Oh-oh! Reckon I'd better get out my SPF 1000 suncreen and a pair of ice skates, 'cause Hell has just froze over! Mitchie-poo opening a poltical thread! Never thought I'd live to see the day! Honestly figured I'd post a fishing report 'fore any political discussion was allowed! Will wonders ever cease?

Sure would be nice if we could all follow Mitch's lead here, and keep it civil.(Bad as it used to get here, you ain't seen nuthin' till you've visited www.Capitolgrilling.com . That place is a liberals heavenly haven; they've ripped me a new excretory orifice!)

Bottom line : I'm not real thrilled with Bush, but I'm back to voting the lesser of two-evils, and will probably hold my nose and pull the lever for him. Still, the debates will be watched, and I'm still somewhat flexible.

As it stands, now, as I type, I don't see how, in good conscience, I can vote for Kerry, who, in my view, is a worse than a limousine liberal; he's a Lear Jet liberal; no more in contact with the common man than Caligula was!(His nutzoid, shrew wife makes Hillary look like a godsend!)

Bush is no where near the dullard liberal spin would have you believe; his college SAT's were better than JFK's! He may not be as articulate as one would like, but he speaks his mind, believes what he says, and sticks to his guns. I begrdugingly respect him for that. Kerry from Taxachusetts? A Democratic Nixon with a finger in the wind before he moves his lips!

Character: Advantage: Bush and 1st Lady Laura.

Being this is a fishing site, as far as Sportsman's issue's hold, Bush beats Kerry hands down. Gun rights, fishing and hunting rights and access, et al. His environmental record is not nearly as bad as liberal spin would have you believe. (We still have the Congress and the courts as a check and balence. Witness the recent Federal Appeal court reversal of a Bush Admin./EPA decision on CWA.)

Ever wonder why we have so much out-sourcing of jobs? While there are a myriad of reasons, and neither canidate will seriously address this issue, stringently strident environmental regulations can not be helping matters any. Clean air/water are'nt worth a fiddler's poo without an industrial base middle-class to enjoy them! Can't we strive to have our cake and eat it too, here, and compromise some?

Environment: Slight Advantage: Kerry.
Sportsmen: Advantage: Bush.

I also lean towards Bush, as vacancies on the Supreme Court are very likely this term. My guess is Kerry would nominate judicial revisionists who would make Ruth Bader Ginsburg look like a card-carrying Nazi, in comparison!

Supreme Court: Advantage: Bush.

The economy is not as good as it could be, the Bush tax cuts have not helped nearly as much as Bush hoped they would. On the other hand, does Kerry really believe we can raise taxes, and tax our way back to prosperity? (Trickle down economics vs. trickle down "millionaires" tax increases.) Pull-eeze! Comparing the Clinton-era, false stock-market boom to the post 9/11 era is apples to oranges; no relation to the new terrorism reality.

Neither canidate has, to date, adequately addressed the health care "crisis", IMLTHO. But Kerry's Plan seems heavily complicated/complex, while Bush's seems overly simplified.

Economy/Health Care issues: A draw. Neutral. Both equally foul.

Iraq, while not on my list for all-time greatest wars, is still a rather sticky wicket, eh wot? Good/Bad? What's the dif? We're there and we'd better make the best of it; stay the course, as it were. (Even Kerry had admitted that we can't cut and run!) Time for America to show a little backbone, and finish the job!

Iraq: Slight Advantage: Bush.

Oil, fuel for our/world economy is an issue. While Iraq is a part of the problem, it is much more complicated than that. Demand is up,supply is down; political instability is ripe in more than Iraq. Chechnea, Venezuela/Sudan, et al. What we need is more domestic oil/coal production and use. Bush supports this; Kerry does'nt. I do not look forward to freezing in the dark just to save some little endangered creature!

It's possible to drill in the Arctic/Florida West Coast/Pacific West Coast, and still have environmental safeguards, via new technologies, and posting of surety bonds. Let's compromise here, and get it done!

Energy Policy: Advantage; Bush.