Kerry for President

I'm thinking about voting for John Kerry.

Seriously. No, really, I mean it.

How in the world can this possibly be, you ask. I cannot say I truly understand it myself, but let's take a stab at it anyway.

1. George Bush sucks.
   
   • Spending. The President is spending money like it's going out of style. Whatever happened to the party of small government? Politicians resounding suck, but occasionally they do something worthwhile. Let's not throw away one of the good pieces of Reagan's legacy.
   
   
   • The FMA. How does any other person's marriage affect yours? Spare me the collectivist BS about the "institution" of marriage, I want to know how two gay people getting married harms the marriage of any other individual. Regardless, why do you care? Let's all just act like adults and - if nobody is getting hurt - let each other be. If nothing else, God will sort it all out in the end.
   
   
   • Steel Tarrifs. All politicians pander, but there are better ways. The Highway Transportation Bill is already so pork-laden, I don't think anyone will notice if a bit more graft is thrown in for Ohio/Pennsylvania/whomever else is in the rust belt. (Yes, yes, I know it doesn't work that way, but is there really nothing else that would do?)
   
   
   • John Ashcroft. There's a war going on and the A.G. is putting resources into chasing down drug users and porn peddlers. I hate to say it, but the bleeding-hearts were right about this man.
   
   
   • Etc.


2. The Republicans will (hopefully (sort of)) still controll both Houses of Congress.
   
   • A divided government will be too busy bickering to get in our way. Heaven forbid if the Democrats get back control of the Senate, though. I'm not a big fan of the Democrats running the confirmation process while one of there own sits in the White House. In general, the more opposition to liberal policies, the better.


3. My vote doesn't count anyway.
   
   • If George Bush were to lose Texas, I think even James Carville would be stunned into silence. It just ain't gonna happen. This gives me a certain degree of latitude in my actions. Not that voting for Kerry will communicate why I'm unhappy with the Bush administration, but at least it will say something.

All that being said, I probably won't. Why?

1. The War on Terror
   
   • I beg forgiveness for the phrase I'm about to use to start the next sentence, but... If we let the terrorists win, none of the stuff above matters. Period.


2. The War on Terror
   
   • This is, IMO, the number one issue for this election. George Bush may not be doing a perfect job (though who would?), but at least he understand this. Kerry just doesn't get it.
     We screwed around while terrorist attacked the U.S.S. Cole, bombed U.S. embassies, and tried to blow up the WTC the first time. Bush's WoT policies are sometimes lacking, and his ability to communicate important points leaves a lot to be desired, but he isn't going to appease terrorists or subjugate our foreign policy to those who don't have our best interests at heart.


3. The War on Terror
   
   • The terrorist who still wish us harm and whose ilk killed 3000 Americans on our own soil would prefer that John Kerry beat George Bush in November. Does that necessarily mean anything? No. Does that say something? It does to me.