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Presidential debate III Paul Ryan
Summary of Wednesday's presidential debate:
Everything's not fine, and Bush's entire campaign has consisted of him saying it is. This is a normal defense mechanism for presidents serving in tough times, so I never thought much of it. But after watching Wednesday's debate, I realized it's not an act. Bush isn't lying or trying to be sneaky. He really does think everything's fine. He's admitted many times that he doesn't read the news, so all his bad news comes with a footnote explaining how it's, 1) not really that bad, 2) not his fault, and 3) not in need of immediate fixing. This theory was confirmed by this quote from Bush during the debate, after Kerry quoted statistics from the Washington Post: "I'm not sure it's credible to quote leading news sources." The Washington Post, one of the world's most revered news sources, isn't credible? Who is credible, Mr. President? The advisors who tell you better education is the solution to stopping job outsourcing? The advisors who tell you a $236 billion surplus becoming one of the largest deficits in history is solely the fault of the 9/11 attack and the last four months of Clinton's term? The advisors who tell you a massive shortage of flu shots isn't a big deal, and is something to laugh about heartily while discussing it? My friend, whose mom has cancer, explained it best: if her dad - one of the "healthy people" Bush mentioned - doesn't get a flu shot, he risks getting the flu and passing it on to his wife. For cancer patients, getting the flu means visiting the hospital, and if it hits hard enough, it can mean death. Sadly, when my friend's dad goes to get a flu shot, he'll probably be rejected. There are thousands of others in the same situation, and Bush just laughs as if he were asked whether gumdrops will win the war on terror. Sadly, Bush's stance on healthcare is almost identical. More Americans have lost health coverage under Bush than any other president, yet he's done nothing about it. The only change in healthcare Bush has proposed is a discount card for seniors, which most of them aren't using anyway. Bush's solution for healthcare, eerily similar to his solution for flu shots, is, "If you can't get it, too bad." I'm hoping to move to California next year. I'd like to have a chance to try all my talents - writing, photography, etc. - and find out exactly where I want to apply myself. This plan has been a dream of mine for quite some time, but because I'm diabetic, life will be pretty tough if I don't have a full-time job that provides health insurance. If I'm testing multiple career options at once, I probably won't have one set job that provides health insurance. But this is the land of the free where everyone has the right to pursue happiness, so there must be a way to make this work, right? I went online to check out prices for health insurance. After getting multiple price quotes, I found I'd pay anywhere from $65 to $300 a month for health plans that only cover basic checkups and prescriptions. If I want a plan that fully covers me in the event of emergencies, I'll likely have to pay a deductible of $500-$2,500. These are my only two options - inadequate coverage or a deductible I can't afford - and neither of them are very good. So if I save up $4,000 before I move (quite the sum for any middle class person), 1/4 of my money will go to my first and last month's rent, 1/4 of it will go to the deductible, and the other 1/2 of my money will get me a measly six months of coverage. After six months, my $4,000 will be gone, and I'll be paying up to $300 a month for health coverage in addition to rent and utilities. So I'd be paying rent and a half. I guess those of us who can't afford healthcare just have to do away with the whole pursuit of happiness thing. So much for the land of opportunity.
 This is what's wrong with Bush. He doesn't see us, the average people who are striving for happiness. He ignores us, just assuming everything's okay because the country hasn't collapsed upon itself. He doesn't understand that "middle class" is a synonym for "one step away from disaster". John Kerry isn't perfect either, but at least he recognizes us, the middle and lower classes. Not only that, but he wants to help us. He wants to raise the minimum wage to $7/hour. He wants to try to curb job outsourcing. He wants to take back the tax cut from people who make over $200,000 a year, and give it to the middle class. He understands the importance of reducing the deficit, so people like myself can retire someday. He wants to make healthcare cheaper and easier to get. He wants to allow people to purchase cheaper drugs from Canada, to force American drug companies to price competitively. He wants to protect America without forgetting the needs of the people who live here. And most importantly, he's willing to keep himself in check financially, which goes against all liberal stereotypes. Kerry's not as big a spender as Bush makes him out to be. The plans Kerry is proposing will cost roughly $1.3 trillion, which is the same exact cost Bush is proposing with his plans.
There's spin everywhere, and while you can't help but hear it and see it, you don't have to believe it. Use websites like Factcheck.org, which are non-partisan and have been hailed by both Democrats (Kerry) and Republicans (Cheney). The truth will help you make the right decision on November 2.
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