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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,009,876 |
Question of the Week: 12 - 10/23/2000 Pagan Choice for the y2k US Election This week's Pagan Perspective question is a redux of one that we asked about at the beginning of August... And we apologize in advance to our non-United States readers that we have again brought up an issue that is rather exclusive to just one country, but feel free to comment on the shenanigans of the American political system as you see it.) Which political platform or candidate are you leaning towards? Have you made up your mind or changed your mind? Will you vote and who-if you don't mind telling the world-are you planning to vote for? Why have you made this particular choice? |
| Reponses: There are 129 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| Georgie Jr. Hasn't The International Experience To Deal With The Volatile Mid... | Oct 23rd. at 9:35:47 am EDT |
| Andy Giamis (Binghamton, New York US) | Age: 28 - Email |
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Georgie Jr. hasn't the international experience to deal with the volatile Mid East. His programs and "reforms" are obviously directed to benefit the wealthy and "other" right wingers. No matter where I cast my vote, I cast my vote against George Bush. I think Al Gore would do a good job, but I really don't trust him. I would almost consider voting for him. I know that he will fight for the environment. He will appoint pro choice justices to the Supreme Court. He will veto any attempt from Senator Lott to expell Wiccans from the military. But I feel that he will also bend to the influence of lobby groups and special interests. The third party canidates are interesting this year. Pat Buchannan: I suspect that his closet holds a ritualistic "hooded white robe" Ralph Nader: I like his environmental platform, however I think he'd be a bait fish thrown into the DC shark pool. John Hagelin: Surprisingly, I actually agree with his entire platform. Being a physics grad. student, I like the idea of actually having an intellectual president as opposed to having some guy whose daddy got him into college and probably paid extra so they wouldn't kick him out. Unfortunately, Hagelin doesn't have the exposure. I want to vote for him, but I am afraid that a vote for him will benefit Bush. I don't want to do that. I am indifferent to the remaining third party canidates. I guess my voice supports John Hagelin, but my vote is still undecided. I should vote my heart, but I also feel that the stakes are very high in this election. I can stomach Gore as president, but I fear Bush. |
| After Reading The Responses To The Questions On Religious Freedom On Web... | Oct 23rd. at 10:06:28 am EDT |
| Akriel WatchingWolf (Tucson, Arizona US) | Age: 29 - Email |
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After reading the responses to the questions on religious freedom on Web, White and Blue, how could any pagan vote for Bush? In one breath he espouses his commitment to freedom of religion and in the next he makes the statement that he doesn't think witchcraft (the question actually asked about Wicca specifically) is a religion and that it should not be promoted by the military. I think that is a dangerous statement coming from some one who may be the next leader of our country, and, if so, commander-in-chief of our military. What gives any individual the right to determine if a religion is valid? What happens when "all those damned pagans" are dealt with? Maybe Buddhism is next? Hinduism? If Wicca can so easily be dismissed as a false religeon, why not any other faith not endorsed by men like George W. Bush? O.K., rant mode off... I was going to vote Green Party, but I know they don't really have a chance. And just to do my part to try to avoid having a closed-minded individual like Bush as our president, I will be voting for Gore. |
| I Have To Say That I Am Not Particularly Happy With Either... | Oct 23rd. at 10:19:17 am EDT |
| Loyalty LionRose (Shreveport, Louisiana US) | Age: 20 - Email |
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I have to say that I am not particularly happy with either of the choices we have for this election. Bush, for obvious reasons. While I do support Gore for being more tolerant, and for his evironmental stance, I have not had the chance to read about his entire platform. I know, I know, Im making an uneducated vote. I really do wish that there were other candidates that actually had a chance of beating Bush or Gore, but that does not seem feasible. I really dislike the fact that I will vote for Gore simply because I do not want Bush in office. As someone else said, I fear Bush. I really do. |
| Well, Here We Go Looking For The Lesser Of Evils Again! I... | Oct 23rd. at 10:47:50 am EDT |
| Tony (Tampa, Florida US) | Age: 28 - Email |
