John Kerry: The Issues

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John Kerry The Issues
RH399 - Presidential Election Rhetoric 4th Hour
27 April 2004 Chuck Compson Andrew Marcum Mike
Martin
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Presentation Overview

• The Kerry Issues
• Consider three aspects of each issue
• Kerrys voting history
• Democratic comparison
• Republicans views on Kerrys stance
• Look at five key issues
• Foreign Policy and Iraq
• The Patriot Act
• Civil Rights and Gay Marriage
• The Economy and Jobs
• Education
• 100 Days to Change America

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John Kerrys Background and Bio
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Foreign Policy and Iraq
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Kerrys Voting History

• In 1991 he voted NO on resolution to permit force
  in Iraq.
• In 1998, he voted yes on resolution to prosecute
  and imprison Saddam Hussein
• In 1999, he voted yes to allow the US to conduct
  military strikes against Yugoslavia with the help
  of NATO.

• In 2000, he voted yes on resolution to help
  rebuild Kosovo.
• In 2002, he voted yes on resolution authorizing
  use of force in Iraq.
• In 2002, he voted yes on resolution that would
  expand NATO
• In 2003, voted NO on Iraq emergency aid act

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Kerrys Views on Iraq

• Honesty is necessary
• Remove made in America label in Iraq
• Implement NATO security force
• Cannot allow Iraq to become a failed state

• Need a policy that puts soldiers first
• Provide additional ground troops
• Seek UN resolution responsible for transition and
  elections

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Comparative Views

• John Edwards
• Supports war in Iraq
• Build democracy
• US needs help
• Dennis Kucinich
• Work with other nations and UN
• Al Sharpton
• Opposed war from the beginning

• Joe Lieberman
• Remove Saddam
• Regime change is US policy
• Sponsored Resolution to disarm Saddam
• Carol Moseley Braun
• We have to support our troops in the field.
• Welcomes international community to share burden.

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What Republicans dislike about Kerrys views on
Iraq

• Cheney criticized vote against spending in
  postwar Iraq
• Also criticized Kerrys repealing of Bushs tax
  cuts
• Says Kerry does not properly recognize other
  countries help

• Kerry voted against military pay increases 12
  times
• Bush has not passed resolution giving UN any role
  in reconstruction effort
• Bush has not assigned a role for NATO either

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Patriot Act and Civil Rights
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Kerrys Voting History

• 1988 Voted yes on anti-discrimination bill
• 1991 Voted yes on discrimination lawsuit bill
• 1996 Voted yes on bill prohibiting
  discrimination based on sexual orientation

• 1998 Voted yes on bill to monitor religious
  persecution worldwide
• 1998 Voted yes on bill prohibiting secret phone
  recording
• 2000 Voted yes on amendment to expand
  definition of hate crimes

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Kerrys Platform

• Stop indefinitely detaining Americans
• Strengthen terrorism laws
• Stop unreasonable searches
• Assure laws are used to combat terrorism
• Stop unwarranted seizure of records

• Assure information is available so Justice
  Department can be held accountable
• Stop unchecked roving wiretaps
• Prevent officers from spying on innocent citizens

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Comparative Views

• General Clark
• Repeal provisions that go too far
• Act was not carefully drafted or debated
• Eliminate provisions that threaten civil
  liberties
• Carol Moseley Braun
• We cannot continue to sacrifice our freedom
  under the pretense of heightened security.

• John Edwards
• Do not have to sacrifice liberties or rights to
  preserve our security
• Cannot allow the war on terrorism to take away
  civil rights, liberties, or freedom
• Dennis Kucinich
• Government must not be allowed to search without
  probable cause
• Patriot Act invites tyranny

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What Republicans dislike about Kerrys views on
the Patriot Act

• Since Kerry does not support the bill, they are
  trying to label him as unpatriotic
• Searches are constitutional nothing wrong with
  getting the bad guys even if they are not
  terrorists

• There have been no reported abuses due to the
  Patriot Act in the past two years
• The details of the Act reveal there is nothing
  unconstitutional about the searches

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Gay Marriage / Affirmative Action
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Kerrys View

• Judicial Nominations
• Preserve Affirmative Action
• Employment Discrimination
• Gay Marriage Stance

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Kerry Voting History

• Yes on an amendment that would expand hate crimes
  to include gender, sexual orientation and
  disability.
• No on a bill to prohibit marriage between members
  of the same sex in federal law, and provide that
  no state is required to recognize same-sex
  marriages performed in other states.

