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Welcome to Red State/Blue State, a feature presented by The Anniston Star of Anniston, Ala., and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the December 2001 edition of the Atlantic, David Brooks wrote an essay titled "One Nation, Slightly Divisible," in which he suggested that America is divided largely into two political cultures, one "red" and one "blue." His idea is based on those electoral maps in 2000 that colored majority-Republican states in red and majority-Democratic states in blue. Brooks' witty essay pictures the red-state voter as trending rural, a salt-of-the-earth type, concerned with individual liberty and family values, whereas the "blue" voter trends urban, more of a book-reader, a Beltway-savvy intellectual, the environmentally conscious soccer mom or dad.

Cliches? Maybe. But Brooks does have his finger on two very strong currents in the American votership. It's not that Pennsylvania is a "blue state" or Alabama is a "red state." It's that our two political cultures don't talk to each other much, or even know much about each other. To bridge that gap, we've brought together two "red" voters - John Franklin and Cynthia Sneed - and two "blue" voters, Terri Falbo and Timothy Horner. Each week, they'll ponder and debate the issues arising in the election campaign. The hope is that they'll model an intelligent discussion, a great big conference room where red and blue sit down together.

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Joe Franklin, Red Stater 

Question Number Two: In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Sen. John Kerry criticized the Bush administration on domestic policy, being especially critical on issues such as veterans, Medicare, and education. Bush counterattacked by declaring that he had "delivered" in all these areas. Whom do you find more persuasive? Has or hasn't Bush "delivered"?




Sen. Kerry delivered a compelling, patriotic speech to the convention. It would have been great for an Independence Day or Memorial Day celebration, but for an acceptance speech it was soft and thin. Kerry gave no details for issues such as veterans, Medicare, and education.

He needs to: (1) clearly explain his tax reform. We want numbers; (2) lay out his plans on these issues, giving the costs and funding for these programs and pay the deficit; (3) show that his health care/Medicare proposals will not cause a train wreck for those of us struggling to pay for health insurance in the private sector; (4) show us the money; and (5) show us what legislation he has sponsored during his Senate career on furthering the above issues.


If there are no proposals on these issues in his record as a senator, the people of Massachusetts and the nation are the losers. If he has been aware for years of these issues and is only now professing them during this presidential campaign, the people are again the losers. Does one sit on these issues until they have presidential aspirations? Perhaps that explains why we have elected governors over senators for president in recent history.


The acceptance speech mentioned only two items regarding his Senate career: putting 100,000 cops on the street and working with Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) to find the truth on prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action, finally to make peace with Vietnam. The report on POWs AND MIAs, however, was inconclusive: No determination was made of POWs alive at the end of the war.


Yes, I believe President Bush has delivered on veterans, Medicare and education. What about the increase of over $20 billion in veteransÂ’ benefits since 2001? (Note: Kerry has consistently voted against Veterans Administration and veteransÂ’ health care.) What about the coverage for prescription drugs for seniors and disabled under Medicare? (Note: Kerry has missed numerous votes on Medicare issues.) What about No Child Left Behind, school choice, and other education issues? (Note: Where was Sen. Kerry?)



posted at # 1:56 PM
  Archives

   •  08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004
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   •  08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004
   •  08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004
   •  08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004
   •  09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004
   •  09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004
   •  09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004
   •  09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004
   •  10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004
   •  10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004
   •  10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004
   •  10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004
   •  11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004


Bloggers from
Blue State (Pa.)

Terri Falbo

Born and raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Terri Falbo is a union organizer who has lived in Philadelphia for almost 30 years. She graduated from Temple University and previously worked as a construction worker for 17 years.

Tim Horner

Tim Horner grew up in Iowa, but has lived out significant chunks of his adult life in Chicago, IL and Oxford, England. He is married and has four children (14, 12, 10 and 7). Having grown up as an Evangelical in the Midwest and still a practicing Christian, he is concerned with how religion and politics mix. Because of a combination of circumstance and apathy, he has never voted in a presidential election. He currently teaches Humanities at Villanova University.
Bloggers from
Red State (Ala.)

Joe Franklin

Alabama native Joe Franklin, 58, was born in Pike County and grew up on a farm in Crenshaw County. He graduated from Troy State University in 1967. After working for 28 years with the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles as a parole and probation officer, retired to Crenshaw County, which is just south of Montgomery, where he spends his days working on the farm.


Cynthia Sneed

Gadsden resident and local college professor Cynthia Smith Sneed has a doctorate in Accounting from the University of Alabama. Her fields of academic research are in state pension and employee benefit issues. She has been published in numerous academic accounting journals and has done research for the Alabama Policy Institute. She is a member of the American Accounting Association, Governmental Finance Officers Association as well as being active in the Republican Party.



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