Why are women moving to the Bush side? Cokie Roberts

[MISSDem]

said on NPR this morning that this is happening.

[whistle]

1. Could it be sex appeal?

[molly]

4. Get real - he's a bagger!

:crazy: I may need to run into the bathroom soon just thinking about it.

[wtmusic]

7. A double-bagger (paper, please)

:silly:

[Borgnine]

17. A triple-bagger.

One for him, one for you, and one for any poor soul who may be watching.

[cmkramer]

29. Not to the Freepers

The women there all think he oozes masculinity and sex appeal. Any time there's a picture of him in jeans you can hear them all swooning away.

[MsTryska]

26. ummmm......

has she seen John Edwards??


my roommate and i were watching cspan last night and they had his Ohio speech on, and man..and the conversation went somehting like:

~damn he's hot.
~he's got such a nice smile...
~his wife sure is lucky
~yeah i wish i were his wife...
~those dockers look really good on him.
~i like when he rolls up his sleeves...
~geez his hair looks good from every angle...there's is not one shot where even a hair is out of place...
~i wish my hair was like that.....

[wtmusic]

2. Well if the Coke-Whore said it on National Pentagon Radio

it *must* be true!!

[ComerPerro]

3. GREAT photoshop!!!!!!

OMG that is outstanding!!!!!!!

[Cocoa]

42. rofl

that photo needs to go on DU's front page. :-)

[Darth_Kitten]

5. LOL!!!!!

what is she on???

[Triana]

6. Oh that's the piss she was spewing this morning...

...I turned her off...most women vote Dem. That hasn't changed. She's full of crap.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

8. There was this huge reality gap between the genders

I'm not sure what poll; help me out, please, DUers!

Something like 40% of men and 60% of women believe in the Iraq-Al Qaeda connection.

It's because men watch or read the news or "news", and then tell their girlfriends/wives what to think. A sad day for feminism, all in all.

My mom knows a staunch democrat single mother who is terrified of Muslims and terrorism and gets a false sense of safety from Bush. I think he's the "man around" for a lot of people of this profile.

I think the Republicans have a huge edge among couples where the man does the thinking. I, for one liberal, would not put up with a woman who couldn't think for herself.

[Darth_Kitten]

12. it's not the women "scared" over Iraq, it seems to be the men....

and sorry, women don't need their men to tell them how to think.......

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

16. You mean you don't need a man to tell you how to think

A lot of women out there are just going with the flow.

And there's anti-feminist backlash among women, too.

You're only hurting your own cause if you don't admit it.

[molly]

19. Anti-feminist backlash?

WHERE? Only among subservient stepford pug wives.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

21. who DO vote.

I am not defending them, just admitting they exist in large numbers.

[molly]

22. If they do, it is mostly within the military or rural area

[liveoaktx]

9. Uh, WHAT women? What study? What percentage?

No women I know are voting for *. They're all too smart and compassionate for that.

[Kaysera]

23. From this LA Times article ...

His slight margin in polls reflects concerns that the Democrat's campaign is ignoring women's rights issues and a key constituency.

BOSTON — Women's rights activists have grown increasingly anxious that Sen. John F. Kerry is failing to shore up a key constituency after recent polls showed that female voters are backing him by just a small margin.

With Republican presidential candidates generally performing well among male voters in recent elections, Democratic presidential contenders need a strong showing among female voters to be competitive. But the recent surveys have found Kerry up by as little as four percentage points over President Bush.

In 2000, by comparison, Democrat Al Gore beat Bush by 11 points among female voters — which was precisely Bush's margin over Gore among male voters.

The worried women's rights leaders say that Kerry's campaign has all but ignored female voters in its organizing and in its message. In recent days, campaign officials have acknowledged that they need to bolster Kerry's standing with women.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[MsTryska]

27. Any woman that truly concerned about women's issues

knows better than to give dubya a second term.

bollox.

[Moderator]

33. Kaysera

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source
and please include
a link to the source.



Thank you.


DU Moderator

[rocktivity]

10. This is just part of the weapon of mass demoralization

being put forth in conjuction with all the state polls suddenly going south.

:headbang:
rocknation


Want this button? Donate $15 or more to MoveOnPac.org!

[CBHagman]

25. Excellent point.

The same press that wanted desperately to play down the April 25th march for abortion rights (with a crowd that literally filled the entire Mall in D.C.) and the various anti-war and anti-Bush demonstrations in the U.S. and abroad is not about to depict Bush as anything other than popular and successful.

