John Kerry is an educated man. Bush has a problem in this area. I would like to see a president that knows how to speak effectively, is a statesman and can relate to the world, is not impulsive, thinks through a problem, knows how to be an effective politician by not showing all of his cards at election time, using the power of the presidency to accomplish something toward the goals of the progressives, is knowledgeable about the conditions in the country and the world, is not an ideologue who needs to be right over being flexible and effective as a leader, has an understanding of the pitfalls of war, is not afraid to embrace intelligence and education as an important accomplishment and not denigrate it by celebrating stupidity, is realistic about what can be accomplished in a political climate with differing agendas, and can speak a foreign language, (at least one).

John Kerry fits the bill.

Bill Clinton said it best in his book. "You don't throw out the good for the perfect."

Nader has no integrity if he accepts money and backing from Republicans. I believe at one time he did a lot of good as a consumer advocate but his foray into politics is a disaster and he would make a terrible president.

Kucinich did much to influence the public discourse and debate but he didn't have a chance because the American people are just not ready for him yet.

I believe that this thread is a case of the Left shooting itself in the foot again.
Here we have in the White House a disturbed individual who is creating chaos in our country and instead of organizing to get rid of him, here we are
infighting because everything isn't perfect. No wonder the Right-wing is in control of power. They know how argumentative and divisive the Left can be.
They know about divide and conquer quite well.

Kerry is heads and shoulders a more compassionate, articulate and mature person than Bush. He is a real family man and his kids have "values". They don't go around sticking their tongues out at newspeople. He has courage in his convictions. Kerry had the sense to change his mind when he saw that Vietnam was going nowhere and was a waste of time and resources. Also, he realized that the "domino theory" was a sham.

Here's another thing, nobody really knows who does what in the Senate because everyone's name can't be on every bill. There is a lot of influence that goes back and forth between the members and many of the bills that some would vote for contain provisions that might be unacceptable. I believe that Kerry has been influential in the Senate. Bush has never been in the Senate.
Nor has Reagan. Nor has Nader.

It's time to wake up! Another four more years of Bush will be disastrous for this country and even with a Republican Senate, Kerry can ward off some of the
corporate malfeasance and excesses. Those that want to do away with corporations in the US are really in a bubble. They are built into the system.

I believe in the public service interest financed by taxes and government. Corporate privatization will make a mockery of education, the penal system,
will squander the Social Security and Medicare, will trample on civil rights for just about everybody except corporate execs, many of whom are robbers, bleeding their companies dry and taking "golden parachutes" in millions of dollars.

I think that our government has done a pretty good job with public education.
Many of the people who are in power now have made avail of it to their benefit.

I think that we see what corporate power has done with HMOs, the abuse by drug companies, the selling of government through dispassionate and crooked lobbies, and the unapologetic attitude of the Republicans about this is appalling. With the Dems, at least there is some concern about this and I think Kerry will do whatever he realistically can to counteract the big business selfishness and flagrant disregard for the needs of our citizens.

In the meantime, some members of the Left pursue a Utopian and Quixotic dream that has them tilting at the wrong windmills.

Frank