American Elections

Amongst all the Reality TV tat I still take note of the world around me. I have, of course, been following the American elections, originally with optimism, then with distress and horror. It is hard to imagine what appealed to the American voter about George W Bush. Justifiable criticisms leveled against John Kerry include the fact that is has changed direction and been inconsistent, that he is unlikely to stand up to terrorists and they are not sure where he stands on certain issues. According to reports, America took the moral vote and went with Bush because of his religious convictions, he was against gay marriage, and was the most likely candidate to get the Pro-Life cause heard. The BBC website has some interesting comments from American voters here. The content is being updated all the time so you may have to scroll down quite a way to find the gems. Here are my highlights:

I voted for Bush to usher in the complete and utter destruction of
the United States. Sometimes, you just have to tear it all down and
start over again. No one will destroy America faster than Bush. Go Bush!
Tim, Los Angeles, CA, USA

I voted for Mr Bush because he stands for the values as defined by the
word of God. Mike McF, Frisco, Texas, USA

I moved to Europe nearly a year ago...Tended to vote Republican most
of my life...However, my support for Bush was galvanized by seeing the
completely unfair treatment he gets in the media here and hearing the
constant criticism and contempt displayed for him by most Europeans.
John, Stockholm, Sweden

Bush is against abortion and that is all that matters to me. That is the
only issue I consider and there are a lot of Americans who feel the same
way. Some people say it is ignorant to disregard the other issues, and
maybe it is, but that is how I feel. Bertha, Upstate NY

I voted for Bush because I am Pro-Life and against gay marriage.
Bush stands more for these issues than does the Democratic Party.
David Schultz, Fenton, Iowa, USA

I believe America is in the middle of a culture war, perpetuated by
Hollywood, the media, and elitists who are tearing down the
traditional values that are so important to me...Carrie, Pittsburgh,
PA, USA

Will never sign the Kyoto insane Protocol
Miek Kondracki, American in Poland

I voted for Bush because I a run a larger corporation that needs
him in office. Without the Bush administration...my company would
not be able to make such large profits... [they] provided the necessary
loop holes in environmental and fair competition laws....allowed us to
exploit the intent of the law without fear of prosecution.
J Black, Atlanta, GA

Gay marriage and abortion are a threat to our culture and security.
I voted to preserve the morale values of this country.
Howard, Chicago, USA

This is just the tip of an iceberg. There are some very intelligent posts on that comments list, and there are some scary ones.

On a lighter note, I am liking this site at the moment.