Expect Juan Williams to start tut-tutting again about too few blacks supporting Kerry. Expect hand-wringing about the dearth of Hispanic support.

This is what the media does. They grab one survey, if that, and declare what we all believe. They did it with Anita Hill, only to flip the results around to the opposite opinion later on.

So don't go around declaring this as sacred truth. And keep fighting like the dickens.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

11. PS

Aren't polls conducted by phone at dinner time? That means, guess who's sitting there listening while his wife answers the poll! The likely voter (meaning affluent white) husband, who is probably hell to manage if he hears of any disagreement in the house.

In a truly secret ballot booth the answers might change.

[proud patriot]

13. because they have misinformed about bush's security failure's n/t

[mzmolly]

14. "IT'S TERRORISM STUPID"

Kerry is NOW starting to address this, but Bush will gain women and minorities as long as he's perceived as the 'great protector'

* "Stupid" not directed at anyone in particular. ;)

[spooky3]

15. Married women are more likely to go for * than are single women.

This is even more pronounced when you get into Cokie's income category, because, unlike Cokie and friends, women who've made it on their on (vs. as a result of family connections as with * and Cokie) know exactly how much discrimination exists, especially in male-dominated jobs, which proportionately more single women hold. Women who REALLY WORK for a living know which party is better on combatting discrimination.

Cokie's just telling you what she and her friends who "lunch" are thinking. She certainly does not speak for the majority of working women and is totally out of touch with single women.

[shraby]

18. What about the thousands and thousands

who protested Bush this spring? Women LIKE their reproductive freedom.

[spooky3]

28. Cokie's forgetting them, too.

[Teaser]

20. Answer in this post...

Question: why are women moving to Bush.

Answer: That's an asshole question. They're not. Cockwhore got this assertion by Cherrypicking the CBS and Gallup polls that oversampled Rs. Of course an oversample of R women will lead to a narrower margin for Kerry with women.

Before you freak out, people, just think for God's sake. Try it.

[Nashyra]

24. The only woman repuke I know changing her vote to Kerry

is doing so because she has a teen age daughter and wants to protect he right to Choice.

[marlakay]

30. There are a lot of Laura Bushs out there unfortunately

I just got back from two weeks in Hawaii. Talked to lots of people, most of the locals are all dem as we know but I also talked to people from all over on vac. I didn't even have to talk to most of the married women you talk about to know they were a Bushie. The sweet little town woman with a happy knows nothing smile is a dead give away. I actually talked to a lawyer from LA that said he has close friends who say Bush is nice not Kerry. What a crock of crap!!

My husband told him about Clarkes book that started all the books and we think is the best one because he led the country during 9-11 while Bush and Cheney were hiding. The smart lawyer had not even heard of Clarke.

The repubs have done a great spin job so what we have left is to fight fight fight for the truth. I think the internet is our best weapon since the news media I think is lost.

About women, my most encouraging story was a woman from Boston who told me she loved Kerry as her senator even though they voted repub for governor. She said ten years ago she wrote Kerry about a issue that was bugging her and he wrote her back personally. Why can't stuff like this be in the news??? Because we all know who owns the news.

[Mountainman]

31. Women want the right wing to control their bodies and they are willing to

accept less money than men for the same work. They also feel that if they could they would stay home and raise the kids. They feel that title 9 was a bad idea and they want to have kids so they can join the war on terror.

They feel that there really is no such thing as women's issues. But most of all they are afraid that T Heinz Kerry is a terrible role model for modern women.

Not!

[MagickMuffin]

32. Cokie is a TOOL

I have heard her say "She loves a man in uniform, especially when they exhibit all those ribbons, medals, and stars"

So, she's just projecting her wishes.

[PATRICK]

34. This is a relief

Now the assertion is fully discredited. She is a GOP propagandist in every word and intonation. So there is good reason to disbelieve 90% of what she said. That some polls in some way are saying something to this effect is NOT a cause of great concern as much as Bush needs good news to game.

[FirstTimeVoter]

35. well......

I've been lurking here for quite some time. Believe it or not a Republican recommended that I visit this site. You see I'm one of those undecided voters. I've never voted before, I finally registered a little over a year ago. I'd always thought of myself as more Liberal than Conservative, so when asked what party I identify with most I'd say "Democrat."

