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I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending MY MONEY than I would. I think when you spread the wealth around it is good for everybody! It’s Patriotic!
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. All profits are evil and should be confiscated for Government Redistribution.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that MORE Government regulations and higher taxes on Business will stop Business from exporting their jobs to Countries with LESS Government regulations and lower taxes.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe terrorists should be allowed to have trials in American courts. And be able to subpoena top secret documents, soldiers, government officials, etc. to cross examine for their defense. They should have ACLU lawyers who can help intimidate Americans who serve on the juries!
I'm voting Democrat because I believe Gay Marriage should be the law of the land and will probably produce better children.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe English should not be the official language of the United States. I don’t mind pushing one for English when I use the phone.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe partial birth abortion is okay but water boarding a terrorist is disgusting.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe having a domestic terrorist like Bill Ayers as a close friend is a good thing. It allows for great relations with foreign terrorists.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe in a FREE government health care system. I believe doctors, nurses, hospitals, drug companies, etc. will gladly donate their time, products, services, facilities, etc. for FREE and that will be a better system.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe in and support trial lawyers, frivolous lawsuits and outrageous jury verdicts.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe 9/11 was an inside job to con the American people to go to war for oil.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe social security is solvent and that there is a social security lock box and I don’t believe social security is a Ponzi scheme.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe MOST AMERICANS are bitter and cling to their guns and religion. Let’s rid our country of guns and religion!
I'm voting Democrat because I believe illegal aliens deserve all the rights of ordinary Americans plus some additional rights Americans do not have.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe corporations should pay higher taxes! I believe higher taxes on business will make the price of their products and services LESS EXPENSIVE.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe groups like ACORN who register felons, drug addicts, wino’s, homeless drifters, illegal aliens, dead people, children, fictional Disney characters, etc. makes my vote count more.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe celebrating the winter solstice shows compassion for the small minority of people that do not celebrate Christmas.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe hard core criminal murders and rapists deserve life and that the innocent unborn deserve death. It’s a choice I can live with.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe Bush caused Hurricane Katrina and he blew-up the levies in the ninth ward of New Orleans.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that any one who is not partaking in one of the many wonderful government programs obviously has too much money and should pay higher taxes.
I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq the terrorists will be happy and now think of us as good people.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe our soldiers are AIR RAIDING villages and killing innocent people.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe sex in the Oval Office with an intern is a private matter and that everybody lies under oath about sex.
I'm votin Demokrat becuse I wus edumkated at a publick sckrool. I lik da Natsionel Edukatshun Assoseeashun!
I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as it does not offend people. Can’t we all just get along?
I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits are wrong. I believe higher taxes on oil companies will produce lower prices at the pump.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe we need to rid ourselves of dependency on foreign oil, BUT I AM AGAINST offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, drilling in Anwar, building nuclear power plants and clean coal technology.
And finally, I'm voting Democrat because I believe Reverend Wright when he said “GODDAMN AMERICA” and “OUR CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST”. Hey let’s make a comfortable nest for those chickens!
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And, point-by-point, my rebuttal:
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WHY I'M VOTING DEMOCRAT
By Megan Romer
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that intelligent, demand-side government spending stimulates the economy, creates job growth and ultimately gives me a fatter pocketbook, even if I happen to be paying a marginally larger percentage of my money to taxes. I also believe that I'm not personally capable of running a police department, fixing a road, educating the children of the nation, outfitting and training a military, analyzing complex international relations problems, funding the arts, preserving our nation's natural beauty and protecting the environment. I'd rather pay someone else to do it, and if the government's offering to allocate that money for me and run regulations, that's just fine with me, since I have a measured say in what government does (unlike what privatization of these industries would lead to).
