Your e-mails and Richard's replies
 |  Democrats have nominated John Kerry, left; Republicans will nominate President Bush in August. |
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| YOUR SAY |
Check back to read more of your e-mails.
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(CNN) -- CNN's Richard Quest is traveling across the United States to see what voters are saying as John Kerry and George W. Bush battle for the White House. We asked for your views; here he responds to some of the e-mails we have received.
My husband and I always enjoy your reporting on CNN, and in particular your American Quest election reports, since we represent both parties. We know you'll be in Vegas next week ... where and when since we'll be there as well and want to catch your show live. Rock on! J & D, Los Angeles
Richard: You are too kind. I was in Las Vegas last week (see my latest comments on who gamblers want to win and city of excess in land of plenty.) I am sorry that we didn't meet up. You could have explained to me the rules of Craps. Or how not to lose at Blackjack.
Richard should ask more local people whether they think they are better off then they were four years ago. I'm sure many people in the States would say that they are not doing better since Bush took office. Great fun seeing Richard having a go at some of the local crazies in the States! Keep on enjoying the ultimate job Richard! Cheers, Paul, Malaysia
Richard: Interesting point about whether people are better off than they were four years ago. Certainly those in the higher tax brackets would admit that they are. After all with a huge tax cut following 9/11 and continuing low interest rates middle to upper class America has enjoyed a bit of a bonanza. (Just look at the widening trade deficit to realise that the money being handed back is being spent on more foreign consumer goods.) But -- and this is the key I think -- there are a large number who will deny they are better off. Either because they have lost their job in the millions of manufacturing jobs which have been displaced or because they are having to pay more for education and health care etc. Hence the reason why this election has become so polarized. This is not like the 1990s when the rising tide lifted all boats. There are a large number of people who do not feel they have shared in the wealth return of the Bush administration. The republicans point out that the money being given back to taxpayers is their own money and in the fullness of time it is that which generates real, new, jobs of worth. In this one it just depends whether you have benefited or suffered.
I find Richard Quest highly entertaining. So I was wondering if he will be travelling to Arizona as part of the American Quest series. This is a "battleground" state. Jonathan Cooper
Richard: Oh, Jonathan, how I wished we had been able to take in Arizona. To hell with the politics, it is simply a beautiful place to visit. But unfortunately we had to skip over Arizona and instead did New Mexico and Nevada as our states in the southwest. Next time.
It's wonderful to see someone from another country be as enthused about our political process as many of us here are. The show you were on said you were going to Ohio. Being from Cincinnati, I want to welcome you to the Buckeye State and hope you have a pleasant stay. Jon Bedacht
Richard: The plan is to be in Ohio from the 28th of August, to cover the state as the Republican national convention gets underway in New York. After all, Ohio is now the key battleground state. No republican president in recent time has won the White House without taking Ohio. And at the moment depending on the poll John Kerry has a small lead (within the ambit of statistical error.) So my producer Steve Tuemmler, my cameraman Peter Williams and I will be going around the state -- a different city every day -- to take the pulse of the state as the convention continues. Please, anyone from Ohio with good restaurant recommendations drop me an e-mail. Or Places we MUST visit.
I have enjoyed your interviews on the beaches of Florida. However this morning you interviewed three people on Kerry's speech -- a Democrat, a Republican and an independent. Obviously the Democrat was enthused, the Republican thought it added nothing to change his mind (I would like to know what would have or could have changed his mind, or was he a diehard Republican all his life and was never going to change his mind), and the independent gave some good points and was positive but withheld his vote -- which he is entitled to do. It would be interesting to hear interviews of those who did not vote last time -- why they did not vote (too young, not registered, refused, apathy) and what they intend to do this time round. Have people voted since 2000 and do they now know how to vote? In Holland we have touchscreens and they always work. Why is the voting system and new electronic screen so flawed in the U.S. -- the land of democracy where it is so hard to vote in a "fair" election? Grant Holton, Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Richard: I will try to do that in Ohio.
I have something I would love to get American's views on: Considering President Clinton risked impeachment because he had an affair with an intern, I find it very interesting that there seems to be no such risk for President Bush in spite of the miscalculations and mismanagement of the country and its foreign relations. What are people's views on this? Is the topic discussed? I travel frequently to the U.S., have family and close friends in that lovely country, and yes we do discuss these things. My impression is that there is great confusion, and also sadness in the minds of people. Viola
I agree with your observation of the so-called unlikely voter or those who did not vote in the previous election. While they are absent from every poll, they represent a huge portion of the U.S., a country notorious for voter apathy. From my own experience, my expat American friends have been deluged with pleas to this time exercise their overseas voting rights. Many of them are registering and casting their votes for the first time. And no, it's not for the administration that has led to the lowest international opinion of the U.S.! The pollsters should be in for one big surprise come November 2! Karin Edwards, Heidelberg, Germany
I am a Floridian living in Germany, of Cuban and Spanish origins, and a rare Democrat of that ethnic group. Many Cubans consider themselves Republican ... due to the social and economic history of the Cuban-American population. The second and third generations of Cuban-Americans are much more liberal-minded. Cuban politics in Miami are as complex and diverse as the people. If you are looking for extreme positions, go further south and I am sure you will get a great story. Juan Rodriguez, Germany
Richard: The difficulty of politics in Southern Florida, as you rightly point out, is so steeped in history concerning Cuba. And even today there is a general unwillingness of Cuban-American leaders to have any truck with politicians who want to do a deal with Castro. It has skewed the politics of the state, but honestly speaking, also given it a refreshing outside aspect away from the hum-drummery of the U.S. domestic political scene.