I wasn't old enough to vote in the 1992 elections, but I would definitely have voted for Bill Clinton. I even begged my older sister who was 21 at the time to vote for him. But by the time I was old enough to vote I was so caught up in my on personal life I just didn't think it mattered. Fast forward to today, I understand this is probably the most important election of my lifetime. And I want to make an informed decision based on the candidate that best represents the issues important to me, regardless of party. So I began researching on my own the different party platforms.

I've discovered that I am not a Democrat or a Republican, I'm a little of both. I support our troops and the war against Terror, I wasn't crazy about going into Iraq, but we're there now and I think we need to finish the job. I am pro choice but I don't agree with partial birth abortion (I have yet to hear a good argument for how this procedure will save the mother's life, I mean if the baby actually passes through the birth canal how does stabbing it in the head and sucking it's brains out protect the mother). I support free speech for all, but I understand it can have consequences. I support the 2nd Amendment and I support background checks and waiting periods, I think the AWB was useless. I believe in equal rights for all races, I don't think anyone should get or lose a job/college admission/etc based on their skin color. I support some social programs as a helping hand not a hand out. I think we should legalize marijuana and tax the crap out of it just like alcohol and cigarettes. I'm against the death penalty, I think anyone who kills (except in self defense) should be given I life sentence with no possibility of parole ever. I'd also support life in prison w/o parole for all sex offenders (I don't believe pedophiles can be rehabilitated).

I don't expect to be welcomed here, quite the opposite really. And here's why: I don't believe George Bush is the evil monster you all make him out to be. My friend (that recommended this site) has been telling me that Liberals/Democrats are rabid, radical hate mongers. I was shocked and offended, I had pretty much decided I would never speak to him again, then he emailed me a link to this site. I was even more shocked and offended by what I read here. I now understand why Liberals/Democrats are often referred to as anti American or terrorist sympathizers. I've read posts here that have trashed our troops and defended the likes of Saddam and Castro. I've read posts that say we deserved 9-11. I've read posts that not only condone, but encourage killing the President. Posts that cheer the insurgents attacks. Some of you practically celebrate when we suffer casualties in the war, you guys couldn't wait for the 1000th death in Iraq. It seems that anything bad for America is good for Democrats, because then you feel justified saying "see I told you we were right and they are wrong". I've read posts that call for a civil war and encourage violence against anyone who doesn't agree the Democrats cause. I've witnessed endless hypocrisy with posts that say Republicans are using fear mongering to get votes and then one that encourages people to scare other's with the possibility of a draft to win them over to the Democrats side(BTW I know this one isn't true,see snopes.com.) Posts that complain that they're freedom of speech has been violated, then encouraged others to shut up Republican demonstrators. You complain that "Freepers" cheat on online polls, then suggest ways to cheat on those same polls.

I was never crazy about George Bush, but the constant trashing of him and his entire family has made me feel the need to defend him. And in my defense of him I've begun to understand just what he's up against. You guys are so blinded by your hate that you've cut off your nose to spite your face. Well, I guess I owe you all a 'Thank you,' because I am no longer undecided. On November 2nd I will vote to help reelect President George W. Bush. And I am confident he will win and get a mandate. Because hate will not prevail, and that's all you offer. I'm sure this post will be deleted probably before it gets even one response (there's that freedom of speech you guys think only you deserve). But I feel better having said my piece. So by all means continue hating, bashing, and being total hypocrites. I will recommend this site everyone I know so that they too can witness how much you "support the troops," "love America," and how you are the "party of tolerance." Just keep on keeping on.

Former Undecided, First Time Voter:loveya:

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. Right. You were "undecided".

"We all?" :shrug: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[FirstTimeVoter]

40. Fair enough........

Perhaps I did paint with too broad a brush. There are some rational posts here. They just seem minute compared to the more radical all things Republican are the devil posts.

[spooky3]

37. Your stereotyping of posts you claim to have read indicates pretty

strongly to me that you weren't reading very carefully. Or, quite the opposite, perhaps you were so careful that you ignored the vast majority of informative posts (such as those that would have explained to someone with an open mind that "partial birth abortion"--there is no such medical term, by the way--is nothing like what you describe; that's why 3 independent judges in very different parts of the country have found the late-term abortion legislation unconstitutional) in order to look only for those that confirmed your stereotypes. Since you provided no links to support your accusations, your post sounds as "hateful" as those you claim to have read, and on top, you are misrepresenting the vast majority of the content that is here.

