes or no?

If the answer is "yes", how would you defend yourself? Would use a gun if you had it?
Answer this for me: Which party wants to take that option away from women by pushing for gun control?

2) If you and your friends are hanging out at the mall, would you rather have a terrorist attack while you are shopping for this season's new fashion trends? Or would you rather send Troops to hunt, track down, and kill terrorists in their own backyard? If you choose the latter, which candidate is currently doing that?

3) If mom and dad give you 20 bucks to spend at the mall with your friends, can we take 50 percent of it to make sure that someone in the Ghetto can have money to have fun as well? If not, why not? Isn't it your responsibility as an American to make sure everyone has the same as you? If you believe that the government should allow you to keep your own money, then you're in the same corner as President Bush.

I could write it all down for you, but you can start there. My sister in law couldn't get past the first one.
 

[ILBBACH]

From what I've read on other threads, maybe seeing the movie "Team America" could have an impact?

Team America thread

Full disclosure: I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to soon!

[CDHart]

One of the things that impressed our daughter the most was the difference between socialism and capitalism. We said imagine that you work hard and study and get an "A" on an exam. But the teacher says Johnny over here failed it, because he didn't study, and he needs a passing grade. So the teacher takes some of your grade and gives it to Johnny. Now you have a "C" and so does Johnny, even though you worked and he didn't. She was only 8 years old at the time, but it sure hit home. She remembers it to this day.

Carolyn

[mathluv]

dims want a draft.

[workerbee]

If you have a good relationship with her, tell her to trust dear ole dad and vote as he does -- then she can spend the next few years getting in tune with politics and learning for the next election.

If she tends to do the opposite of you just because -- ask her to list 5 things Kerry has done that she thinks are positives. If she can't do that, she should ask herself if he's worth voting for. If she "just doesn't like Bush", tell her the devil she knows is better than the one she doesn't. This goes double if she can't come up with a "positive" for Kerry that doesn't involve Bush's name (as in, "Bush rushed to war, so I'm voting for Kerry" or "Bush gave tax cuts to the rich, so I'm voting for Kerry").

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Well it may be a bit late for this election... but.. here is what I do with my oldest son - who BTW can not wait until he is old enough to vote.

First I have taken him with me ,since he was born, to see how I vote. He understands the process of one person - over 18, one vote. Then we talk about freedom and history's bad guys, American good guys... esp. the military. We talk about the Revolutionary war and the King and the Red Coats... and how it is cool not to have someone tell you what to do all the time.

We talk about the American flag, the Gladsen flag and I bring out all my flags. We have a parade and play really cool American music.

We talk about the difference between America and other countries and how the power to vote is AWAESOME. We have an election day party and make Apple pie.

And then I tell him..." This is who I want to be President and this is why.... when you are older you will get to choose for yourself who you like. You may agree with me and you may not, but being an American it is your duty to those good guys- a long time ago who gave up their lives so you could vote.. and you had better be respectful of that always. Voting is your duty to those who have gone before us and fought for us."

Every year he asks ,"how much longer Mom"... he has a ways to go. I answer,"About 12 years more, my son, only 12 short years."

[Joaquin]

A Father Daughter Talk

A young woman was about to finish her first year of
college. Like so many others her age she considered
herself to be a very liberal Democrat and was for
distribution of all wealth. She felt deeply ashamed
that her father was a rather staunch Republican which
she expressed openly.

One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs
and his opposition to higher taxes on the rich & more
welfare programs. In the middle of her heart felt
diatribe based upon the lectures she had from her far
left professors at her school, he stopped her and
asked her point blank, how she was doing in school.

She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA,
and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That
she had to study all the time, never had time to go
out and party like other people she knew. She didn't
even have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have
many college friends because of spending all her time
studying. That she was taking a more difficult
curriculum.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your
friend Mary."
She replied, "Mary is barely getting by", she
continued, "all she has is barely a 2.0 GPA" adding,
"and all she takes are easy classes and she never
studies." But to explain further she continued
emotionally, "But Mary is so very popular on campus,
college for her is a blast, she goes to all the
parties all the time and very often doesn't even show
up for classes because she is too hung over."

Her father then asked his daughter, "Why don't you go
to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off
your 4.0 GPA and give it to her friend who only had a
2.0." He continued, "That way you will both have a

3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair equal
distribution of GPA."

The daughter visibly shocked by the father’s suggestion
angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I worked
really hard for mine, I did without and Mary has done
little or nothing, she played while I worked real
hard!"

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the
Republican Party."

[No Blue States]

Great advice a young girl will relate to.
I might use that with my own daughter sometime.
thanks.

[workerbee]

You might also remind her that "A list of complaints isn't a plan."

(You don't have to tell her who said it. lol)

[silent_jonny]

I'd like to see your post printed on about a million or so leaflets and dumped from the sky on every college and university in the country.