Reelect Bush, Faults And All

Washington Post ^ | 10/31/04 | George F. Will

[Pokey78]

"THEODORE! with all thy faults -- "

-- The New York Sun's 1904

endorsement of Teddy Roosevelt

This column has expressed abundant skepticism about the grandiosity of George W. Bush's foreign policy. And about his passivity about spending (he has vetoed nothing), his enlargement of the welfare state (the prescription drug entitlement), his expansion of inappropriate federal responsibilities (concerning education from kindergarten through 12th-grade, through the No Child Left Behind Act) and his complicity in vandalizing the Constitution (he signed the McCain-Feingold bill, which rations political speech). Still, this column prefers Bush.

[hyperpoly8]

A good read, but the W.J. Bryan comment is off the mark. It should read (in Kerryspeak), "I am for free silver, therefore Nebraska is for free silver". Bryan represented the people's thoughts, where Kerry wants to put his thoughts in our minds, a chilling thought indeed.

[maine-iac7]

I like this column -

it may appeal to mugwumps. Many people think they must agree with EVERYthing a candidate is for or has done or promises to do.

This reminds them that one has to look at the aggregates, and then make the right choice.

Certainly, if you break done the components of John Kerry's actions and talk and promises, they fall lopsided on the minus side.

The only things on Kerry's plus side are the things he'd been on both sides of...of course, that makes that side pretty heavy too...but you cancel out everything that is mirrored on the other side...and you're down to about one item. "Just Kerry".

That's enough to scare the bejeebers outta ya.

[Reagan Man]

John Kerry ... is multiple-minded about most matters.

A nice way of saying, Kerry's a flip-flopper.

God help us all, if Kerry gets elected.

[KiloLima]

Even Teddy reluctantly sided with the mugwumps at one time, as he was beginning his political career. Of course it's hard to side with them, since their name means their mug is on one side of the fence and their wump on the other. What do you wanna bet Kerry votes for Bush, then against him?

[maryz]

standing with the women of Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Back in Washington recently, Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said those women were warned that Taliban remnants would attack polling places during the Oct. 9 elections. So the women performed the ritual bathing and said the prayers of those facing death. Then, rising at 3 a.m., they trekked an hour to wait in line for the polls to open at 7 a.m.

This part brought a lump to my throat.

[Charles Henrickson]

. . . his passivity about spending (he has vetoed nothing), his enlargement of the welfare state (the prescription drug entitlement), his expansion of inappropriate federal responsibilities (concerning education from kindergarten through 12th-grade, through the No Child Left Behind Act)

I agree with Will. I call the Bush administration, "No Spending Bill Left Behind."

Even so, I will still vote (albeit unenthusiastically) for President Bush. The alternative is a Kerry administration. Plus, the national security issue looms large, and I'll give credit to President Bush for being aggressive on terrorism.

Republicans today are not conservative, they are just less liberal than the Dems. And to think that ten years ago we were talking about dismantling the Department of Education and devolving more power to the States. {sigh}

But perhaps the country has deteriorated so far, the political reality is that this is the best we can hope for. I don't know if a true constitutional conservative can win these days.

BTW, whatever happened to privatizing Social Security?

Whatever happened to the Tenth Amendment?

[FITZ]

Yes -- me too --- I hope everyone enters their poll place thinking about the UN --- a vote for Kerry is a vote for the UN. Or else think about abortion. Kerry means taxpayers will be forced to pay for that.