SwiftVets.com

[ohanakat]

I'm in Group 2, hubby's technically in Group 1, but just barely. I hadn't laid out the charges this way, but had done some thinking about what the most agregious of the many charges is for me. Generally it's the history of dishonesty and dishonor. If I were considering voting for JFK2, #1 alone would turn it around because of the consequences that I believe we all have suffered as a result. All politicians deal in shades of gray, probably have to, but there is a distinction for me between shades of gray and flat out lying, over and over, with no regard for who is harmed. This was his first widely distributed lie.

But, I'm not sure folks in Group #3 would (generally) have as strong a feeling about honesty, even less about honor.

My "vote" is that the American people need to see Kerry's picture in the museum and understand why it's there. Our enemies consider him a hero and now he's a candidate for president. Something is desperately wrong with this "picture". Guess that's a candidate for #6 (or is it 7?)

Kat

[stylin19]

My wife would be in gp#1. But she wasn't family when I was in RVN. And quite frankly it has no bearing on how she would vote.
I believe she more fits into #3.

Now understand, my wife mostly was a democrat voter. ( I used to joke that I went to vote to cancel out my wife's vote)
In 2000, the Bush/Gore debates made up her mind. Not because of the content of the debates, but because of the behavior of the debaters. She thought Gore was arrogant, condescending and rude.

That brings us to now. My wife was on the fence once again, until she read the chapter in "Unfit for Command" about Sen. Kerry's behavior at the Swiftvets 2003 summer reunion. She started watching Sen. Kerry's behavior and how he treated others. She watched the people around Sen. Kerry and how they treated others. She has come to the conclusion that Sen. Kerry is arrogant, condescending and rude.

My daughter, who is a product of a lefty education, was a teacher and is now a Dean of H.S. students, independently came to the same conclusions about Sen. Kerry that my wife did.

Why does this mean anything to this conversation ? Because there has to be a charge category where people don't give two-spits about Sen. Kerry before/after Vietnam one way or the other.

as a P.S. ...My son just became a Union Member and I have no idea which way or why he'll be voting the way he's going to.

Looks like I've got some work to do to get that 4th Bush/Cheney vote out of this household.
_________________
U.S.M.C. - 1969-1971
RVN- 1970-1971

[factman]

This is "factman" responding to the comments so far posted.

1. As was to be expected there has been a difference of opinion as to how the members of the various Voter Groups rared the impact each of the listed Kerry charges had on them. The post was presented in a manner that would draw out these different opinions and did not anticipate full agreement.

2. Of necessity, the choice of just three voter groups and three Kerry charges was required to keep the discusion manageable. Under Voter Groups the choices could have been broken down to branch of service, sex, race, income level, etc, The choice of Kerry Charges could well have numbered ten or more. The key objective was to show that any future efforts on the part of the SBVT, and I hope there are many right up to election day, take into account the widest range of voters that can be influenced.

3. A word of caution to the SBVT. Try to limit the messages relating to events and actions surrounding John Kerry to a specific time period, specifically the Vietnam War Era, where the SBVT have specific grievances with Kerry, and how these events and actions impact them, and should also impact others. To go beyond this time frame into subjects such as Kerry's voting record in Congress, or his position on the Iraq War, could be a mistake that will open them to the justifiable criticism that they are just another arm of the Republican Party and the Bush/Chaney campaign. We as participants in the discusion forum should not attempt to pressure them to go there.