Special Coverage: Election 2004

Election 2004

AlterNet's coverage of the 2004 election.

The Security Mom Myth

Anna Greenberg. September 30, 2004.
The idea of security moms profoundly misrepresents who women are and what they worry about politically.

To Catch a Thief

Barbara Ehrenreich, The Progressive. September 29, 2004.
We need a plan of action for the all-too-likely event that the election is determined to be tainted.

There Is a Difference

David Morris, AlterNet. September 29, 2004.
A look at the voting record of the Democratic Party on Capitol Hill shows that, in fact, the majority of the party has stood up for progressive values.

In League with Extraordinary Gentlemen

Matthew Scott Kelemen, AlterNet. September 29, 2004.
"Going Upriver," George Butler's documentary about John Kerry, tells the story of Kerry's two wars – Vietnam and the peace movement.

Unreal Debates

John Hanchette, Editor & Publisher. September 28, 2004.
The formats of presidential debates increasingly resemble the high-concept scripts of the dummied up reality shows on television.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Eyal Press, The Nation. September 28, 2004.
An anti-Bush backlash is growing among ranchers, hunters and property owners over natural gas drilling, which wreaks havoc on the environment.

Cheater's Proof

Will Durst, AlterNet. September 28, 2004.
After a string of hurricanes in Florida, is God trying to tell us something?

The Man at Their Side

Robert Bryce, The Nation. September 28, 2004.
The Corleones had Robert Duvall as their consigliere. The Bushes have James A. Baker III.

Debates Don't Make or Break Presidents

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet. September 28, 2004.
Political and personal beliefs, party affiliation, and values still make a longer lasting impression.

Jan Frel, AlterNet. September 28, 2004.
As a young senator, John Kerry spearheaded courageous investigative work on the Contra drug scandals, shedding light on the hypocrisy of the Reagan/Bush administration.

Kerry On Offense

Michael Tomasky, The American Prospect. September 27, 2004.
Polls show that attacks on George W. Bush's flawed record are working.

The Divisions Stay the Same

Mike Davis, Tomdispatch.com. September 27, 2004.
The onset of Hurricane Ivan demonstrated that little progress has been made toward addressing racial inequalities in Louisiana.

Fox Hunting Student Voters

Katha Pollitt, The Nation. September 27, 2004.
Misguided youth or hardened criminals? A Fox affiliate in Arizona covered out-of-state student registration as a criminal act despite its complete legality.

Listen Up, Mr. President

AlterNet. September 24, 2004.
What would you say to George Bush if you had five minutes with the man? Janeane Garofalo, Minnie Driver, Montel Williams and Morgan Fairchild have their say.

A Matter of Debates

Sean Aday, Gadflyer. September 23, 2004.
Kerry will have the opportunity to hold Bush up serious scrutiny in the upcoming debates.

John Kerry's Tipping Point

Don Hazen, AlterNet. September 23, 2004.
The Iraq speech put an end to the pointless handwringing of Democrats and marked the rebirth of a newly energized John Kerry.

House Calls

Evan Derkacz, AlterNet. September 23, 2004.
Braving bad weather and a long bus ride, volunteers fan out through a swing state's suburbs, knocking on thousands of doors to talk to voters – and get a surprise visit from Howard Dean.

Swing State Envy

Sandip Roy, Pacific News Service. September 23, 2004.
Kerry and Bush are almost colliding with each other as they crisscross smaller and smaller areas, hoping to stumble on the last swing voter as she waits to cross the street. But what about me?

Decoding the National Polls

Ruy Teixeira, The Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation. September 23, 2004.
In this edition of Public Opinion Watch: The misleading numbers of the Gallup and New York times polls are explained. Also, persuadable voters have still not been persuaded.

The Disease of Right-wing Framing

Robert Cole, AlterNet. September 23, 2004.
The media continually reiterates right-wing language when framing the debate over healthcare. The loser is not just John Kerry but also the American voter.

An Eye on Three Candidates in the Senate Race

Arianna Huffington, AlterNet. September 22, 2004.
Will the world's most exclusive club get a much needed infusion of new blood?

The Son of Reagan

Nina Burleigh, AlterNet. September 22, 2004.
An emergency team of former Reagan aides has swooped in during these last months of the re-election campaign to help recast George Bush as the true heir of the Gipper.

