Ben Franklin Weighs In On George W. Bush

October 28, 2004
By Jack Walters

In the annals of sales and salesmen, perhaps the most effective sales closing technique ever devised is the "Ben Franklin" close, also known as the "Balance Sheet" close.

Used by salesman for decades, the essence of this sales technique is that it brings the prospect to a buying decision. By way of history, here's how it all started.

Old Ben advised an English scientist friend how to make an important personal choice his friend otherwise couldn't seem to make - not unlike the decision many of us are struggling with this coming November 2nd.

Franklin wrote that the difficulty in making an important choice is because "all reasons pro and con are not present to the mind at the same time."

Franklin suggested dividing a sheet of paper into two columns, designating one as "FOR" and the other "AGAINST." Then, over a period of time, filling in each column as thoughts occurred to him so that "when each reason is thus considered separately and comparatively, and the whole lies before me, I think I judge better and less likely to make a rash step."

Americans now face a crucial and perplexing decision in whether or not to send Mr. Bush back to the White House for another four years. If ever there was a time for careful evaluation, this is it! So, in the tradition of Benjamin Franklin, let's do a balance sheet on George W. Bush.

Should I Vote To Re-elect Bush?

VOTE YES IF YOU BELIEVE THAT...	VOTE NO IF YOU KNOW THAT...
Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11.	Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11. This completely false insinuation by the media is, however, believed by over half the country.
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which could have been launched at America within 45 minutes.	No weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq to date.
George Bush is fighting for peace in Iraq and is winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.	Illegally invading and occupying a sovereign country, killing thousands of innocent civilians, facing an increasingly violent insurgency, and diplomatically alienating the entire world, does not equal "winning hearts and minds."
George Bush has made us safer here by fighting terrorism over there.	Our violent interventionist policy means we are safe nowhere. Bush even failed to safeguard high explosives in Iraq that have now fallen into the hands of terrorists.
George Bush is working hard fighting terrorism and bringing freedom to the Middle East.	The phony war on terrorism is a cover for attacking any nation with resources, and "freedom" cannot be enforced on anyone at the point of a gun.
George Bush has given Iraq a sovereign government.	The puppet government Bush installed has even less support than Vichy France.
George Bush has created jobs.	George W. Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover to finish his term with a net job loss.
George Bush has cut taxes.	George Bush has cut taxes for the upper 2% while the overall tax burden of the middle class has increased.
George Bush wants smaller government.	Government has grown by one-third over the past four years.
George Bush has given us the "best economy in twenty years."	The Dow Jones is lower today than it was when George W. Bush took office in 2001.
George Bush supports our troops.	George W. Bush has not attended a single funeral of any soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, is keeping wounded soldiers hidden away, often in squalid conditions, has cut veterans benefits, and wants to cut $1 billion from the VA budget in 2006.
George Bush has made us safer with the Patriot Act.	A clever name often belies evil intent. The so-called "Patriot Act" deceptively sold to the Congress and America is the greatest assault on our Constitutional freedoms ever undertaken, and compares eerily to Hitler's Enabling Act.
George Bush talks to God: "God instructed me to strike at Saddam."	Many tyrants throughout history have claimed divine authority for heinous acts. Apparently "Divine Right of Kings" is alive and well in Washington.
George Bush would never lie to us.	Every justification the Bush administration has given for attacking Iraq has been proven false. In fact, it is hard to find any major issue this Administration has been truthful about.

So there you have it, a Ben Franklin balance sheet on George W. Bush. Old Ben would be proud.

But in actuality, what this sheet reveals is sinister and disturbing. You see, the fanatical Bush supporters, wearing their blinders proudly, believe only the information in the FOR column, while a few of us, willing to consider the whole of the vital issues expressed above, have seen through the looking glass and discovered that the AGAINST column is a damning assessment of this dangerous administration that is not only bankrupting our country but placing us in grave risk of world war.

When you vote November 2nd, remember Ben Franklin's sound advice and consider the "whole" of the matter.

Jack Walters is a former GOP County Chairman who resigned March 10, 2003 to protest the Iraq war. His resignation letter was widely published, and can still be found on many websites.