BILLIONAIRE$ FOR BU$H: Will it Affect the Election?

Opponents of George W. Bush have long criticized him for catering to the rich. Accusations range from how his tax cuts only help the wealthiest citizens to how he only invaded Iraq for the oil. Now, one group has taken this criticism to a new extreme. Billionaires for Bush, a group that ridicules Bush's pro-rich tactics, has caused a lot of controversy. Members of the group act like pro-Bush billionaires, sarcastically complimenting Bush for his affinity for the wealthy and his ignorance of the common man. The effect of this is twofold. First, the group provides an often humorous form of protest against Bush's pro-rich policies. Second, the group has angered many Bush supporters who laud Bush for his handling of 9/11 and foreign affairs.

Billionaires for Bush certainly makes some good points. Their website (billionairesforbush.com) discusses a plethora of issues. It describes how the tax cuts only benefited the wealthy, while it led to the slashing of many social programs and the accumulation of the enormous deficit. It details Bush's refusal to allow cheap, foreign drugs into the country, which would take business away from large, domestic medical corporations. It also explains how the Iraq war benefits Defense Contractors, how administration policies benefit oil companies, and how Bush's removal of overtime pay simultaneously helps big corporations and hurts the common worker.

However, many argue that Billionaires for Bush goes too far. At a rally in Long Island in March, Bush supporters could not take the rants anymore. Upon bringing up the touchy subject of 9/11, the Billionaires stopped their antics and the situation became very tense. In addition, the group's overly sarcastic attitude and its constant criticism of everything that Bush does are sure to offend many people.

Hopefully, no one will go to the booth and vote against Bush just because of Billionaires for Bush. No situation is as one-sided as Billionaires makes it seem and voters must realize this. However, what Billionaires hopes to accomplish is to make people aware of Bush's policies. An intelligent voter would do more research on the policies of both Bush and his opponent, John Kerry, to determine whether Billionaires speaks the truth and to figure out what the group leaves out. While Billionaires is unlikely to single-handedly change anyone’s vote, it certainly could play a part in shaping this year's election.