I am a swing voter

[Lepidopteran]

I am a swing voter, neither Republican nor Democrat. I supported President Bush in his response to September 11 and I supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance. It's a hard choice.

[Redcloak]

It isn't a hard choice at all. What Kerry proposes (socialized medicine) cannot work. Profit is what motivates the medical system; not feel-good altruism. Remove or curtail profit, as Kerry proposes, and you wipe out innovation in medical research. The US leads the world in medical research and new drugs because people expect to make money doing the work. Places like Canada or The UK stifle that profit motive. Not only do they not come up with cutting edge medications, they fail to provide their people with adequate care. Equality in medical service sounds good at first glance, but not when that means equally bad.

[Names Ash Housewares]

another point, Kerry flip flops so much. Nothing he says means anything, he will say whatever he thinks will help him to win. At a minimum with Bush you know what your getting. He follows through.

[Remington Rebel]

Its not a hard choice... life comes before liberty...

[Getsmart64]

This country is NO where close to having national health insurance. Won't happened irregardless WHO is president. Millions of amricans are taking advantage of Medicade/Medicare....you need to find a better more important issue to focus on than something that isn't going to happen...like national health care...

[Bobber58]

I so, like, totally support Bush, but, like, I am so, like, concerned about, like (insert yer fav socialist program here) like, totally?...so, like, I'm just, like, so asking, like, totally, likje, like, like...what can Bush do for me? like, totally, like, so?

[gubamyster]

But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance.

Where in the Constitution does it say the government should provide health insurance or health coverage? I pay for my own family's health insurance. Do you think I should be paying for other people's too? Do you think I should buy them a car, a house, a trip to the Bahamas too?

If I cannot afford something, I go without that particular thing, or sacrifice something else to pay for what I deem necessary. What about people who do not want health insurance. Most healthy young people who are at entry-level positions forgo health insurance since they deem it unnecessary. Should my taxes go for their health?

The Dems want to redistribute wealth. If you are feeling guilty about someone who does not have health insurance, why don't you voluntarily pay their premiums? Don't increase my taxes and redistribute my wealth to pay for something government has no business being involved in.

[the_Watchman]

Mayor Koch, a Democrat, states that he does not side with President Bush on a single domestic issue. However, Koch says he will vote for Bush because the Democrats don't have the guts to prosecute this war that we are in! It's about 9/11! We are at war, NOT spending out time worrying about how soon the troops can come home.

Thousands of Americans died in New York. Thousands more citizens are likely to die within our borders before this thing is resolved.

Bush is going toe to toe with the radical Islamic terrorists IN THE MIDDLE EAST. This is where it should be fought.

Did anyone hear Kerry during his acceptance speech: "If anyone strikes America, I will respond!" He STILL doesn't get it! They did strike America. Russian intelligence told Bush, as admitted by Putin last month, that Hussein had imminent plans to strike America (This is probably one of the reasons that Kerry has finally admitted that going into Iraq was the correct decision.)

However, Kerry wants to wait for the next attack before he does something. He wants to "respond".

Why wait. George is already responding! GO GEORGE BUSH!

[I'm in cheerleading mode tonight because my wife and I heard Bush in Phoenix a few hours ago. :]

[america-rules]

"But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance"

Everyone has coverage.

Get sick and go to any emergency room and you will get treated. Get in to an accident and you will get treated.

I have a friend that's 40 and has had 3 near death accidents and has always been treated at the hospital (Once for 3 weeks) and didn't pay for the care.

He's not a free loader and pays taxes as a self employed roofer but doesn't have insurance and gets treated at the emergency room.

If you show up and tell them you don't have insurance they will treat you and give you a short supply of drugs then you have to buy your own but they will treat you.

How do you think 10 million illegals get treatment each year in the US?

We all pay more for our insurance because some get treatment without paying but they get the treatment !

The solution to 100% coverage would be a 100% country wide HMO system that's run by private business. It could be done very easily but the lobbyists may prevent it !

[Slings and Arrows]

A troll that calls itself a butterfly. How quaint.

[sockmonkey]

But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance.

I don't have health insurance. Do you think that someone should provide it for me? Should the government? Why?

I don't think everyone else should pay more in taxes to fund healthcare for me.

[flashbunny]

ah yes,the 'I supported bush but kerry is looking good" variety of troll.

