Kerry's speech

Okay I just had the miserable luck of sitting through JK's speech. He was supposed to give specifics as to how he was going to save all of our souls and give free healthcare to everyone and their gerbils, but the only thing he actually succeded in was to remind me time and time again that he fought on the Delta in VietNam. ho hum. He NEVER gave any specifics, and you can't argue with that.

And although he wants to be optimistic and to work with Bush to strengthen America , HE would appoint people to his cabinet that would actually DO thier jobs as opposed to the ones that are in there now.

I so appreciated when he mentioned that HE would never get America involved a war unless there was no other way just like the founding fathers..... wait a minute... the founding fathers didn't HAVE to go to war against the British King, all they had to do was pay their *****ing taxes!!!!

So pray tell me what you think?

P.S. JK did have a chance to win my vote with this speech, he failed miserably. That was even a pathetic attempt at partisan rhetoric.

I didn't get to see it/hear it. Got a link to an overview of what he said? Or was he enough of a blabberer that he didn't say anything at all?

The jist of the speech was that he would make everything right with the world and pay for everything that anyone has ever promised the American people with the good looks of his running mate John Who?

Anyway, there'll be transcripts of it on the net in a matter of minutes so I'm sure you'll have some bedtime reading if don't want to take that valium you have.

I was just about to create a thread about the fireworks but this will do just fine!

I actually enjoyed the firework show but that's all it was, fireworks represent cannon fire in america. I'm going to honest here and say I enjoyed the "shock and awe" 100x better. I thought kerry voted against funding for the tomahawk missile? What was the theme "stronger america"?

Stronger America, praise the lord. Kerry can't decide what to do because he isn't sure who's palms to grease yet?

He also had a great line in a speech this morning.

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One if by land, two if by sea. And the message was right. Come to think of it, they had better intelligence back then than we do today about what's going on.

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Originally posted here by KorpDeath
JK did have a chance to win my vote with this speech, he failed miserably. That was even a pathetic attempt at partisan rhetoric.

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ditto

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Originally posted here by The Grunt
I didn't get to see it/hear it. Got a link to an overview of what he said? Or was he enough of a blabberer that he didn't say anything at all?

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he said absoutely nothing... it was long, boring, and it took off the shows that i wanted to watch (and i don't have much selection because i only have an antenna and pick up appx 6 channels)

personal note to JK -- you are dumb and an ass, that makes you a dumbass

im not sorry i turned him off but i would have liked to have heard this live:

DNC CONVENTION DIRECTOR ON-AIR CNN: 'We need all of them coming down. Go balloons- balloons? What's happening balloons? There's not enough coming down! All balloons, what the hell! There's nothing falling! What the f@#k are you guys doing up there? We want more balloons coming down, more balloons. More balloons. More balloons'...

heard world wide

MP3

I only heard half of it. For the part that I heard, it was a pretty good speech. Sometimes he sounded very vague and sometimes he sounded like a car salesman desperate to sell something or he'll get fired. He gave it his best, so lets see what happens. Hopefully Bush learns public speaking and performs better.

Some of you who thought it was utterly pathetic...are you saying that because it really was or just because you're a supporter of Bush?

Nice poll... my alternative is:
- Great
- Good
- Lame
- Utterly pathetic I want to have sex with Bush

At least my wife wouldn't vote for the last option in my alternative poll (I hope...) :D

I think there's a hidden footnote in the Constitution that says that all Acceptance Speeches need to contain the following, in this order:

1. A reference to the place where the convention is held, linking it to the US's history:

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Bush, 2000

Philadelphia, PA
Our founders first defined that purpose here in Philadelphia ... Ben Franklin was here. Thomas Jefferson. And, of course, George Washington -- or, as his friends called him, "George W."

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Kerry, 2004

Boston, MA
Home where our nation's history was written in blood, idealism, and hope.

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2. Facts about family and friends that nobody needs or wants to know

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Bush, 2000
To our daughters, Barbara and Jenna, we love you, we're proud of you, and as you head off to college this fall ... ... Don't stay out too late, and e-mail your old dad once in a while, will you?

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Kerry, 2004

I was born in Colorado, in Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, when my dad was a pilot in World War II. Now, I'm not one to read into things, but guess which wing of the hospital the maternity ward was in? I'm not making this up. I was born in the West Wing!

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3. Thank the other candidates from your party for giving you a hard time in the pre-elections

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Bush, 2000
I am grateful for John McCain and the other candidates who sought this nomination. Their convictions strengthen our party.