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Well, here we go looking for the lesser of evils again! I certainly won't be voting for Buchanan. I have heard two radio spots repeatedly played on my favorite radio station and their thinly veiled racism has caused me to stop listening to that station. I don't like Bush much either. It's convenient to be able to pick and choose what one thinks of as religion. Unfortunately, the exclusivist "Christian" doctrine that creates this view is likely to devour the rest of us prior to turning within itself. Gore has his own problems as well, but the best thing that I can say about him is that he's not Buchanan or Bush. I've not heard much about the other candidates, beyond the fact that Nader is running on a Green platform. As of yet, I've not decided whom to vote for -- but I will vote and make it count the best that I can. |
| For The Past Several Months, I Have Read Many Things About The... | Oct 23rd. at 10:53:11 am EDT |
| Stephanie Rose DeNicola (Culpeper, Virginia US) | Age: 23 - Email |
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For the past several months, I have read many things about the presidential candidates. I am a registered Democrat, but have not always voted for that party. I was torn between both George W. Bush and Al Gore, because I didn't want to commit to one until I had reasons. After much thought, I have decided to vote for Al Gore. There were just too many things with Bush to vote for him. I think he has done wonderful things for education in his state. However, he desires to overturn Roe Vs. Wade. Also, in his religious diversity statement, he said he only honors the mainstream religions of Christianity, Judaism, Muslim, etc. and feels Witchcraft is not a real religion. I cannot support a candidate who feels that way. By contrast, I agree with Gore about using the planned surplus on education and smaller tax cuts. Gore supports a woman's right to choose as well as religious diversity and separation of church and state. |
| I'm Voting For Gore. My Personal Preference Is For Nader, But Imo... | Oct 23rd. at 11:15:23 am EDT |
| Carol (Columbus, Ohio US) | Age: 42 |
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I'm voting for Gore. My personal preference is for Nader, but IMO, votes for Nader will help George Dubya. My main concern is protecting our rights as Pagans, and this affects my decision in two ways. The most important is the future Supreme Court appointees by our next president. Dubya's role models for his choices are Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas -- extreme right judges. The second is the congressional attempts to outlaw minority religions in the military by Rep. Barr, and now, James Traficant. For the second time, George Dubya has said Wicca is not a real religion and should be outlawed. Do we want a president who would criminalize us? Or do we want someone who will not speak about our denomination specifically, but who supports the rights of all Americans of all faiths? This is a no brainer for me! We're here, we're polytheistic, we're Americans and we VOTE! B*B, Carol |
| Well, I Intend To Vote For Gore. While I Don't Exactly Care... | Oct 23rd. at 11:59:19 am EDT |
| Lori Dake (Chicago, Illinois US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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Well, I intend to vote for Gore. While I don't exactly care for his wife Tipper and the whole PMRC thing she pulled back in the 80s (which is responsible for the warning labels on CDs nowadays), he seems like our best chance at reserving our freedoms. Nader and Buchanan are just not feasible, since there's so many people who vote by party only, Democrat or Republican (which, IMHO is just not right - people need to spend a few extra minutes and vote for individuals, not parties). People who vote for either of these folks, while I believe Nader is the best man for the job, really won't make a dent in the percentages. Remember the mere 1% of votes for Perot in '92? Bush himself IMHO is an idiot, but he surrounds himself with clever people. He's got the Fundies backing him up, including my favorite "villan", Pat Robertson. I highly urge everyone who can to vote this year - and PLEASE remember: whoever goes into office this time around gets to pick three, maybe four Supreme Court Justices. If you can't vote yourself, encourage others who can!! |
| As A Born And Raised Southern Democrat And A Major Liberal By... | Oct 23rd. at 12:02:51 pm EDT |
| Candle Ogham (Tamai, Italy) | Age: 23 - Email |
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As a born and raised Southern Democrat and a major liberal by hippie parents, I have been around political activism since I was a wee tot. My father was involved in the political groups in our state and I have been entrenched in it. As I grew older, I began reaching out on my own, and looking outside of the major parties. I voted for Clinton last time around and will stick to my democratic roots in this election. I have watched the debates, been to the websites and read Stars and Stripes everyday, and I feel confident in my decision. Al Gore is definatly my man. I don't agree with some of his ideas, but I agree with them more than Georgie-boy's. Wouldn't it be nice to have a regular schmo like us in the big chair than a career politician? As a military spouce, a Pagan, a mother, and a patriotic woman, I take my decision very seriously. |