Sorry, there is a lot of evidence in your post to suggest that you made up your mind a long time ago and have not let information in to challenge your biases. Somehow, I doubt that Kerry-Edwards lost a voter in you.

[FirstTimeVoter]

43. Ok

In what scenario is it necessary to perform a 'late term abortion' to save the mother's life? I would definitely change my mind if I knew of an example. Like I said I am pro choice, except with this procedure.

[cally]

46. Once again I'll tell my story

A close friend called me in tears and asked if I could watch her three year old for her. She was just told that if she continued to carry her 7 month old fetus to term than she would probably bleed to death. Further, the fetus would only live a day or two. After many tears she decided to have a late term abortion to save her life. She now has a wonderful 17 year old and 11 year old. Let the doctor's and women decide this. You can be against something, but until you know all the medical facts then noone else should tell a woman to die or risk her health.

I don't agree with you at all about your characterization of posts here. The vast majority of posters support our troops, believe in our constitution, believe in protest and the right to free speech.

If you believe what you say you believe in, then there is no way you would vote for Bush.

[FirstTimeVoter]

52. In the situation you described

was there at least an effort to save the baby? Does the mother actually give birth? Because the way I understood it they wait until the head is out the they kill it. That is where I have the issue.

[Blaukraut]

55. the 'partial birth abortion' lie

Did you know, that the way the Partial Birth Abortion Act is written, it could actually ban abortions performed as early as 13 weeks into pregnancy? And that it outlaws methods of abortion in about 90 percent of all second trimester cases, and that it includes no exception for a woman's health?

(source: September issue of Cosmopolitan - article 'How your rights are being robbed')

It gets worse. Bush signed another bill into law - the Laci and Conner's' bill - real name - unborn victims of violence act - sounds reasonable at first glance, no?

But here's the problem: This law treats the fetus as an individual, spearate from the pregnant woman, and doesn't differentiate between a 6 week old embryo or a nine month old fetus. In other words, by granting legal status to a fetus, abortion could become grounds for a murder charge.

So, think again about voting for Bush, because we DUers are so 'hateful' and 'mean' and you feel sorry for the guy.
Our reproductive rights are only one vote short of being taken away by the Supreme Court.

If Bush gets back in, he is certain to appoint a conservative judge, who will tip the balance in the court from 5 to 4 FOR us, to 5 to 4 AGAINST us.

To shed some light on late term abortions, here is a link you might want to check out.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2004/01/25/my_late_term_abortion/

Finally - if all you saw here was hate and anger against Bush, and nothing of substance, you came with blinders on, and a preconceived idea of what to expect of DU.

Please consider the consequences of another Bush term!

[Bongo Prophet]

72. When I saw hearings on c-span, Doctors were livid

at the mischaracterization of late term abortion.
The doctor/patient relationship should be private and a sacred trust.
Too complex for simple men to grab control over.
Like so many complex issues, it takes a couple of minute to explain the REALITY, and only 5 seconds to spout some well planned slogan. The GOP does this sooo well, and it is VERY destructive. This is why they are good at "winning" the sorry excuse for "debate" and hence many elections, but TERRIBLE at GOVERNING.

Complexity is their enemy. One reason they hate and make fun of Kerry.
Simple minded slogans are their fertilizer.
Thoughtfulness, and yes NUANCE, is ours.

[JohnnyCougar]

38. I understand why people think Bush isn't the monster we make him out to be

Obviously it is because the media only shows the good side of him. But when a president starts a war based on lies that kills over 30,000 people in the name of the USA, than expect people to be mad. It is because we all love this country that we are mad. War mongering does not represent my point of view, nor does it really represent anyone's. In fact, it would be a disservice to all humanity if we didn't get mad and try and stop it.

And if you think we are hate mongerers here, go to www.freerepublic.com. You will find people so filled with hate there, your head will spin. Why our anger makes you vote for Bush, when freepers anger doesn't turn you off is beyond me.

But yes, we are angry here. We are angry that our leaders lie to us and decieve us, and care nothing for anyone else's lives or rights. And if you really tried to see it from our perspective, you'd be angry, too.

[FirstTimeVoter]

49. I disagree.........

that the media only show the good side of him. And Bush could not have gone to war with Iraq without congress approval. And like I said I wasn't crazy about going into Iraq either. But I think pulling out too early would do us more harm than good.