Kerry's Plan on Iraq

Sen. John Kerry. September 21, 2004.
What are John Kerry's plans to resolve the mess in Iraq and fight al Qaeda? Read his Sept. 20 speech and find out.

True Conservatives Would Back Kerry

Robert Scheer, AlterNet. September 21, 2004.
The right should recoil from Bush's war without end.

The Bush-McCain Face-Off

David Corn, The Nation. September 21, 2004.
The McCain-Bush conflict has been one of the most-watched soap operas in Washington. Now it appears the Arizona senator may have a rude surprise for the president.

The New York Times vs. Michael Moore

Richard Blow, TomPaine.com. September 21, 2004.
The New York Times refuses Michael Moore permission to reprint a story, claiming that it doesn't want to be "part of a political battle."

Bush and Kerry Channel Their Eco-Character

Amanda Griscom Little, Grist.org. September 20, 2004.
Environmental issues serve as a measure of character in Kerry/Bush '04.

Bush Debates Attending Town Hall

Paul Waldman, Gadflyer. September 20, 2004.
It's not in Bush's interests to participate in town-hall debates.

GOP to Poor Women: Get Hitched

Kiersten Stewart, Gadflyer. September 20, 2004.
Republican marriage promotion programs encourage women to stay in abusive relationships.

Counted Out

Anne-Marie Cusac, The Progressive. September 20, 2004.
Recent activity in key swing states points to dirty tricks aimed at disenfranchising minority voters.

Enfranchising Non-Citizen Residents

Emily Lee, Pacific News Service. September 17, 2004.
The government has so many ways of classifying immigrants. What kinds of voting rights do they deserve?

Beatboxing at the Ballot Box

Scott Thill, AlterNet. September 17, 2004.
Art and politics blur at your local concert venue, where artists from Ani DiFranco to Pearl Jam are making voter turnout their mission.

Lie and You Thrive

James Bovard, AlterNet. September 17, 2004.
Bush's campaign "assets" are his worst liabilities.

Public Opinion Watch: Labor Day Leads

Ruy Teixeira, The Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation. September 16, 2004.
Featured this week: Why the race is much closer than people think; Labor Day leads and possible election outcomes this year.

Pacific Rift

Aidan Doyle, Pacific News Service. September 16, 2004.
The upcoming election in Australia could turn out to be a referendum on the country's participation in the 'Coalition of the Willing.'

The Fearful Voter

David Corn, TomPaine.com. September 16, 2004.
Everyone these days has advice for the presidential contender. But what's the campaign to do when fear is the prime motivator of this year's voter?

A Hogwarts Howler For The American Voter

Arianna Huffington, AlterNet. September 15, 2004.
This Howler has to come in John Kerry's voice – and the message has to be pounded, Rove-style, day after day, week after week, until it sinks in.

A Privatizing President

E. J. Dionne, Washington Monthly. September 15, 2004.
A second Bush presidency would usher in an age of privatization of our federal social programs.

Musicians Take Sides

Jason Bracelin, Cleveland Scene. September 15, 2004.
Musicians are taking sides in this election. Find out who supports whom.

Selling the White House to the Top Bidder

David Donnelly, AlterNet. September 15, 2004.
The Vice President claims that the economy has been boosted by the eBay phenomenon; however, if anyone has profited, it's the Bush administration.

Kitty's Litter

Matt Taibbi, AlterNet. September 15, 2004.
Kitty Kelley's take on the Bush dynasty: consistently cold, calculating, predatory and unscrupulous, generation after generation. In other words, her book is a rollicking good read.

Skipping Texas for Alabama

Russ Baker, The Nation. September 14, 2004.
There is increasing evidence that Bush left his Texas Air National Guard unit in '72 for Alabama because he was having problems piloting a fighter jet.

Iraq Outrage

Molly Ivins, AlterNet. September 14, 2004.
Troops are following orders from General Rove, against the advice of military officers on the ground.

Chronicle of a Life Untold

Michael Shellenberger, Ted Nordhaus, AlterNet. September 14, 2004.
While Bush's life story is widely known, follies and all, in the public imagination Kerry's life appears to start at Vietnam – although his choices before that moment speak to his character.

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