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Kerry, 2004
And standing with us in that fight are those who shared with me the long season of the primary campaign: Carol Moseley Braun, General Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman and Al Sharpton.
To all of you, I say thank you for teaching me and testing me – but mostly, we say thank you for standing up for our country and giving us the unity to move America forward.

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4. A KEY-LINE, to be repeated ad nauseum

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Bush, 2000
They had their chance/moment. They have not led. We will.

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Kerry, 2004
America can do better. And help is on the way.

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5. Some general facts that say it all and don't say anything at all.

6. Some mud-throwing.

7. Fire works!

Bush's speech in 2000 was one of the strongest, best-written I've ever seen. It contained all the same ingredients all acceptance speeches contain, but added some zing... Kerry's speech writers forgot to add that zing... but in essence, they're exactly the same.

Kerry needed more quotes like this one:

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Kerry, 2004
I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush's call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. How we wish it had stayed that way.

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That's what America should stand for, in stead of this ridiculous "liberal vs. conservative" bull.

And for those who say that Kerry didn't say anything: he did. He said it all and didn't say anything, just like any other acceptance speech. Here are the facts. If he wins, let's talk again in four years :)

General
- Restore trust and credibility to the White House
- Never mislead us into war. Attorney General who upholds the Constitution.
- No outsourcing

Military
- Ask hard questions and demand hard evidence
- Reform the intelligence system
- Never go to war because we want to, only because we have to
- Iraq: bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers.
- Rebuild our alliances
- Add 40,000 active duty troops
- Double special forces
- Newest weapons and technology
- End the backdoor draft of National Guard and reservists
- Lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation
- National security begins with homeland security
- Implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission

Social
- Not privatize Social Security
- Not cut benefits
- Pick your own doctor
- Medicare will negotiate lower drug prices for seniors
- Allowing Americans to buy less expensive prescription drugs from other countries

Economoy
- New incentives to revitalize manufacturing
- Investments in technology and innovation that will create the good-paying jobs of the future
- Close tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas
- Reward companies that create and keep good paying jobs in the US
- Trade and compete in the world
- Cut the deficit in half in four years by ending tax giveaways
- Cut middle class taxes
- Reduce tax burden on small business
- Roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals (over $200,000 a year) to invest in job creation, health care and education
- Energy plan: invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future

Education
- Smaller class sizes
- Tax credit to families for each and every year of college


Korp > Did he throw in that part about the Founding Fathers? It's not in the official version of his speech (no mention of Founding Fathers at all), and I didn't see it on TV (for obvious reasons)...

DJScribble > it's of course your own right to think about Kerry what you want, but I don't think he's dumb... an ass, maybe... dumb? Nah...

I loved your comments Negative, especially your poll choices. Great stuff.

He must've trown in it cause I did hear it, or something very very close to that. It was when he was bagging on Bush for getting into the war in Iraq, and that he would NEVER do something like that.

John Kerry forgot to mention one very important fact in his speech though, how he intends to pay for all his wonderful ideas...???

I was waiting with baited breath for that ONE fact, he said he wouldn't tax the middle class, in fact, he said he would lower our taxes. I'd love to know if he intends to raise taxes on the rich, cause I'm sure his wife would move all of her money out of the country, if it isn't already off-shore. I'd love to hear that he intends to donate his paychecks to this cause of his, this 'stronger" more "courageous" America.

You're right, he said what everyone wanted to hear, but said nothig as to how he intends to accomplish what everybody wants.

Welp... if Bush can cut taxes for all classes and still pay for everything, then it must definitely be possible to pay for everything by cutting the same taxes for lower and middle classes but at the same time rolling back the tax cuts for the higher incomes.

I don't think he's planning on raising taxes for the higher incomes, he's just going to rollback the tax breaks Bush is giving those higher incomes (and yes, that could be seen as a tax raise).

It'd be interesting to see some figures on this... the total Bush tax-cut is something along the lines of $250 billion, which is like $100 per American. If you make that tax cut only $90, you'll gain $25 billion dollars.... that's a lot of money :)
But that's not how's it going to be. The people who only got a $100 tax cut won't be bothered. It's the big guys that make hundreds of thousands of dollars and got thousands of dollars in tax cuts that will be affected. The result will be the same as my example (moneywise - $25 billion for 10%), though.

