With the presidential election just 37 days away, the latest polls across the country still show a close race between President Bush and John Kerry. Most polls show about a 45-43 race between voters that are completely committed to their candidate. That is, Bush could snort cocaine with his dog in Crawford and still would get 45 percent from the \W"" supporters. Kerry could punch a Catholic priest for denying him Communion and would still garner 43 percent.
About 91 percent of voters in this country are deadlocked. It doesn't matter if the Swiftboat Veterans spend millions more attacking John Kerry, or Dick Cheney tells another senator to fuck off on the Senate floor, or Bush tries to tell us that homosexuals will ruin the sanctity of marriage, or Zell Miller loses it in another speech, or Michael Moore comes out with another ""Fahrenheit"" or Jenna ""Anheuser"" Bush bongs a beer (or 10). And by the way, Janet Jackson's nipple won't play a part in this election either.
As if that weren't enough, now come the most recent attacks against Bush's military service in 1972. Political operatives are arguing over whether the font in the documents makes the records official or phony.
The bottom line is this: Nov. 2, about 9 percent of registered voters in this country will go to the polls and choose the candidate that they feel will be best for them and their loved ones on the following issues: jobs, the economy, health care and the war on terror. If you can select three out of those four issues and firmly believe that one candidate would handle them more effectively, then that is who you should be voting for.
I am tired of hearing the phrases ""swiftboats,"" ""girly-men,"" ""flip-flop,"" and ""sanctity of marriage."" It sounds like some third-grade shouting match between two annoying kids. There are far too many important issues to be focusing on here in Wisconsin that affect us all.
I want to know what each candidate plans to do about the 2.8 million manufacturing jobs that have left this country, leaving millions of blue-collar workers that have specialized in a trade jobless and dependent on Social Security (which affects us all). I want to know each candidate's plan for improving the health care system in this country, which 45 million Americans currently lack and which is also driving small businesses out of this state at an alarming rate due to the enormous insurance costs (over $6,400 per employee). I want to know what each candidate plans to do in terms of economic policy so that we (and our kids, and kids' kids) aren't bearing the burden of a projected $440 billion deficit by the end of the fiscal year. I want to know how each candidate plans to improve the public education system because the ""No Child Left Behind"" act has been underfunded by $26 billion and college grants for low-income students are being cut from budgets across the country.
Clinton's advisor said it best: ""It's the economy, stupid."" If the candidates don't start focusing on the real issues instead of things that happened 30 years ago, then our entire country suffers and fewer independents will go to the polls. And let's be honest, none of us want to be held responsible for certain things we've done in our past. Let's start talking about issues that really matter. On second thought, maybe Janet Jackson's nipple will play a part. After all, that ring was huge.
