Comparison and Contrast of Two Politicians

Bush and Kerry

George W. Bush belongs to a political family as his father; Bush Senior was also the President of the United States. Bush won the presidential elections 2000 against Al Gore in a cut-to-cut competition and heavy controversy pertaining to the results of the elections. At that time he was serving a second term as Texas's Governor since 1994. Basically, Bush is a businessman and had run previously oil business with keen interest in baseball.

Comparatively, John Kerry is a Vietnam War veteran who, on his return, opposed the motive and the actions of the war vehemently. In 1982 he was elected as Massachusetts lieutenant governor and has been a senator since 1990.

Both Bush and Kerry are experienced politicians, have had a history of elections, where as Bush has an advantage of being the president of the United States. This is the experience that counts most in the strategy for campaigning for the presidential elections 2005.

With respect to education, Bush got a BA degree from Yale University and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School. Kerry also got his BA degree from Yale University while he did his JD from Boston College.

In 1972 Kerry took part Congress elections, but was defeated. After that Kerry went to earn a degree in law and practiced as a prosecutor, while in the year 1982 he was elected as a Lieutenant Governor. Afterwards, in the year 1984 Kerry won the elections of the Senate and was elected as a U.S. Senator defeating Governor Bill Weld in the year 1996 (this was a reelection of Kerry as a Senator). Kerry is a liberalist, a staunch Catholic and is the proponent of free trade in the region. In his agenda for the electoral campaigns, Kerry does support War on Terrorism, like bush, but he has many reservations on the matter. Kerry did support the bombing over Bosnia back in the year 1999. Kerry is also a vehement opposition when it comes to war led security issues. On one matter he did not approve the amendment in the constitution that favored forbidding the burning of flag.

After Vietnam War, Kerry put a lot of efforts to stabilize the United States relationship with Vietnam during the 90's decade. Kerry has also backed certain reforms in the education policy that ended tenure and let the side admission into the profession, which was strongly opposed by the teacher unions (Kerry, 82). Furthermore, he backed federal aids for religious charities. Kerry is a strong proponent of building strong trade relations with China and has also spoken for the change in the U.S. policy to accept the human rights standards as practiced by China. Also, Kerry backed a bill to fight against AIDS in Africa amounting to a hundred million dollars.

On the personality front, it seems that Kerry is a cold aristocratic minded person. He a hardworking individual, but apparently he does not show emotions of affection and warmth to the general public, that could make him the cold blooded presidential candidate in the eyes of the masses. On the financials side, it is recorded that Kerry has spent his personal money on the campaigns that led him on the top of the charts for the presidential elections, but below Bush. He has toppled Howard Dean through this investment and has won the polls that would predict that he is a very strong candidate for the presidential elections due in the year 2005. However, one question that remains to be answered from his campaigns is whether his investments in to the elections and his agenda is well enough and satisfactory so as to compete with the agenda and the support (financials) of the President Bush. The Democrats have done good for nominating him now, when back in 2000, the Democrats nominated Al Gore instead of Kerry by voicing that it was not Kerry's call then. But, now it is surely Kerry's Call. However, he would have a tough competition from Bush and that purely depends not on the "charisma" (Frum, 24) that Bush holds for the American nation but on the situation in internal as well as external fronts, the economy of the country, its foreign relations victories, and the success of warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, the two, Bush and Kerry, have delved upon criticizing one another for the bad things that have been done and the agenda that speaks of the motives and intentions.

Where as Bush is full of controversies right from the very beginning when he won election against Al Gore due to the Florida recount. Bush had to face the recession in economy during his term, but all this economic anguish was cleverly diverted to the War on Terrorism and the attacks of the 9/11 proved the Bush to be a "dynamic" leader. However, the current polls show that he is not that dynamic after all, where many Americans believe that he has no brains and he pulls a dumb face in front of the camera.

However, whatever figure he portrays to the public, on thing is in his favor and that is the toppling of the Iraqi government and the elimination of the warlords in Afghanistan that threatened the security of the American nation, as he says. However, his claims, as the present reports put forward about the Iraq having the weapons of mass destructions are proved to be wrong. However, Bush seems to reside behind Blair and put all the blame on Blair for giving faulty and incorrect information. So, in this instance Bush is saved, and the recovery of the economy is also a great credit that goes to the Bush administration. However, the unemployment level during his term has been sarcastically high and that could turn the Bush campaigns as shallow as his claims of economic recovery are not trickled down to the general public. Furthermore, Bush is also criticized for the buildup of anti-American sentiments and hatred all around the world that would make it difficult for Bush to justify these criticisms.