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10/26/2004 Archived Entry: "Risk management"

Posted by steve @ 03:25 PM EST [Link]

I'M SORRY SIR, BUT YOUR REASONING MAKES NO SENSE: Well, Andrew Sullivan finally came out and officially declared what we all knew already: he's voting John Kerry.

Although I disagree with Sullivan on several issues I've always thought he was a bright man. His essay, however, makes no sense to me. According to Sullivan Kerry is more fiscally responsible than Bush, Abu Ghraib destroyed the moral authority for the war in Iraq, the Democrats need to take responsibility for national security and Bush is religious crazy on social issues. Huh?

Why vote Kerry? Well, Sullivan undermines his own case -- such that it was -- here:

His record is undistinguished, and where it stands out, mainly regrettable. He intuitively believes that if a problem exists, it is the government's job to fix it. He has far too much faith in international institutions, like the corrupt and feckless United Nations, in the tasks of global management. He got the Cold War wrong. He got the first Gulf War wrong. His campaign's constant and excruciating repositioning on the war against Saddam have been disconcerting, to say the least. I completely understand those who look at this man's record and deduce that he is simply unfit to fight a war for our survival. They have an important point--about what we know historically of his character and his judgment when this country has faced dire enemies. His scars from the Vietnam War lasted too long and have gone too deep to believe that he has clearly overcome the syndrome that fears American power rather than understands how to wield it for good.

Ummm, okay.

I'll freely grant that the Bush 43 presidency has been a disappointment in several respects. Domestic spending is exploding which during wartime is unforgivable. Also, Bush seems unwilling or unable to stand out in front of the American people and forcefully defend his record on issues that we actually agree with him on. That aside, conservatives -- of which Sullivan is allegedly one -- have only one clear choice that has a chance of being elected: Bush.

Read on.

Replies: 2 comments

The reason I'm voting for President Bush despite his numerous policy mistakes (some of which you outline here) is that in every case I've looked at, Senator Kerry would be worse. That's what is stunning about the Bush bashers - they bring up legitimate issues and how Bush is failing on them but then manifestly fail to discuss how Kerry would do. In a choice between bad and worse, you're still better off with bad.

Posted by Alan M. Carroll @ 10/28/2004 09:41 AM EST

"In the compromise between food and poison, poison always wins," Ayn Rand once wrote. Well I generally agree with that statement, in this case I would agree with you that Bush is better than the alternative.

Posted by Steve Martinovich @ 10/28/2004 07:11 PM EST