The similarities shared by Democratic presidential candidate hopefuls John Edwards and John Kerry extend beyond their common first name. Both support abortion rights; both plan to eliminate tax cuts for Americans earning over $200,000. Above all, both have an excellent ultimate goal: to remove George W. Bush from office.
As subscribers to the A.B.B. (Anybody But Bush) school of thought, our main concern is that the winner of the Democratic primaries will be the winner of the 2004 Election in November. Of the 18 primaries that have already taken place, Kerry has won 16, compared to the one that Edwards secured. Being from the North Carolina, Edwards is expecting an easy win over Southern states, but Kerry has already proven that he has a broader range of support.
Not only does Kerry have a better chance of beating Bush, he also has a more favorable platform. According to a Feb. 19 New York Times article, support from Kerry generally comes from voters who hold little faith in Bush’s ability to improve our already dreary economy. Edwards appeals to those who have a more positive outlook on the economic situation.
Both Kerry advocates and Kerry himself have the more realistic view, and as a result Kerry has a better financial plan. He wants to focus his tax cuts on the middle class for college, health care and childcare. He has proposed $50 billion to help states create jobs and has a plan to cut the deficit in half within five years.
One of the principal differences between Kerry and Edwards lies in their opinion on the death penalty: Edwards is in favor; Kerry opposes it, except in cases of terrorism. Kerry also has a more developed education plan, suggesting a $3.2 billion community service plan for high school students that would give them the chance to have full tuition to their state’s public colleges. Finally, with health care, Kerry has plans to save $1000 per family that could be used for emergency coverage. Kerry has focused his campaign on national security and military issues, all the meanwhile emphasizing his capability to win against Bush.
Connecticut primaries are March 2, Super Tuesday, when nine other states will hold their primaries. Anyone over 18 who is not yet registered to vote can do so up to five days in advance by downloading the voters’ registration application from the Wesleyan Democrats website, www.wesleyan.edu/democrat/register.html, or can go up until noon on March 1 to the Voting Registrar in Middletown, located at 245 deKoven Drive. Edwards’ charisma may gain him votes, but a winning smile is no guarantee of an ability to run the country well. John Kerry is more promising in his chances of winning against Bush and having a successful term as president.
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