| What Follows Is An Email Discussion I Had Recently With A *former... | Oct 23rd. at 12:38:49 pm EDT |
| Sue McCullough (Oakland, California US) | Age: 41 - Email |
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What follows is an email discussion I had recently with a *former* Bush supporter after I sent him the URL for the Web, White and Blue question of the day: (Original message from me - Sue) Subject: Politics - now they've REALLY done it! http://www.webwhiteblue.org/debate/2000-10-15/bush/question/ For the first time in 20 years, I'm NOT voting for a third party candidate for president. The "Shrub" has convinced me. How dare he presume to judge someone else's religion, and state that he "doesn't think it is a religion". Yes, I'm outraged. If I could get a connection to that religious bigot's campaign web site, I would tell them off, but I keep getting timed out. GRRRRR!!!! He's just lucky witches don't really curse people. Note: Voting for Tipper's husband (because of her music censorship issue) turns my stomach. -------------------------- (Bush supporter) Try to think with his brain - he probably has had no connection to Wiccan organizations, ever. (Sue) Nope! No excuse! Remember congressman Bob Barr going after the Fort Ord Wiccans? That was in Texas, under governor Bush. Other recent Wiccan news from Texas: Federal Supreme Court rules Santa Fe High School cannot broadcast student-led Christian prayers over the school P.A. system before football games. Following the ruling Christians held "We Still Pray" rallies, and about 300 Wiccans held a "We Still Work Magick" rally in response. Dallas city counsel invited a Wiccan to give their opening prayer, then un-invited him because of Christian complaints, then re-invited him when local Wiccans cried discrimination. (The prayer was very well received, by the way, after the head of the city counsel had a heckler removed so the prayer could be heard.) (Sue) Texas has a huge, highly visible and highly active Pagan population. I went to the Witches Voice web site and did a search for "Texas" - got 96 items back. Bush has had multiple opportunities as governor to become educated, and it would have been the appropriate thing for him to do. But he hasn't bothered. (Bush supporter) Some staffer probably wrote his response, targeting it so that most folk 45 yo and up would agree with it. (Sue) It's almost exactly word-for-word identical to a G.W. Bush quote from one of the articles I found about the Fort Ord Wiccans. Two years, and he hasn't learned anything from or about the people of his own state. (Sue) I agree that the statement is targeted. It's aimed at the religious right that wants to turn this country back into a "Christian Nation", and would be quite happy "to burn the witches at the stake" - another quote I found on the Witches Voice, from a reader's letter to the editor regarding the Fort Ord Wiccan controversy. (Sue) The part about the military "promoting" a religion was also targeted at the R.R. - you know as well as I do that the military doesn't promote *any* religions. (Bush supporter) Doesn't make it right, or even well thought out. (Sue) I called him a religious bigot because he IS. The religions he considers valid (from the question of the day response) are all descended from the traditions of Abraham. He left out Native American spirituality, Buddhism, Hinduism, É (Sue) How do you think people would react if Lieberman were to say that he didn't think Christianity or Islam were religions? After all, Joe's religion has been around for over 5700 years, Christianity is barely 2000 years old, and the Muslim "philosophy" is less than 800 years old. (Bush supporter) Can't believe you are voting for Tipper, though! (grin) (Sue) I know, I know. (grin) (Sue) If she becomes first lady, I may have to start melting down vinyl albums and sending them to her at the White House. My husband has about 2500 albums, so I could send one a day for four years, but if Gore got re-elected, I'd run out about six weeks short of 3 years into their second term. (Sue) What do you think? That ought to make the secret service pay attention to me, and get me labeled as a nutcase. (grin) (Sue) It's tough to give up my third-party stance. But it would be even harder to be forced back into the broom closet by a federal government that doesn't respect my first amendment rights. |
| I Really Wish That I Could Support The Stated Libertarian Platform. However... | Oct 23rd. at 12:47:32 pm EDT |
| Conchobar O'Cuthbert (Naperville, Illinois US) | Age: 27 - Email |