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Kerry Voting History

• Yes on a bill prohibiting job discrimination on
  the basis of sexual orientation.
• No on an amendment to stop funds in the
  Legislative Appropriations bill from being used
  to award any Federal contract, or to require or
  encourage the award of any subcontract, if the
  contract is being awarded on the basis of the
  race, color, national origin, or gender of the
  contractor or subcontractor.http//www.vote-smart
  .org/voting_category.php?can_idS0421103

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Democratic Views

• John Edwards
• uphold Affirmative Action
• eliminating legacy admissions
• against the Bush amendment
• Dennis Kucinich
• For gay marriage
• Maintain Affirmative Action

• Wesley Clark
• in favor of Affirmative Action
• a witness to prejudice during Arkansas childhood

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Republican Views

• Bushs gay marriage amendment
• Bush on Affirmative Action
• UM case
• Unconstitutional

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Economy and Jobs
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Kerrys Platform

• Revive American Manufacturing
• Middle Class Tax Relief
• Pay Gap
• College Cost
• Protect American Worker
• Outsourcing

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Kerry Voting History

• 350 Votes
• Truth?
• http//www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID159

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Democratic Views

• John Edwards
• Creating American Jobs
• Tax Plan
• Dennis Kucinich
• Jobs
• Trade
• Taxes

• Wesley Clark
• Job improvements
• Tax Plan Calculator
• http//clark04.com/taxcalculator/

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Republican Views

• Bush Tax Plan
• Economic Flip Flops
• Tax Increase
• http//www.gop.com/kerryvskerry/backup.asp14
• Economic disaster

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Kerry on Education
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Kerrys Voting History

• Voted for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of
  2001, but criticized Bushs implementation and
  changes
• Voted for smaller classes instead of private
  tutors (2001)
• Voted to reduce the 1.6 trillion tax cut by 448
  billion and spend 250 billion on education
  spending
• Voted NO on tax-free savings accounts for up to
  2000 per child annually

• Voted NO to allowing more flexibility in federal
  school rules (opposes charter schools and
  vouchers)
• Voted NO on vouchers in DC
• Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary
  prayer
• Voted for national education standards (1994)
• Sponsored the Three Rs 35 billion for
  Reinvestment, Reinvention, Responsibility

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Kerrys View

• Wants to strengthen public schools
• Has a three-point plan to keep every kid safe,
  healthy, and ready to learn
• Mandatory funding for schools
• Fix one-size-fits-all testing in NCLB law
• Early education for all
• Reduce class sizes
• Modernize and rebuild crumbling schools
• Oppose vouchers promote public school choice
• Expand college opportunities for women (Title IX)

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Comparative Views on Education

• John Edwards
• College tuition in exchange for part-time work
• New deal for teachers more pay and scholarships
• Dennis Kucinich
• Universal pre-kindergarten programs
• Teacher development grants to improve math
  science classes.
• Wesley Clark
• Supports full-day kindergarten
• Supports more High School vocational programs

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What Republicans dislike about Kerrys stance on
Education

• Kerry opposes the Republicans Educational
  Savings Accounts program (2000 annually tax-free
  for education)
• Kerry voted against a Republican tax cut, where
  448 Billion would go to improving education in
  America

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100 Days to Change America

• Kerrys plan for his first 100 days in office
• 10 items Kerry plans to handle in the first 100
  days in office
• These are the details on the Real Deal which
  Kerry plans to keep with Americans in the first
  100 days of his presidency.

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100 Days to Change America

• A new National Education Trust Fund
• A new era of National Service
• End the Era of Ashcroft
• Repeal Bush Assault on the Environment and Make
  the US Energy Independent
• Rejoin the Community of Nations

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100 Days to Change America

• First Major Legislative Plan Affordable Health
  Care
• Reward Companies that Create Jobs not Phony
  Corporate Profit
• Create a Middle Class Economy and End the
  Privileged Class Economy
• Cut the Deficit in Half in Four Years
• End Influence Peddling and Secret Deals

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Presentation Review

• The Kerry Issues
• Consider three aspects of each issue
• Kerrys voting history
• Democratic comparison
• Republicans views on Kerrys stance
• Look at five issues
• Foreign Policy and Iraq
• The Patriot Act
• Civil Rights and Gay Marriage
• The Economy and Jobs
• Education
• 100 Days to Change America

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Questions?
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References

• www.johnkerry.com John Kerry for President
• www.issues2000.org On the Issues
• www.gop.com The Republican National Committee
  (RNC)
• www.democrats.org The Democratic Party (DNC)