I don't know if that made sense... I can't wait until I find some numbers :D

And I think we're talking income-taxes here. Mrs. Kerry already has her money... it should be safe ;)

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Originally posted here by Negative
Welp... if Bush can cut taxes for all classes and still pay for everything, then it must definitely be possible to pay for everything by cutting the same taxes for lower and middle classes but at the same time rolling back the tax cuts for the higher incomes.

I don't think he's planning on raising taxes for the higher incomes, he's just going to rollback the tax breaks Bush is giving those higher incomes (and yes, that could be seen as a tax raise).

It'd be interesting to see some figures on this... the total Bush tax-cut is something along the lines of $250 billion, which is like $100 per American. If you make that tax cut only $90, you'll gain $25 billion dollars.... that's a lot of money :)
But that's not how's it going to be. The people who only got a $100 tax cut won't be bothered. It's the big guys that make hundreds of thousands of dollars and got thousands of dollars in tax cuts that will be affected. The result will be the same as my example (moneywise - $25 billion for 10%), though.

I don't know if that made sense... I can't wait until I find some numbers :D

And I think we're talking income-taxes here. Mrs. Kerry already has her money... it should be safe ;)

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Alot of americans pay 0 income-tax.

In case you aren't aware Mrs. Heinz-Kerry makes an assload of money each year. It's not like she's exclusively living off of inheritance with no new money coming in.

And yes many Americans pay no income tax even though they make more than 200,000 a year.

Ya know Greenspan already credited those tax cuts with helping keep the economy out of a major recession,whihch otherwise would've been imminent, which was a direct result of Clinton policy, so in all fairness, those cuts should stay intact.

Kerry made a speech? Glad I didn't waste my time.

According to the IRS, Americans paid $987,209,000,000 ($987 billion) in personal income taxes in 2003. If you include all the other federal taxes (corporation income taxes, employment taxes, gift taxes,...), the total is 1,952,929,000,000 ($1.9 trillion).

Now, there are (according to the White House official site) 34.6 million Americans living in poverty. For the bottom 60 percent of Americans, the tax cut was $304 on average. The average tax cut for Americans making over $1 million a year was $112,925...

1 in 100 Americans is a millionaire, meaning there are 2,900,000 millionaires in the US.
Take away their Bush tax-cut, and you'll have $327,482,500,000 ($327 billion).

That's where he'd get the money... (he'd only need $250 billion to give the middle incomes a real tax break). And I didn't even include the $200,000+ incomes.

Bush gave $250 billion in tax cuts mostly to the higher incomes. Kerry will give $250 billion in tax cuts to the middle incomes. The question shouldn't be "where does Kerry get the money?" (he'd simply take it away from the rich :) ), the question should be "where does Bush get the money?" (he's not taking away anything... he's only giving... hence the deficit... there's $500 billion in foreign capital paying for the Bush tax cut right now, and another $500 billion has been taken away from SS... that's enough to "pay" for four years of tax cuts. Who's going to pay back that money after four years, though?).

Tax cuts are great, but who's going to be in trouble when you have to loan the money from other countries? The US as a whole.

As a Brit, I'm not to sure of who JK is, let alone his wife.
So, Google to the rescue for us non-US of A's:

http://homepages.bw.edu/~gbouw/Mrs_Kerry.htm

And there is a LOT there to be concerned about.
My cousin lives and works in Texas, he was raving over General Wesley Clark. And he was more than a little bit peeved when the aforementioned General was pipped at the post.
With what he was telling us about this guy, I'm suprised that the electorate didn't go for him.
Any one have any words re:- GWC..........

My take on this is that Bush will win, due to a re-count in Florida........................:eek: :p

Well,

"reporting for duty"?

He needs a decent haircut :D

And 56 days at Colchester Military Corrective Training Centre

I vote Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as "Bubba" #1 and #2

Mind what you do with the soap............

:D :eek:

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Originally posted here by Negative
According to the IRS, Americans paid $987,209,000,000 ($987 billion) in personal income taxes in 2003. If you include all the other federal taxes (corporation income taxes, employment taxes, gift taxes,...), the total is 1,952,929,000,000 ($1.9 trillion).

Now, there are (according to the White House official site) 34.6 million Americans living in poverty. For the bottom 60 percent of Americans, the tax cut was $304 on average. The average tax cut for Americans making over $1 million a year was $112,925...