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I really wish that I could support the stated Libertarian platform. However, after reading their party propaganda, there is no realistic way that it can be met, save throwing the USA into total shock and anarchy... (But would that necessarily be a bad thing? ) Anyway, eventhough I support the ideals of the Libertarian Party, I am not comfortable that they will be able to realistically put their ideals into action, nor that they have a real chance at making a showing in the presidential election. Therefore, I have to vote my consciense: Gore volunteered to join the military during the Vietnam conflict. He has been through personal trials with his wife's illness (depression is NOBODY'S friend) and he seems to have come out of it stronger because of it. He answers questions directly (!) when asked. Finally, he is, to all appearances, a man of integrity and hounour. Those are qualities that I can respect. |
| I Am A Registered Green, But I Will Be Voting For Mr... | Oct 23rd. at 12:47:39 pm EDT |
| Nelli (Carmel Valley, California US) | Age: 23 - Email |
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I am a registered green, but I will be voting for Mr. Gore. Al Gore has shown that he really does feel strongly about certain things - the environment and a womans right to choose being the two items most important to me. Sure, he rides the fence. Sure, he's one of those WWJD people. Still, he believes in the constitution, he believes in choice and the freedom of religion, and he feels strongly about protecting the environment. At least he believes in global warming, for gods' sakes, unlike his esteemed opponent. He is intelligent, well-spoken, and nearly as genuine as possible (for a politician). Why him instead of nader? Well, firstly because I really don't want to live in a world where GWB comes anywhere near the white house; secondly, I am *extremely* disappointed in Nader. He seems to have some really far fetched beliefs - like the one where he thinks that if Bush wins, the Democratic party will fall and the Green party will rise to take its place; and the other one where he doesn't think it matters which candidate (between bush and gore) appoints supreme court justices. Um, hello? Basically, it looks to me like Nader is willing to sell out the environment, women's right to choose, and all kinds of social justice issues so that he can make a point - "see, I may not be president, but I have enough power to bring down the one guy who might be at all interested in leaving our national parks intact". No, that's not an actual nader quote, but he's become more of a politician than either of the other two, and I think it's disgusting. I also think that these continued attempts by greens to win the presidency, while they have brought some important issues to light (third parties in debates, stuff like that), are misguided. I think it would be far more effective to concentrate on state elections - everything from schoolboard members to senators. Resources can be concentrated that way, and in some states anyway, it's actually within the realm of possibility that a greem might win a senatorial or congressional seat. In fact, I think that might already have happened once or twice. I am terrified by the prospect of having Bush as president. His campaign promises have included vows to thwart at every opportunity any pro-choice legislation, and to completely pillage our remaining public wild areas. Kiss Alaska goodbye, folks, if he wins, because it's just one giant oil field waiting to happen, as far as he's concerned. Oh yeah, and there's that little thing where he made a public statement to the effect that he doesn't believe that wicca is a religion. And foriegn policy? What happens the first time he asks the president of France where exactly is that country, again? In foreign policy, we need someone strong, articulate, thoughtful and intelligent - george dubya is none of those. But I think he's going to win; I think he would win even without Nader's meddling. So what to do? Hunker down and hope for the best, I suppose. And pray for a liberal congress. |
| I Plan To Vote For Al Gore - Largely Because, Unfortunately, I Consider... | Oct 23rd. at 12:56:00 pm EDT |
| Margaret (Minneapolis, Minnesota US) | Age: 30 |
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I plan to vote for Al Gore - largely because, unfortunately, I consider him the lesser of two evils. And, in an election as close as this one is likely to be, I don't feel I have the luxury of voting for a third party candidate. I don't want to see Bush in the White House by default. Furthermore, I have a few points of disagreement with Nader. I don't like all of Gore's positions, but at least he hasn't spoken out against allowing Pagans our religious freedom. And I do respect his intelligence. I guess you could say I consider him the best of a bad lot. |
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