You are right about Freerepublic. But fortunate or unfortunately that site is too hard to navigate. I've only been there once.

I have tried to see it from your perspective. I understand that you are angry. But alot of posters on here go wayyyyyy over the top. I will say I've been pleasantly surprised by the responses here.

[progressivebydesign]

51. We have 50,000 PLUS members...

Imagine a town with 50k people (bigger than my town, much bigger), how many of those people will be extreme in their opinions? I'm glad you were willing to acquiesce that you may have glossed over the good posts, while focusing on the bad ones. The reasonable posts far, far outnumber the questionable ones. When a few DUers went over the top at Reagan's death, the negative response to their posts was staggering... but you didn't witness that, did you?

Did you know that DU has people here who have relatives in Iraq? Do you know that a regular DUer lost a nephew in Iraq recently? Do you realize how many veterans post here???

The funny thing about FreeRepublic is that they have a LOT less members, and their posts are a majority of hate-filled diatribes. I hope that someone can link some of our more poignant threads for you.. so you can learn what DU is REALLY about.

GLad that someone was able to explain the late term abortion to you in personal terms.

[FirstTimeVoter]

56. I'm glad to admit

you've proved my first impression wrong. My friend does have a tendancy to call my attention to some of the more radical examples. I was also pleasantly surprised that the NY protest were mostly peaceful. Although I thought crashing the convention was arrogant and unnecessary. I think the Republicans also deserve to have an uninterrupted convention also.

[IdaBriggs]

67. I'm a Hater.

Yup, its official. I know too much about this administration to feel anything but HATRED for this Evil Man.

I knew we were going to war with Iraq in November of 2000. You probably weren't paying attention back then; I was. I also know we are going to war with Iran in the next couple of weeks. You probably don't care.

I still have nightmares about planes crashing into the World Trade Center; I've listened to stories from people who were there. I blame the fact the guy in charge didn't convene the anti-terrorism task force until after the attacks -- meaning nine months of DOING NOTHING -- with ignoring the August 6th memo of "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike" because of the longest presidential vacation in history along with cutting the anti-terrorism budget on September 10 for ALLOWING the attacks to happen.

I've also seen the video of his response to the news of our country being under attack -- if you haven't, you might want to hunt it down on the internet; he's NOT someone you want with the keys to our nuclear arsenal.

I also count three dead relatives against the SOB so far this year. Its a little personal for me. What's your stake?

[JohnnyCougar]

58. believe me about the media...

If you ask me, it'd be a miracle if at least a couple of people in Bush's cabinet don't walk out in handcuffs after they lose this election. They have done some pretty nasty shit. Forging documents to encourage the Iraq war is one of them. Doing nothing about the torture in Abu Grahib is another. Attacking Iraq when Saudi Arabia provided most of the terrorists and the money for 9/11 . Ignoring repeated specific warnings about the 9/11 attacks and doing nothing. Ruining the environment. Calling anyone who dissented with their war "unpatriotic." If you see these things reported in the media every day, then I would believe you. Sooner or later, these things will get out. I hope Kerry brings them up in the debates. Kerry used to be a prosecutor, and I hope he prosecutes the hell out of these criminals.

So in conclusion, yes, I hate Bush. I don't hate Republicans for supporting him. I just wish they would wise up and pay attention. But I, as well as you, only hate those who take away our freedom. We just have a different opinion of who that is.

[blue neen]

39. I suppose you would say that the RNC was an absolute love fest.

There was more "hating, bashing, and being total hypocrites" going on there than I EVER witnessed in my life.

Meanwhile, 500,000 protestors PEACEFULLY marched through the streets of New York City, exercising their 1st amendment rights and not being hypocrites at all. They said what they wanted to say, and they did it respectfully.

I suggest YOU exercise your 1st amendment rights respectfully. Everyone here DOES NOT hate, DOES NOT bash, and ARE NOT hypocrites.

[FirstTimeVoter]

54. Everyone may not

but when I read posts like the ones I described above, I see very few taken to task for their irrationality. And the few who do are usually labeled freepers. It's really ugly to any neutral observer.

[mr_du04]

41. wow you are gutsy

coming to DU and posting that. But, like one other person has said you should check out the conservative websites there you will see what hate really is. The simple fact is the right is the side that started it all so any "hate" you see here is purely justified.

http://tinyurl.com/6o4qg

[FirstTimeVoter]

57. Interesting site

and looks easier to navigate than the Freerepublic. I'll save it to investigate later.