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that businesses who make huge profits by taking American jobs overseas, creating massive pollution to manufacture our products when they do stay at home, hide their money in offshore accounts, treat their workers poorly, pay their CEOs ungodly wages, and have no accountability to anyone should pay for the damage they've caused, not receive tax benefits. Corporations should receive tax credits for creating GOOD jobs that pay living wages and provide necessary benefits, not for treating their workers like commodities.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that most big businesses and industries have proven that they're incapable of self-management. Good businesses should be rewarded financially for keeping jobs at home, keeping emissions down if they're manufacturers, etc. They should be punished financially for doing the opposite. Regulations clearly benefit me, as a worker and consumer, and since I am not capable of implementing them myself, I need my elected government to do that for me.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe terrorists should be allowed to have trials in American courts. And be able to subpoena top secret documents, soldiers, government officials, etc. to cross examine for their defense. They should have ACLU lawyers who can give them fair trials in front of American juries. This is the firmament of democracy, of advanced civilization. These rights are not only for alleged terrorists, but they protect me, my family, my community, and my democracy. Civil liberties are non-negotiable.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe gay marriage and gay adoptions should be legalized and protected. It is both socially and economically responsible to do so. As every peer-reviewed study of the subject has shown, one's sexuality is an innate trait and, much as we have laws against discrimination based on skin color, we must have laws that give equal rights to people of all sexual orientations. Also, every peer-reviewed study on the subject of homosexuals and their ability to raise children has shown that children of homosexual couples have no statistical differences (mentally, emotionally, educationally, physically) than children of heterosexual couples. The only argument against homosexual marriage or adoption rights is a purely theological one, and our constitution guarantees a separation of church and state.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that an "official language" of the United States is an irrelevant concept. I believe that good funding and training for teachers of English as a Second Language is vital, and all children should be learning English in school, but I also believe that native English speakers should similarly study another world language, as a global community requires globally-minded communicators, and all evidence points to the fact that children are more capable of learning foreign languages than adults are. I believe that easy access to free or very affordable English language classes should be given to adults who wish to advance their communication skills and job skills, but there's no logic in punishing people who are, for whatever reason, not able to learn English as adults.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe late term abortion is a horrific but occasionally necessary procedure that doctors are sometimes required to do in order to save a woman's life. The instances of late term abortion are extremely rare in this country (less than 1% of abortions are performed after 20 weeks, and are almost unheard of in the third trimester except in serious cases) and to deny doctors a "woman's health" clause is to deny doctors their fundamental right to save their patient's life. I believe that banning late-term abortions without such a clause begins a descent down a slippery slope that can quickly lead us back to the era of coat hangers and knitting needles. As for early-term abortions, I believe that appropriate, medically accurate sexual health education for all pre-teens and teenagers is the best step to preventing unwanted pregnancies and subsequent abortions. Abstinence education clearly does not work.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that Bill Ayers was a member of a domestic terrorist group that was responsible for zero civilian deaths (other than some of their own members, who were killed while building a bomb), and he was active in domestic terrorism 40 years ago, protesting a war that most Americans now feel was wrong. Since then, he has become a highly respected college professor who believes that the right to education is a fundamental right, and he has fought diplomatically and civilly for that right, working with both Republicans and Democrats to help our nation reach this goal. A casual association with Bill Ayers is of no concern to me. A close association with international war criminals like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld is of significantly greater concern.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe in an optional single-payer government health care system, such as the ones that are available in every other first-world country. Though I am realistic about the fact that this is not an immediately reachable goal and that for now, regulation of insurance companies, HMOs and the drug and healthcare industries will lead to lower costs and improved services for both myself and for people less fortunate than I am, and is the best short-term solution. I am not so naive to believe that "free" healthcare somehow means that doctors and nurses would work for free, and medicines would be donated; I do realize that all of these products and services must be paid for. However, I believe that a single-payer government-run system, if properly implemented with a sincere focus on preventative medicine, is the right answer.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe in the American judicial system. I do not believe in abuse of this system by power or money-hungry companies, but I believe that Americans have a fundamental right to seek justice if justice is owed to them. I think that frivolous lawsuits are an unfortunate side effect of an open judicial system, but I think that throwing the baby out with the bathwater is ridiculous.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that the Bush administration blatantly lied to the American people when the Iraq war was related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Though I support our brave troops, I believe that the most patriotic thing to do is to create a pragmatic and logical timeline in which to bring them home from Iraq. I also believe that we need to repair relationships with our NATO allies that were damaged in our ill-advised occupation of Iraq.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that social security funds will be gone far too soon, and Americans deserve the right to retire and seek social security when they have justly contributed to the American workforce for their entire adult lives. I believe that thoughtful social security reform is necessary and should be a priority, in order to protect this generation and future generations.
I'm voting Democrat because I think that Americans have been fed lines of fear and lies on golden platters for far too long, forcing them to find protection or denial however they can, whether it be God, guns, drugs, alcohol, education, or any combination thereof. I think the American people deserve more respect than they've been given by any of the Republican administrations in the last 30 years, and that level of respect will not drive people out of their churches, but rather lead them there to praise their God instead of hide behind Him.
I'm voting Democrat because our nation is a nation of immigrants, and the immigrant workforce remains vital to our nation. Xenophobia is a much stronger factor in the war on immigration than any economic issues. Good, sensible policies on immigration are necessary, but basic and fundamental human rights should indeed be granted to all immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that corporations, like individuals, should be treated in a way that corresponds to how they treat their workers, the environment, and our country. I am fully aware that the vast majority of money that corporations make goes to the corporate executives, and average workers see none of that money, nor do consumers see lower prices on that corporation's products and services. I believe that CEOs should not be rewarded for treating humans as "less-than."