People you interviewed on TV in Florida said: "If Bush says he's going to do something, he does it." In the 2000 campaign, for example, Bush promised a big focus on improving education. Did he deliver on that? "He's a Christian man." Does a Christian call anyone else "evil"? (Matthew 7:1-5) Wouldn't you like to see what people would answer? Isabel Best, Nyon, Switzerland
My wife and I are Florida residents working in Argentina. We always vote by absentee ballot, and never more proudly than in the last presidential election. I resent it when the sore losers say that my president was selected by the Supreme Court. I selected this president when I voted for him and will gladly do so again this year. ... Much of central and south Florida is populated by those that have moved there from northern states or from Latin America. Many of them tend to lean more towards the Democratic Party with its very liberal policies. You should be aware that there are plenty of native Floridians as well as some who have decided to move to the Sunshine State who are staunch Bush supporters. Please don't try to present it any other way. C. Grady Milstead
Richard: Mr. Grady. Your e-mail better than my reporting shows the deep feeling of resentment that exists in Florida. And in this election the Republicans are determined to prove Bush won fair and square. The Democrats determined to avenge what they see as the wrongs of the last election. Hence why Florida is so interesting. Neither side is giving an inch.
The upcoming election receives a great amount of media attention outside of the USA, probably the greatest amount in history. Are these media in a position to influence the opinions of American voters? Is, for instance, President Bush's unpopular status in large parts of Europe a factor that is likely to influence the outcome? Tom Kox, Belgium
I'm a recent college graduate from the United States who's been living in Düsseldorf, Germany, for quite some time, working for a German real estate firm. I've really enjoyed your election coverage on CNN International. Your interviews on Tuesday at a diner in Orlando were interesting. It was particularly refreshing to see that Americans aren't as timid about criticizing Bush to reporters as they were shortly after September 11, 2001. I also agree with your assertion that most Democrats would support the nominee regardless of who he/she is, as long as he/she can challenge Bush. I am a registered Independent from a Southern state who will also be voting for Kerry as a protest vote against Bush. Bryan Aja
Richard: Well, some are timid. Some answers are just unbroadcastable on family networks.
I've been enjoying your reports from Florida on the views of voters. This is the first election that I'm experiencing as an expat, and it's helpful to me to get some firsthand reports on what my fellow countrymen are saying and feeling -- especially from the battleground states such as Florida. Are the views of people whom you are interviewing on camera representative of the comments you are getting from all the people you talk with? They seem to be predominantly pro-Kerry or at least anti-Bush, even in Orlando. Any Bush supporters out there, or don't they want to be on camera? And what about the views of ethnic minorities, whom both parties are courting? Laura Messenger, Geneva
I have great respect for President Bush; during the Clinton administration the attacks on the World Trade Center and the USS Cole went without much action from the U.S. to stop such attacks. Bush came to office in a difficult time while having to manage the economy, and then the sudden attack of 9/11 caused him to take action in a brilliant way. If Bush had not been in office today, the U.N. would still be enacting resolutions against Saddam Hussein while Saddam happily fires his rifle into the air and cares less for the U.N. and the world at large. For the first time the U.S. has a president that does what he says after consultation with his advisers and stands by what he does and the people who work for his administration without thinking of the political impact first. A president after votes would have fired Donald Rumsfeld for the Iraq prison abuse scandal to ensure he is re-elected; Bush however stood by him all the way. Etienne le Roux, South Africa
The most important question to ask Florida voters is whether or not they think that this time around the lists of eligible voters will be fair and whether or not the voting machines (particularly electronic) can be trusted? Susan Train
Richard: You raise a very interesting question about the new voting machines, introduced after the 2000 fiasco. The new touchscreen voting machines are going to be in full use in the most populous parts of the. The authorities say they have been tested during the gubernatorial campaign last year and will work just fine. They say there is one huge advantage to the machines in that you can not overvote or not-vote-by-accident. The machine won't let you and keeps prompting you . Certainly you can abstain or make a mess of it, but not by accident. The critics say they are too hard to use and will cause cock-ups. Too many elderly people will be confused. Now, I have tried these machines in demonstrations and certainly for anyone familiar with a computer or video game they are not hard. But for those of another generation or not so familiar then they will have to ask for help. Help will be there. But it will be a slow process. Watch this space.
Being a British expat living in Vancouver, Canada, I am amazed how such a crucial state could be hung up with so much "chad" controversy. We just have a plain piece of paper with the candidate's names. All we do is mark the one we want with an X. There's nothing technical or complicated about that. I also believe that Gore was robbed of the election and that the voting system was a disaster. Whoever wins this time, I would like to think that the voting is fair and not flawed. Pearl and Walter McNeill
