Candidates of the people

(8/25/04)

In the 2004 Presidential Election we are faced with a tremendously difficult task, we must decide between two equally deserving men. Both John Kerry and George W. Bush are products of humble beginnings. I feel that it is my duty as a citizen of this great nation to inform the youth of this campus and for the duration of this school year I will do so to the greatest of my ability. My journalistic endeaver brings the truth to those of you who are so devoted to a life of academia that you cannot spare time enough to read the Times or the Post every day.
I will begin with a brief overview of our Presidential candidates, not to skew anyone's personal politics, but simply to freshen our understanding of where these men came from and what made them the political juggernauts that they are today. Mr. John Kerry is the Democratic nominee for president in this November's election. Mr. Kerry, despite being born in poverty and growing up in one of Florida's roughest mobile home communities managed to become a war hero and United States Senator. John Kerry surmounted racial prejudice and a crippling forehead deformity to gain entrance to one of the nation's most prestigious institutions of learning. After graduating from DeVry University in a mere six months, he turned down several management positions at local high-paced culinary institutions in order to enter the military.
This obligation to his country and devotion to the humanitarian crisis in Vietnam was yet another glimpse into the raging patriotic man that is the Democratic nominee. After earning 3 purple hearts and a green clover in the War, Mr. Kerry again showed his patriotism by testifying in support of our troops in front of a Congressional Assembly investigating the Vietnam War. This public exposure eventually led Mr. Kerry into a life of public service, was his obligation to be a public servant.
Kerry's Senate career is nothing if not the portrait of consistency. His firm and decisive voting record is what his major platform will be over the coming months. Kerry will most likely gain the vote of America's women because of the truly romantic story behind his current wife. John Kerry married Theresa Heinz- Kerry after he met her at a soup kitchen where he was volunteering. She was a destitute immigrant who immediately caught the eye of this self-made man. You, my friends, can now see why the Democratic Party is putting all their chips on the table this election season. Mr. Kerry is a man who started with nothing and made a tremendous life for himself. It is rare to see a self-made man in politics these days and we are in for a rare treat to see not only one, but two of these gentlemen in the same election.
Incumbent President George W. Bush has been compared to many men in his life. Henry David Thoreau, William Blake, even Gandhi, none of these men adequately compare to President Bush. Bush was born in to a working-class home in rural Texas. His father was an illiterate immigrant who toiled away in the desolate oil fields outside of Arlen for his entire life. This sense of responsibility and regard for hard work was instilled in our current President at an early age and echoes in his politics to this day. George W. Bush overcame his difficult childhood and graduated high school first in his class. He used his hard work and devotion to education to get in to Yale, where he graduated atop his class.
Those who knew George W. Bush during these years remember him as somewhat of a recluse, oftentimes passing on social events in order to write letters to starving children in the Sudan. Just like John Kerry, George Bush answered the call of his nation and enlisted in the military. After 4 years of active duty service in the Air National Guard, where he won Top Gun honors and a flawless crop-dusting record, Mr. Bush decided to enter the Peace Corps and devote his time to his real passion in life: dispelling humanitarian crises across the globe. After his noble service in the Peace Corps, Bush gained his Masters Degree and successfully won the Governor's office in his native Texas in his first political campaign. This charming no-name from rural Texas unseated the longtime favorite and incumbent Governor, Ann Richards through tireless grassroots campaigning. This bucking of corporate donations and resolve against the influence of big business was and has remained a characteristic of Bush's politics. George W. Bush aimed higher than the Governor's office and in 2000 this great orator charmed the nation in to a landslide victory over Vice-president Al Gore.
Over the past four years George W. Bush has been a champion of small business and human rights and we have all become better people because of this man's devotion to his brethren, the common man.
You see now, friends, what makes this political season so difficult to those of us with high moral fiber. Are we expected to choose one man when both of these men are glowing examples of how the political process in this country is a shining affirmation of all that is right with Democracy? Good luck to you, my fellow voters. I know that whoever wins will make America a better place and further solidify this country in the eyes of the global community.