I'm voting Democrat because I was thoughtful enough to do my research and realize that ACORN has followed the law to the letter, and all allegations of voter fraud actually stemmed from ACORN following the correct voter registration process: all voter registrations that are collected by volunteers or staff must be turned over to the government, with any suspicious registrations marked for removal (the registration organization cannot, themselves, remove ANY registrations, even those for Mickey Mouse, by law). ACORN tagged all suspicious registrations so that they'd be appropriately dealt with, and are now being maligned for following a good, transparent process that is clearly working well, as the suspicious registrations ARE being deleted and the good registrations are allowing people to vote.
I'm voting Democrat because I don't think that minority religions should be scoffed at or maligned. I believe that freedom of religion is the cornerstone of our democracy, and to put down any one religion is simply unacceptable. I believe that the government should stay completely out of religious affairs, and that includes religious holidays. I believe that an open dialogue between leaders of multiple faiths (as well as atheists and agnostics) is something that is too often missing in our public discourse, and I'd like to see more of it.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that criminals deserve a fair trial, with punishment for crimes made based on thoughtful, intelligent laws. As a Democrat, I'm proud that the leaders of my party are willing to address people with beliefs on both sides of the death penalty issue, because there's clearly no cut-and-dry solution and the pros and cons are extremely complicated. As a Democrat, I believe in demand-side economics, which in this case means that I realize that most murderers and rapists fit a specific socioeconomic profile, and that a war on poverty and a serious investment in the education of our nation's children are the biggest steps we can take toward fighting crime. Similarly, I believe that a war on poverty and a serious investment in the education of our nation's children are the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and, subsequently, abortions - another issue where the answers are not easy ones.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that failed environmental policies have begun a serious cycle of global warming, and more specifically, have led to major erosion of the coastlines of the Gulf states. These two factors perhaps led to an epic hurricane, which killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more. I am aware that New Orleans is an impoverished city with fewer resources than many other cities have, and therefore required assistance at a national level. However, FEMA, under the Bush administration, severely botched evacuation, rescue, and recovery efforts, and New Orleans has little hope of ever properly recovering. I believe that Gulf Coast cities are important to our economy as they're major ports and close to a large portion of our nation's offshore oil resources, and steps must be taken to adequately protect these cities and their citizens.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that everyone takes part in our nation's "socialist" programs. Even my wealthiest friends drive on our roads, use water from the faucet, and even visit a national park now and again, and should not be exempted from taxes simply because they don't use food stamps or receive unemployment insurance.
I'm voting Democrat because our occupation of Iraq has caused a glut of terrorism in a country that was formerly home to few or no terrorists. This ill-advised occupation has caused more harm than good, and I believe that our continued presence causes a growing insurgency, and a sensible timeline for withdrawal is best for us and best for the Iraqi people.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be mismanaged and we are not getting the information that we deserve to know.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that sexual contact between adults is a private matter, and though I certainly do not condone the actions of our former president, I also do not believe that taxpayer money should have been spent so wantonly on an investigation that revealed little more than sordid gossip. I believe that President Clinton received a fair punishment for lying under oath, and I believe that it's high time for our country to move on.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that education is a basic human right. I believe that an educated populace and workforce leads to a boon of positive results: fewer crimes, a more productive economy, creativity, healthier people, lack of unwanted pregnancies, general satisfaction with life.... I'm a Democrat because I find it terrifying that there are people in this country who are vehemently anti-education. I'm a Democrat because I'm not willing to give up on public education, from the elementary to the collegiate level, and I believe that well-paid teachers and well-funded schools produce well-educated students. Punishing schools for poor performance only makes the problem worse, and the No Child Left Behind act has left entirely too many children and schools behind.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that freedom of speech is a fundamental right. I believe that my right to protest things that I find offensive is simply a healthy part of the freedom of speech cycle, and I wouldn't give up that right for the world.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that oil companies are greedy and self-serving, and do little to help the American people. I believe that the real solutions, though, lie in the promise of non-fossil fuels. I believe that good research in alternative fuels is the only way that our high-consuming country can remain viable in a global market. I also believe in funding good public transportation and otherwise reducing our overall dependence on petroleum products.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that an overall reduced dependence on petroleum products is a better way to reduce foreign dependence on oil than unregulated, environmentally dangerous drilling everywhere we can drag a drill. I believe that we need a thoughtful, safe energy policy that is globally competitive and modern, and all options are worth exploring. I do not, however, believe that free-for-all drilling is the correct solution to this problem.
I'm voting Democrat because although it may not be my life, I understand the frustration of groups of Americans who have been on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder for too long. Though I disagree with most of the statements of extreme speakers like Reverend Wright, I am not so naive as to believe that he is not speaking for a certain part of his constituency who are more severely hurting during this tumultuous political and economic era than some might imagine. I am sensitive enough to understand these frustrations, and yet aware enough to know that they are not my own. I believe that Barack Obama is, as well, and that is why I will be voting for him on November 4.
