[pretending I voted for Bush]Fighting the war on terror really isn't like conducting a criminal investigation. We may have been attacked by specific people, but the support for such attacks against the U.S. is much broader than those specific people. I don't think Kerry understands this, and I'm afraid he would respond to terrorist acts with a very limited counter-attack. His criticism of President Bush in the debates confirms this feeling with me. He said that the President has left most of our ports unprotected from attack. Perhaps he would have us put security guards at every potential target? That's impossible, of course. Every mall, every bus, every airplane, every bridge, every port, every hotel, every power plant, and every news organization is a potential target. We simply cannot win a war if we don't go on the offensive. Now, I don't know if it was wise to go into Iraq or not, and, frankly, neither does anyone else. The goal in Iraq, as it relates to the war on terrorism, is to transform the region by installing a democracy. It will take decades before we know if it has been successful. Mr. Bush believes in it, though, and Mr. Kerry does not. Yet Mr. Kerry voted for the war. That's not quite what he says. He says he voted to give the President the power to go to war, but apparently hoped he wouldn't use it. Frankly, this is bullshit. In 2002, I went to the polls knowing that a vote for a republican congressman was a vote to invade Iraq. I knew in 2002. Why didn't Kerry know what he was doing? I imagine he did, but that he sent our troops off to battle because he was scared of losing re-election, or because he had hopes of becoming President.
Now, when it comes to the size of government, Mr. Bush deserves to be fired, but, unfortunately, his replacement would be worse. Mr. Bush has put the Federal government in charge of educating the children, but Mr. Kerry would out it in charge of the nation's health. Don't get me wrong. I don't buy into the argument that Kerry is more liberal than Ted Kennedy. But he is more liberal than Mr. Bush. I don't like the economic policies of either, but I hate the idea of one more entitlement program, even if a republican congress is likely to vote it down.
There is one area on the economy where I do support Bush over Kerry, and that is on outsourcing. I think most economists will agree that outsourcing is not the monster that politicians would have you believe. Like new technology, it makes things difficult for the individuals who lose their jobs, but, in the long run, makes the economy more efficient and causes no systemic damage to jobs creation.
I'm not happy with the way the campaign has gone. Kerry's supporters (527's) have treated Bush as though he were Satan, and Bush apparently attacked the American people (those that come from Massachusettes or Hollywood) in his speeches. These things have gotten out of hand, of course, but I think both men want what is best for our country. They have differing visions and neither one is perfect, but I think, when you put them on the scales, Mr. Bush is just barely the better choice.[/pretending] |
