Fourth, a vote for Kerry (with his record of retreat and appeasement through "dialogue") will send a message to the international community that will have the effect of emboldening our enemies. See the insurgents recent statements that they have stepped up their attacks in order to drag Bush into the mud. Its similar to the Madrid strategy although they may have wisely discerned that a hit at home would have ensured the opposite result - instead they pull a Somalia. Further, consider who wants Bush reelected? Putin, Berlusconni and Kaitami- you know, the Japanese guy( however you spell that!) Who wants Kerry elected? Arafat and Kim-Jong Il. Its going to be very interesting if Kerry wins to see just who is out on the streets celebrating is all I can say......

Sorry - should have been "Five....."

Caroline’s comments are dead-on. It really is important to consider who, on the international stage, is most clearly hoping that Bush loses.

(1) Obviously Jacques Chirac, who desperately wants a President who will not subordinate France’s goals to those of the United States.

(2) The oligarchs at the U.N., who want to sweep all of the oil-for-food scandals under the rug, and know that if Bush gets re-elected, there will be accountability.

(3) Middle Eastern despots, who are afraid that they could be the next addition to axis of evil.

(4) Kim Jong-Il, who is hoping for concessions rather than a long-overdue butt-whooping.

Can anyone seriously doubt that Al Quaeda and its allies are not desperately hoping that Bush loses? They would much rather be considered a "nuisance" than be on the run, hiding in caves, waiting for the next Daisy Cutter to explode. Whether you like Bush or not, the simple fact is that on the most important issue facing the U.S. today, he gets it, and John Kerry does not. Bush understands that America’s interests are more important than catering to European obstructionists, who were bought-and-paid-for with Saddam’s oil scams. He knows that defending America after it is attacked is sometimes not enough. He knows the difference between right and wrong, and is not afraid to act and think with moral clarity. John Kerry understands none of those things. He has wanted one thing, and one thing alone his entire adult life: to be President, no matter how many promises he has to make, or how many differing positions he has to take. That alone is reason enough to reject him.

re: after election

Even w/ an blowout by Mr. Bush and other RNC candidates, I will be embittered and slow to forgive my neighbors. I find myself in meetings sorting people by those that have a clue and don’t, and thinking "who here voted without informing themselves?" to "who here has wittingly voted for a horrific future for our children?"

It must have been worse in the lead-up to the Civil War and the election of Mr. Lincoln, but I’m hard put to imagine it. Granted, democracy as a system of government is designed to keep these passions from becoming physically violent, but it has not reduced the emotion. If there was a way to vote them off-the-island, I would - then they could see how well their theories work in practice, without the benefits of all those things they condemn.. the productive rich, the religious patriots, free markets, and civil (voluntary) society, etc.

Ari...I know what you mean. I get so upset when I see people who don’t take this election as serious as they should. Yesterday, my seventh period class wanted to debate the election (not hard to win me over there), but before we did I had them create a two column chart labeled A and B. I then read off statements and if they agreed with it they checked A, if not B. when I told them that each column stood for either Kerry or Bush, some got very mad. One Kerry supporter who discovered he was really a Bush supporter, ripped up his paper and said "oh, who cares about the issues anyways."

Here is what I care about, chart or no chart:

https://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-death-toll,0,7799287.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

I voted for Bush before; but, now I’ll vote for Kerry. This war is horrible and sickens my conservative stomach.

This war is horrible. That’s why we need to win it. The thought of anything less makes me sick to my stomach.

Hey Lori, I thought you were voting for Kerry because he was a better debater. What gives?

Ashbrook Alumni - I read the article you posted - and have to wonder if the thought of NOT removing Hussein from power (under whose reign over more than 1 million Iraqi people are STILL missing or unaccounted for) would have truly eased your troubled digestive track...

Pchuck...I’m not voting for Kerry. I am sorry that you got that impression...I absolutely hate Kerry. I was just using an activity in my class to get kids to look at the issues because too many of my students are just using their parent’s preceived ideas of who is better. I was trying to show them how one needs to look at the issues. Sorry if you got the wrong impression...

That was a different Lori pchuck...

Lori, my humble apologies.