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2004-03-03

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Posted by Steve from Relto 2004-03-03 10:13:09 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I posted this late last night in a Kerry thread, but wanted to see what people think of it, so I am reposting it here. (BTW, I know that some of these issues were previously raised by George Will, Mark Steyn and others.)

I sent this e-mail to John Loftus, an intelligence/national security guy who comments on a NYC-based radio show every night. He is a Democrat who is in favor of killing (or at least maiming) radical muslims, and has generally been complimentary of the Bush Administration's prosecution of the WoT. Tonight, he was discussing domestic politics and said the failure of the gun bill in the Senate (at the NRA's behest) is one reason this [Bush] Administration has to go. I was caught off-guard by the comment, so I sent him this e-mail:

I enjoy your nightly commentary on the John Batchelor Show and understand that you are a Democrat, but I am curious as to who you think al Qaeda, the Iranian mullahs, Arafat, Assad, et al., would prefer in the US Presidential election -- Bush or Kerry? Do you think Qaddaffi would have thrown in the towel on his WMD program with John Kerry in office? If John Kerry (or Al Gore) were in office, would Saddam Hussein still be in office too? How about Mullah Omar?

As someone who knows a lot about terrorism, terrorists and the dangers facing the US, do you think that a vote for John Kerry would be responsible? To me, Joe Lieberman was the only Democratic candidate that took the threats to the US seriously, and look where that got him. Kerry has not, to my mind, shown the judgment, strength or courage of his convictions (assuming he has any real convictions) to deal with the threats facing America, and his voting record shows a lack of seriousness about the threats and challenges facing the US and our military.

What is his plan for defending America beyond adding 100,000 cops and 100,000 firefighters? I know he talked about temporarily increasing troop strength by 40,000, but with recent Bush Defense Department moves (delaying most discharges and temporarily upping recruitment), that is happening anyway. He also speaks of President Bush's failure to deal with Iran or North Korea. What would he do differently? Would his approach to North Korea be unilateral or multilateral (the approach followed by the Bush Administration)? On Iran, he seems to have shown his cards a bit by suggesting that he would open a dialogue with the mullahs. To me, they are a bunch of thugs that will recognize only the application of American might and Presidential will. On al Qaeda, he has been critical of the failure to get bin Laden in Tora Bora. Would there have even been a Tora Bora if Al Gore (or John Kerry) was President?

To me, national security/defense is the only issue in this election, and John Kerry hasn't shown me anything to suggest that he would be up to the task of leading this country's defense as president. I will vote for President Bush this fall because I think he thinks and acts and leads like the defense of the US and the destruction of our enemies is the most important thing he will ever do. I fear that he will lose the election because people in the country want a "jobs president" or a "healthcare president" as John Kerry promised to be. Perhaps during the '90s being a "jobs president" was appropriate (I would argue that President Clinton should have done more to COMBAT al Qaeda during his tenure in office), but this is the 21st century, and I think the country needs serious, determined leadership in the War we are fighting, not someone who is going to hire more firefighters and cops to respond to attacks after they occur.

Thanks for letting me vent. Take care.

Posted by Tibor 2004-3-3 10:31:07 AM|| 2004-3-3 10:31:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 good post Tibor. It basically comes down to that, doesn't it? Do we want planes blowing up here in the USA everyday, or not?

Posted by B 2004-3-3 10:34:41 AM|| 2004-3-3 10:34:41 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Fine post, Tibor, but I might state the point differently. We know the Bush's general approach to the WOT not because of what Bush has been saying, but because of what Bush has been doing (although in my mind the two have been pretty close.) I would be somewhat reassured if Kerry were to make a firm statement about the WOT, but we all know that what politicans say during a campaign is a less-than-infallible indicator of what they will do in office. This seems doubly true of Kerry, who as far as I can tell is prone to different things to different people. (Campaign Slogan: Vote for Kerry -- He's on Your Side of the Issue.) So why should I put my trust in Kerry's electioneering as opposed to Bush's actual record?

Posted by Matt 2004-3-3 11:12:23 AM|| 2004-3-3 11:12:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Bush Lied, Martians Died.

Posted by Mr. Davis 2004-3-3 11:22:22 AM|| 2004-3-3 11:22:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 lol very good - dead martians

Posted by Jon Shep U.K 2004-3-3 12:13:29 PM|| 2004-3-3 12:13:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 If John Kerry wants to be a "jobs" president there is only two ways that a president can seriously affect employment. The first is tax policy, and I think we know where JK will go with that. Face it nobody wants to pay taxes themselves they just want some other sucker to pay them. The second is get the Congress to fund some type of massive Federal Works program. It doesn't matter if its rebuildng the nations infrastructure or send men to Mars. If any president tells you he is going to "create" jobs in the private sector hes trying to sell you a bridge in Brooklyn

Posted by Cheddarhead 2004-3-3 5:03:19 PM|| 2004-3-3 5:03:19 PM|| Front Page Top

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