Originally Posted by onetime2

I'll play.

Gay Marriage:

Kerry has taken the path of least resistance by supporting the state's rights view of it and I don't really fault him for that. Bush wants to change the Constitution over it. I disagree with this stance completely. I believe gay couples should have the right to a civil union and at the same time respect should be paid to the term "marriage" as it seems (to me at least) to hold a certain religious connotation. The compromise in this is the civil union so long as they offer the same "rights" to these couples as marriage offers to a man and woman.
Well stated

Taxes:

I like Bush's approach better. The government needs to be forced to be more responsible with the money they already get. Until the government makes a more serious commitment to weeding out the useless and inefficient programs they do not deserve to take more from us. Kerry's plan continues to feed the monster while Bush's at least cuts it's portion size.
We need congressional help with this as well

Iraq:

I do not believe there will be a significant change with Kerry in power. Putting the debate over the reasons for war aside I believe the campaign has been run well and the progress made in a short time is staggering. The only change that might happen with Kerry is commitment from other nations to send troops. I seriously doubt that will happen so the reality will likely be a plan very much like the one currently in place.
I think Bush was in a damned if he did damned if he didn't situation, if he did nothing and a dirty bomb went off in LA linked to Iraq the liberal would want his head on a stick

The economy:

The President does not significantly impact the economy. There are some pros and cons to each candidate's economic vision but overall they are about equal in my eyes.
I agree, keeping taxes low helps, if there were a way to tax the extreme wealthy I would not have a problem with that, here in San Diego when my 30 year old condo costed my 275,000 3 years ago you got to make a decent salary just to keep you head above water.

Training for workers and students:

I like Bush's plan to help workers transition from sagging industries to more vibrant ones. The difference in growth rates between industries and the trend of employment moving outside of US borders have been key parts of my economic research over the years. There is little doubt some industries are destined to move outside of the US. All the protectionist policies and political maneuvering in the world can only slightly delay this fact. Recognition that it is inevitable in a global economy is the necessary first step. The Kerry campaign's stand on protecting these jobs will only hurt the economy (both ours and the world's).
I like his plan too

Health Care:

I like that this is a topic in both campaigns. I do not believe the government is efficient enough at this time to take it on by itself however. Bush's prescription drug plan for seniors is a great starting point IMO. The attacks against it have only served to scare people away from something that could help ease the financial strains of high cost therapies. This could have been a great uniting topic but it has been used as just another political football by the Dems IMO. Rather than looking at it as a starting point that could be improved on it will be trumpeted as a failure to promote the Dem plan(s). This only hurts those who would have received the benefits and will likely set back progress on this important issue.
I would look into the idea of very BASIC health care for all, it may be more cost effective to have preventative care than just people showing up at the ER

Stem Cell Research:

This is a tough one that I don't really have a firm stance on yet. While it certainly has a lot of potential, I really do believe that life begins at the point of conception (sperm making it through the outer layer of egg) and it bothers me to see the potential for such a huge loss of human life. These embryos will basically be giving up their lives for the benefit of the living with no guarantee that anything will come of it and without giving any sort of consent. In general I am for the concept of sacrifice of some for the benefit of all but I have not been able to reconcile the two issues. In the mean time I would prefer to see the research minimized. Current policy does not ban stem cell research but does minimize its use.
I disagree with Bush on this we need to lead the world not follow

Religion:

I am not a particularly religious person but I absolutely believe that there are underlying concepts in all religions that make us better as people and a society. I like that Bush and Kerry both have some level of religious compass. I do not see Bush as some religious zealot as many others seem to claim and I don't see Kerry as lacking a religious center because he doesn't actively promote his faith. On this I see the two men as approximately equal.