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US Election 2004 Endorses Bush
Given the option of any eligible American who would you support without reservation for President of the United States in this year’s election?
If your answer is no one, how are you going to change that in the future? Are you seeking an ideal that can not exist in reality? Have you turned your back on a present that has not yet achieved the potential of the future? Are you uninformed about accomplished Americans?
Personally, taking into account that such a selection should have at least a minimal standing in national politics, there are three potential candidates I could think of: Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Vice President Dick Cheney.
However, none of those men will be on the ballot for President. Our choice is between President George Bush and Senator John Kerry. Neither candidate is a good choice. Given that there are significant differences between their prospective policies and these men, a choice should be made and a vote cast.
In this year’s presidential election, this blog endorses President Bush.
This position is not an endorsement of his complete political agenda as the selection is consistent with being an Anti-Bushite for Bush. This decision was based upon a comparison of the candidates in three areas relevant to the responsibilities of the office: political agenda and values, managerial experience, and leadership.
The area of political agenda and values receives significant attention in the campaign. Neither candidate is committed to consistently defending individual rights. Bush has indicated opposition to fundamental rights in several areas including freedom of belief (his faith based initiatives), freedom of association (his anti-gay initiatives), reproductive freedom (his anti-abortion position), and the right to life (his opposition to cloning and stem cell research). Kerry’s potential abuses are opposition to substantive due process—the requirement that government action must not only be rationally related to a legitimate government function but that such action must be reasonably related to achieving its goal—and advocating violation of property rights (his environmentalism, redistributionist positions, and regulatory schemes). Truly, even each candidate has compromised on the violation championed by their opponents. Viewed solely from this perspective the election is a grotesque choice between how your rights and those that you love will be violated.
Politically speaking, the tie-breaker becomes foreign policy, and in this election specifically the War against Terrorism. In this area, Senator Kerry’s recent promises of strength and willingness to kill terrorists are not credible. While President Bush has been horribly weak and been willing to sacrifice our troops for altruistic visions, he has been the most effective Commander-in-Chief since FDR. At this point in the war, we need stronger policy not weaker policy. Kerry’s positions and record predicts weakness. At his best, Bush’s rhetoric is correct but we must actively push him to be consistent. In this area, Bush has the clear advantage.
Managerial experience is an area that requires more attention by the media. However, the electorate generally understands this point even if only subconsciously. Since 1900, the electorate has elected candidates with executive experience as a Governor, general, cabinet secretary, or Vice-President in all but two elections.
The candidates would have significantly different management styles. As president, Bush delegates responsibility and makes firm decisions when subordinates disagree. Kerry has advocated less delegation and demonstrated an inability to come to firm decisions when there is disagreement. Kerry’s approach may be a boon to those who disagree with his polities as he is likely to be unfocused and ineffective. However, we are at war and need an effective manager such as Bush.
Regarding leadership, it is one particular aspect that I had in mind: the ability to unite the country. Kerry has never demonstrated this ability, NEVER. His campaign rhetoric has been appallingly divisive, more appropriate for a legislative campaign. Further, on the issues that he claims are so important to him, he has failed to demonstrate this capacity as a senator. Frankly, it is concerning that someone so unaccomplished in leading through his current position seeks the power of the President’s bully-pulpit, veto authority, appointments, and control over bureaucratic rule making. On the other hand, after the Sept 11 attacks Bush rose to the occasion and fulfilled the President’s unifying role. Effectiveness in this unifying role has been referred to by the media as the likeability factor, as in disagreement on policy while retaining a favorable view of the man. As we are a country with deep splits on policy issues while at war, this aspect of leadership is critically important in this election.
For these reasons despite his flaws, President Bush should be re-elected.
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Wow that first post was something- must be a democrat.
I too support Bush although I don't have as negative a view of him as you hold.
I agree that the war is the deciding factor and it's all too clear that Kerry is weak on defense. I'm really sick of Kerry bashing the President and our troops and the only thing he can say is "I'll do a better job than President Bush" doesn't tell in detail what he would do, only that he's better. The really funny thing, which I just wrote and added to my blog is the latest endorsement Kerry received- Yasser Arafat! A terrorist has endorsed Kerry- that says it all. -
Fabulous - you are another simple minded person like the president ... great ... thanks to you we could lose our rights to a cheater, liar, idiot, value imposing, self righteous, holier than thou, self centered a**hole and don't go saying that I am not informed - I am! I am taking a class in school so get over yourself and thanks so much for being part of the group that will ruin this country ... see u in h*ll.
9/21/08 3:33 PM