If you want a peak of the great health care your pal kerry will bring, go up to canada and get really sick. Then wait 6-10 months for tests to determine the next course of treatment. Then wait another 6-10 months for the actual treatment.

If you're still alive by the time you get around to using your free health care, congratulations! You just won the socialized medicine lottery!

[Jagdgewehr]

It's a hard choice.

No. It is really not.

[Lexinom]

This is one interesting wrinkle in the battle for votes. My family of three has gone without health insurance for some time with no worries. We're relatively young and healthy. But older people, or those not blessed with good health have more cause to concern themselves with this matter.

It's like auto insurance I guess. Personally I would avoid auto insurance if the law permitted, and set aside a slush fund for this and other disasters (no this is not a pitch for "medical savings accounts", I've thought of this long before that entered the public discourse). It's an incentive to avoid a wreck - drive carefully! If I did happen into a wreck, it wouldn't be the end of the world... On the other hand, I'm paying $100/mo for two vehicles, and have not been in a wreck for which I was at fault for 7 years (and that was a one-car ordeal and my own fault!). Over 7 years, that's $8,400! It's an odds game. I figure the chances of causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage in a wreck are miniscual for a careful driver.

That said, medical costs can soar into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. People are justified to be concerned about this. Causes include the free-market - doctors study for seven+ years for a reason - and lawsuit abuse - losers are greedy and want to blame others without regard to impact on their fellow man. What would happen if we nationalized healthcare ala Hillary Clinton's '93 plan?

Costs to the consumer would go down due to government regulation. Doctors would leave the field if not the country (Acapulco, anyone?) Quality of care would likely decrease as the medical talent attrition took its toll. So everyone would have relatively low-quality health care. Taxes would have to be raised to pay for this, so we would have less money to save.

So it's a balancing game between freedom and security. For me, I'll take financial freedom any day. Just my thoughts...

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

Get a life...buterflies and moths do not require health insurance.

[GeronL]

John Kerry has no plan to give people health insurance, he has an empty promise. The reason people cannot afford health insurance are mandates and government interference.

John Kerry wants more of both.

[KingsKindred]

If it's socialized medicine you want, you should talk to the people that have to live with it. I have many relatives in Canada and if they get sick, well too bad. They get on a list and wait 2 years for the operation. I had an uncle who died in his way. The greedy lawyers have ruined our health system and put it out of reach for the many... unless you are illegal. That is what the democratic party espouses. But the most important reason to vote for Bush is that he is strong on the WOT. Healthcare won't matter much if we are dead from some kind of terror attack.

[pt17]

But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance

I'd say you have a much bigger issue than health insurance. That is, you seem unable to spot political phoneys, which isn't all that hard. They have the following traits:

• They've never held a real job.
• Having no real convictions, they put their finger in the political wind to see which way it is blowing.
• They have vacuous records of achievement.
• They tend to pander, fabricate and, sometimes, lie.
• Their actions suggest they're mostly concerned with themselves.
• They have a strong need to "be somebody."

[Drammach]

Seriously now, think about this..

Social Security

Medicare

Medicaid

When has GOVERNMENT managed to get any thing right?

Now you wish to have the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT stick their nose into the Nation's Healthcare?
( not that they haven't already, but actually take it over and start a federal program? )

You are talking about a major increase in lobbying...
You are talking about a major increase in "campaign donations" to congress from Health Organizations..
You're talking about DOUBLING the COST of individual's Health Care expenses...
( Can you say PAYROLL TAX INCREASE? )

You are talking about congress making "concessions", and "exemptions" for Health Care Industry Fat Cats..
( concessions they "paid for" of course, but concessions that will guarantee high costs for medicine, hospital stays, surgery, "special" procedures and diagnostics, etc.. )

How do you think the latest health care "improvements" managed to ban Canadian medication imports?
Why do you think it is that Medicaid / Medicare can't negotiate with pharmacuetical companies for lower prices on medications like other health care groups can?
( Can you say "Guaranteed High Profit Margins" ??? )

National Healthcare will basically "screw" all americans, and probably half the Health Care Industry..

[Qwinn2]

Kerry lies about health care too.

http://www.donaldsensing.com/2004/08/remember-poor-mary-ann-knowles.html


If health care is the problem he claims it is, why would he have -any- trouble finding a legitimate story to gripe about?

Qwinn