I’ve known for a long time that I was not voting for President George W. Bush; for months I was solidly in the “anyone but Bush” category and I’ve only recently come to believe that John Kerry will do better. I’ve never been particularly excited by Kerry’s candidacy, but all I knew was that it was hard to do worse than where we are now.
Since day one in office, Bush has only made a few decisions that I respect. I thought his much-publicized stem-cell research decision was misguided, but I considered it fair and a reasonable compromise. His decision to invade Afghanistan, though not perfectly implemented, was sound. This is a sampling, but the bad does outweigh the good. I’m tired of reading the news every day and being reminded that I can’t stand the current administration.
But of all things during this campaign, the number one that has irked me is his supposed “solid leadership.” As far as leadership over the past four years, Bush has “swayed with the political winds” and “flip-flopped” just as much or more than any other career politician. While accusing Kerry of supporting a gas tax ten years ago and then not supporting one now, Bush has been able to slip by being labeled as a “flip-flopper” himself, though he is on record of being on multiple sides of serious issues. Among them is fervent opposition to the creation of a Homeland Security cabinet position, the independent commission to investigate September 11, and the Congressional investigation into September 11, in addition to whether or not he should bother finding Osama bin Laden. Then, sometimes mere weeks later, he has been passionately arguing for the other side of these issues. To all those people who say voting for Bush is a vote for “consistent leadership” I say, check the record.
Bush has also failed in the “compassionate conservative” department. Over the past few years, his Department of Labor released a pamphlet detailing how employers could get out of paying overtime. The number of Americans living in poverty and without health insurance has increased throughout his administration. The No Child Left Behind Act, which is touted as the central domestic reform of this administration and an accomplishment that will help millions, just created a new kind of federal intervention in state and local programs by requiring mandatory testing with high standards. This may sound like a good system, but I challenge any reader to say that standardized testing is an even adequate way to measure achievement. In my own experience, the people who develop the tests have shown themselves to be incompetent.
I’ve repeatedly told my Republican or otherwise politically conservative friends over the past few months that I’ve never thought Kerry would make a great president, but he certainly wouldn’t be a bad one. He could surprise everyone and rise to the challenges facing us in the very near future. America, more than any other time in history, needs to be able to work with and understand the rest of the world as we prepare for some significant global transitions. I think Kerry will perform much better than President Bush in these matters, and that’s why I’ve already cast my vote in his favor.
