How much better than Bush would a President Kerry be?

[Gringo]

How much better than Bush would a President Kerry be?

[IndianaGreen]

1. Changes will be on the margins.

It is an illusion to believe that the issues confronting working people can be resolved simply by the removal of Bush. The Bush administration is, in the final analysis, the political expression of the desperation, disorientation and recklessness of the American ruling elite as it confronts a systemic social and economic crisis for which it has no rational, let alone progressive, solution. There is no question that Bush and his associates represent an especially foul, reactionary and even criminal element within this elite. But even if they were to be removed in November, their replacement by the candidates of the Democratic Party would not substantially alter the violent and destructive trajectory of American capitalism, either within the United States or internationally.

In the event of a Democratic Party victory, the campaign promises would soon be exposed as cynical exercises in electioneering demagogy. A new Democratic president would remain subservient to the same corporate interests and pursue the same imperialist strategy of world domination.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/stat-j27.shtml

[AbbeyRoad]

2. Yes

Very eloquently put.

[mikehiggins]

4. True as that might be, it will still be better for more people if the

BushCo avatar is removed from office.

[ArmchairActivist]

3. I'm with IG...

Sadly, we're not going to see much in the way of fundamental change whichever Democrat takes office in January. That's not to say that there won't be some benefits, i.e.:

There'll be somewhat less than an outright assault on reproductive health.

The rate of environmental destruction will lessen, slightly.

We'll get at least one non-reactionary, non-psycho supreme court justice.

Probably no more expeditionary resource wars for a while.

Tax on highest brackets may go up a bit, maybe, if somehow the GOP loses hold of congress.

Other than that, I can't really think of much, but it's enough to make me punch the nominee's chad. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I guess.

-AA

[Mairead]

12. "whichever Democrat"

I think that overstates the case by quite a bit. Kucinich has committed to totally removing at least $300G p.a. from the funnels that lead to the pockets of the wealthy elites. Totally. That's quite a significant difference!

The other candidates all plan to continue pumping that money out of our pockets into the pockets of the owning class. Any increases in services to us will be billed to us at extra cost.

That is why Democratic politicians have the 'tax and spend' reputation: they deliver services to us, but we never come close to getting full value for money because the bills always include a percentage for the wealthy elites.

If we really want real change, we must elect Kucinich because he's the only one committing to deliver any.

[Desertrose]

19. ditto, Mairead...DK and only

DK is the only real change.

Peace
DR

[mikehiggins]

5. I would not dance naked in the street for anything, and as for

chopping off my own arm?

Still, symbolically that is where I stand.

ABB, baby!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. Other.

Kerry will be as good a President as Bush is bad.

Well, ok, that might be too much to ask...

[corporatewhore]

7. Not much will change as idiannagreen said in another thread

kerry's will be no different than bush except sugar coated and diff companies will get contracts in iraq

[sleipnir]

8. I'll second that thought. I'm sick of it all ready.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[britpopper]

9. Come on people!

Not that I am a Kerry supporter, I am still a Clark supporter, but two-week old jello would make a better president than Bush.

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

18. You are correct

And I don't even like fresh jello. (Voted to dance naked)

:)

[Zomby Woof]

10. I love nekkid dancing!

I will cheer the demise of the Bush regime in ways undreamed of.

[Zynx]

11. John Kerry is properly set up to become a mediocre president.

[molly]

13. Set up?

[library_max]

14. All the great progressive Democratic presidents

campaigned as moderates and then took opportunities that arose to swing left. I refer to FDR, JFK, and LBJ. None of them campaigned to the left. Look at Kerry's twenty-year record in the Senate (not just at three votes in the last two years). You'll see that he's properly positioned to be another progressive president if he gets a chance. Of course he'll need a dem congress, but so would any dem president. Failing that, the best he'll be able to do is block most of the Republican BS, the way Clinton did.

[killbotfactory]

15. What I expect from a Kerry presidency:

He won't appoint right-wing ideologues to the courts.
He won't let repubs attack reproductive rights.

That's it. My expectations are very low. Kerry will have four years to amaze me, but I doubt he'll do it.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. I put a damn sight better

I will dance in the streets if he wins, but Wes is the only one that would have had me dancing naked in the streets.

I actually told people before he dropped out that I would dance naked in the street if he won the presidency. Maybe word got through and that's why he dropped.:shrug:

[Toucano]

17. 45% better than Bush

I don't expect much change.

But I trust Kerry to appoint wise, fair people to the Supreme Court.

We all know how radical Bush's appointments would be. If Bush is allowed to repeat his term of idealogically driven, reckless, radical, fundamentalist government, a darkness will descend on this land for generations.

The Patriot Act, IWR, No Child Left Behind are small issues compared to the damage that awaits us if Kerry loses.

The Supreme Court is our last stand and the most paramount issue I can rally around Kerry for.

[Stuckinthebush]

20. Who in their right mind really things Kerry will be worse than Bush?

I think some people are letting their dislike for Kerry get in the way of common sense.