1 in 100 Americans is a millionaire, meaning there are 2,900,000 millionaires in the US.
Take away their Bush tax-cut, and you'll have $327,482,500,000 ($327 billion).

That's where he'd get the money... (he'd only need $250 billion to give the middle incomes a real tax break). And I didn't even include the $200,000+ incomes.

Bush gave $250 billion in tax cuts mostly to the higher incomes. Kerry will give $250 billion in tax cuts to the middle incomes. The question shouldn't be "where does Kerry get the money?" (he'd simply take it away from the rich :) ), the question should be "where does Bush get the money?" (he's not taking away anything... he's only giving... hence the deficit... there's $500 billion in foreign capital paying for the Bush tax cut right now, and another $500 billion has been taken away from SS... that's enough to "pay" for four years of tax cuts. Who's going to pay back that money after four years, though?).

Tax cuts are great, but who's going to be in trouble when you have to loan the money from other countries? The US as a whole.

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Once again, researching numbers seems to be one of your strong points, I'll give you that. But in the event that he could get the rich to pay their taxes fairly, which he won't I still don't think that even that much money is enough to pay for healthcare for every American, if that's what he truly intends to do, not to mention pay down the debt.

It's a nice idea in theory, but, like allot of things in life, theory as opposed to practice. In a perfect world that all sounds peachy but Kerry hasn't proposed any of these specifics, you have. He's been as general and obtuse as possible. He intends to hike taxes and who better to pick on than the middle class, after all they've always been willing to pay the tax or sacrifice the children in wars, etc etc.

As far as us owing foreigners, big deal, the amount of money we owe to foreign capital has gone from 1 trillion to 1.5 trillion since 2001. Not a huge jump.

I still say better the devill you know than the devil you don't know.

Let's make a law that limits what doctors can charge for certain things. That would help greatly. Do we really need healthcare for every american compared to some other things that are more important? What about education. Bush did **** for education, then my state got screwed over by a dumbass governer who cut money from schools, THEN on top of that this dumb**** in our town decided to be against property tax increase to support the schools, and people listened to him cuz they think he is "smart". The Federal gov. really needs to get some money to teachers as well, they get paid ****. I would know, I have to live off it. Single parent who's a teacher is a bad combination. I think education is worlds more important than healthcare paid for by the gov't. If people go get min. wage jobs and don't have 5 kids they can easily handle health care if they don't spend their money on stupid stuff. Schools are having trouble finding teachers, no one wants a job where they have to spend lots of money on college, then get the same pay as they can get working at a factory with a week of training. Education is going down the drain, and quick too.

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Originally posted here by KorpDeath
In case you aren't aware Mrs. Heinz-Kerry makes an assload of money each year. It's not like she's exclusively living off of inheritance with no new money coming in.

And yes many Americans pay no income tax even though they make more than 200,000 a year.

Ya know Greenspan already credited those tax cuts with helping keep the economy out of a major recession,whihch otherwise would've been imminent, which was a direct result of Clinton policy, so in all fairness, those cuts should stay intact.

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Greenspan gave the goahead with the spending and stated that the tax cuts were great. Everyone knows if that man farts in public, stock would fall in bean shares! ;)

But you know what class I was referring to. ;)


If John Kerry wins the presidency, his household will be the richest ever to occupy the White House. What was that about "Two Americas" how in the hell does that relate to poor america?

http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_l...0407140830.asp
Teresa Heinz Kerry, controls a vast fortune estimated by a Los Angeles Times study to fall somewhere between $900 million to $3.2 billion. Through a series of entirely legal maneuvers, Kerry is attempting to conceal from American voters the full extent of his wife's wealth and her corporate holdings — and the fact that she apparently manages to pay a remarkably small amount of taxes.

Even then, the first two pages of Mrs. Kerry's Form 1040 are a mere summary that will disclose virtually nothing we don't already know. They will not disclose specific holdings; income, profits, or losses from individual investments or partnerships; or whether or not Mrs. Kerry utilizes potentially abusive tax shelters or off-shore entities. Mrs. Kerry's reported taxable income will remain suspiciously small in proportion to reasonable estimates of her vast wealth. And voters will have no explanation as to why.

Already Kerry's economic proposals seem tuned to serve his wife's economic interests. His proposal last March to end tax breaks for U.S. corporations that do business overseas was designed with a loophole that would let the H. J. Heinz Company — the centerpiece of Mrs. Kerry's family fortune — keep its overseas tax breaks, and get a lower domestic tax rate at the same time.