[left is right]

44. Right

This is the second time today that I have heard or read about Liberal Intolerance. What a crock. What was not mentioned either time, is statements by the likes of Ann Coulter who have said that liberals should be rounded up and tried for treason or were we supposed to be shot? It was also not mentioned that Kerry's statement of faith was labeled as just another campaign ploy. How about the swift boat liars calling into question Kerry's honor and veracity? Or Republicans' campaign of hatred against gays and lesbians? Or the ongoing disenfranchisement of African-American voters? Or implying that Obama is not black enough? If we seem intolerant it is because that seems to be the only way to respond to jerks who think all liberals are evil

Oh by the way welcome to DU

[progressivebydesign]

50. You forgot Jimmy Swaggart threatening to kill gays..

..then going right into endorsing President Bush. THat's hate for yoU!

[FirstTimeVoter]

61. I've heard of Ann Coulter

but don't know much about her. From your description she sounds pretty radical. And as for the Swift Boat Vets they also have freedom of speech, I have not read their book and I've only seen pieces of their ads. Flat out hate and trashing is a turn off no matter what side of the isle you're on, but that was not my impression of the SBVs. And I've not witnessed the hatred you attributed to the Republicans on the other topics you've mentioned. But I do know that there is debate over those issues.

[Mountainman]

45. To quote your candidate, "Who cares what you think?"

Is that supposed to make us feel bad? You vote for somoone because we don't like or even hate him? Not a good reason I think.

[FirstTimeVoter]

64. I'm not trying to make you feel bad

I'm not voting for Bush because you hate him. But the irrationality of the hate displayed on this site daily definitely peaked my curiosity about the man. I mean is there anything you wont blame on George Bush?

[progressivebydesign]

47. Really someone HERE called for the killing of Bush? NO way.

Bullshit. Everyone here on DU, KNOWS that this is NOT territory we go into... Did you read the hundreds of posts to Cuban_Liberal when his dear nephew was killed in Iraq? (oh, guess not!), Did you read the hundreds of posts to Mari333 when her husband died and she wanted to bring home her stepson who is station in Iraq? (guess you missed that, along with the donations to her). Did you miss the posts by the MANY veterans on DU?? (missed that, too?). Did you miss all posts supporting the troops? (oh, guess you missed that too).

I suggest you take your supposed Democrat leanings over to FreeRepublic and witness what hate is really all about. You're not undecided.. you never were. Oh, and partial birth abortion is rarely used.. and I just think you're not capable of understanding the complexity of the procedure.

[Protected]

48. You and your friends sound like Rush Limbaugh listeners

You blame us for spewing hate at the President but you fail to acknowledge that the same thing is happening to Senator John Kerry from the other side.

:crazy:

[MagickMuffin]

53. Apparently we are NOT

reading the same threads.

I have never read the kind of hate spewed messages that you have said you see here. Granted people do make fun of the president, as anybody has that right. The Freepers did it for 8 years against Clinton.

They are the party of hate that you are trying to project on us.. They always want everybody to play nice when a Repub. is in office, but as soon as a Dem. gets in it's time to rev up their hate machine.

I have never read anyones post of being happy about 9-11. Nor have I read anyone trashing our troops. People here want our troops to be safe and they want them back home. Not in some country doing a job they are not well trained in. That is one reason we are losing so many soldiers over there. Also one other point about the troops, just last week a woman was ARRESTED for expressing her grievances about losing her son in combat. The police hauled her away. And you want to lecture us about Free Speech. Soldiers are dying and the GOP thinks the families should not be heard.

I think you are trying real hard to make a case that you were undecided.

I think you are fooling yourself if you vote for GW. But if you do then be prepared to get drafted.

[BillZBubb]

59. Undecided my ass.

Bye, bye!

[lefty_WOHM]

60. You're the 2nd person I've seen on the net

who claims that those mean old Democrats drove them to vote for GWB. That's a reason?? Some people on an internet board were mean to him, so you feel sorry for him and will vote for him? OK, whatever floats your boat.

I just have a few other comments...

About late-term abortion... I used to feel like you. Actually, I think I'm more anti-choice than you. But after reading info from people who actually know what LTAs are about, I have come completely around and am completely against the LTA law. There are legitimate medical reasons for having this procedure done, reasons that the gov't has no business weighing in on. This is not a case of a woman just deciding she didn't really want to be pg. This is a gut-wrenching decision that needs to be made by the woman/parents & her dr.

About Iraq... Kerry has never said that we should just get out of Iraq. Take a look at his site if you want to see what he suggests be done to actually salvage this situation.

About hate... As others have said here, if hate turns you off, then you need to take a good long look at the Republican party. Others have already given you excellent examples of the love-fest some of them have going on.

I'm new here as well, and I've only done a bit of browsing around, but I have not seen any of the vitriol you claim is all over this site. A lot of anger & frustration, and some name-calling, but nothing like you describe. You admit you were directed here specifically as an example of how nasty those Dems can be, so I don't think you really came in with an open mind. Maybe you should try looking around a little more, and not just do a search for "hate Bush".

And you know what? You're giving a bunch of people on the internet way too much power. Why would you care what any of us think? None of us are running for president. Why don't you take a look at Kerry's web site if you want to find out what the actual *candidate* is about.

[crispini]

63. clap clap clap clap clap (nm)

[lefty_WOHM]

66. TY TY...

Now I feel all warm & fuzzy inside
:loveya:

[blue neen]

65. Well said.

Welcome to DU!

[IdaBriggs]

68. Woo Hoo! Beautifully Said!!!

And welcome to DU!!! :) Best, Ida

[Virginian]

73. Aw, give Free Republic another chance.

I haven't been over there enough to find my way around either, but from what I've seen, it tears my soul out with all the raw hatred I have read.
It just doesn't seem fair that you would vote based on the ease of navigation on a website. Just go over there and read. If you get lost, reboot and try it again. It shouldn't take much for you to have your fill of their venom.
If that doesn't work, listen to Rush. Notice how much this typical Republican, George Bush's good friend, respects women. He was even trashing Princess Di when she was still living.

[They_LIHOP]

62. I second what everyone else has responded, AND...

In response to your accusations that WE are hypocrites about freedom of speech, I want to make 2 points:
1) You will NEVER EVER EVER see a post here that says something like "the Free Republic website should be shut down". THAT would be anti-free-speech, and total hypocrisy. After all the FR created and enforces EXACTLY the same policy of shutting down 'disruptors' to their site that DU does. Why don't you go over there and call THEM hypocrites for THEIR policies?
2) If DU allowed disruptors (like you are on the verge of becoming, but since you are engaging now in reasoned debate you may not yet be...) then the site would become basically nothing but a forum for the left and right to bait each other and argue. We get 'disrupted' CONSTANTLY here, and in order for us to maintain a public forum for OUR SIDE to debate things AMONGST OURSELVES, we have simply made a choice, as a PRIVATE entity that just happens to be on a publically available medium (the internet) to make RULES about membership. Surely you SUPPORT property rights in this country, don't you?

Come here, debate, ask questions, read links, etc. You just might come to understand exactly WHY it is that we despise bush and his lying, fascist, chicken-hawk administration the way we do. This man and his crew have EARNED our hatred, it does NOT come from him simply having the office of POTUS and an -R next to his name, BELIEVE ME. Many of us respect any number of Republicans - Colin Powell, Chuck Hagel, John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, there are a few others that truly seem like good, honest men of integrity, who love the Constitution and democracy. I personally have a soft spot for Ron Paul (R-TX). I disagree w/him on MANY things, but he is a man of integrity who stands by his conservative values come hell or high water. Paul sees that the Bushies are NOT really 'conservatives' by any stretch, and does not toe the party line just because he's 'supposed' to like 99% of the rest of the GOP.

In short, some Repub's do actually seem like good Americans, and you will usually see us admit it when they ACT like it. Unlike on the FR, where they literally DESPISE EVERYONE with a -D next to their name (except Zell, perhaps), NO MATTER WHAT. The trouble w/bush is, he honestly NEVER does anything in an honest way, with integrity, with the wants/needs/desires of the WHOLE COUNTRY in mind. He is a corporate tool, looking out ONLY for the good of the rich and (already) powerful.

[DemBones DemBones]

69. Cokie Roberts is not an expert on women. I don't

believe this.

[Libby2]

70. Ignorant n/t

[Jeff1965]

71. Cokie & NPR

I think Cokie Roberts is a pretty good judge of character.

Kerry does need to hammer harder on traditional women's issues. The 2000 election is totally different than 2004. Hopefully women will start to see that if they want to see their husbands, sons and daughters, they have to vote for Kerry and end the occupation of Iraq.