The Command Post - Op-Ed - Should conservatives support Kerry?

November 01, 2004

Should conservatives support Kerry?

Here's what president Bush said at a campaign rally on July 4 in Charleston, West Virginia:

...on the Fourth of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as they so choose. Free thought and free expression, that�s what we believe...

It sounds good, but let's look at the context:

On July 4, Jeff and Nicole Rank went to hear George W. Bush speak in Charleston, West Virginia. Tickets in hand, they found seats ten or 15 rows from the stage. There they sat, quietly, wearing t-shirts that read love america, hate bush and regime change starts at home. Forty-five minutes before the president took the podium, event staffers approached the couple and said, "You need to either take those shirts off or leave." According to The San Antonio Express-News, Jeff Rank replied, "People around us have Bush-Cheney t-shirts, pro-Bush t-shirts. Why can�t we express our views?" The staffers left, but a few minutes later, two police officers arrived and told the couple to "cover up, take them [the t-shirts] off or leave completely." The Ranks refused, at which point they were handcuffed, expelled from the event, and briefly thrown in prison. With the Ranks safely off the premises, Bush addressed the crowd, declaring that "on the Fourth of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as they so choose. Free thought and free expression, that�s what we believe." Two days later, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Nicole Rank�s employer, told her that, as a result of the incident, she was being dismissed from her assignment in West Virginia...

Is it wrong to read too much into that? Well, here's a similar case. And, there's the little matter of loyalty oaths. And, two thousand Floridian Republicans recently stood and took the Bush pledge: "I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States." Looking at those incidents as well as the growing personality cult and the chants of "Viva Bush!", you would be forgiven if the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up.

But, what are minor infractions of our civil liberties if jihadis could roam the streets mowing down innocent women and children? We must vote for Bush or face the threat of nuclear holocaust. Is fear just a campaign strategy, or does it reflect how we've been governed for the last four years and, more importantly, how we would be governed for the next four years?

Are tactics like this truly American, or do they have the whiff of the Second or Third World about them? If you were an immigrant from a Second or Third World country, wouldn't you have a sense of deja vu?

In these and many other cases the rhetoric of the Bush administration stands in direct opposition to reality.

We're told that it's better to fight the terrorists over there than here, and that the homeland is secure. Yet, thousands of illegal aliens cross our deliberately porous borders each day, and thousands of Middle Eastern illegal aliens have been released into the U.S. due to lack of jail space. The DHS has no idea how many of those could have been terrorists.

We're told that Bush is the only person who knows the correct way to fight the war on terror. Yet, the roots of terrorist ideology remain largely untouched. Our supposed allies are still spending billions of dollars spreading the very ideology that supports most Islamic terrorism. The country we were supposed to liberate has been turned into flypaper, and terrorists don't need to stock up on weapons, they can make regular runs to unguarded ammo dumps. 380 tons? Try 250,000 tons of unaccounted for munitions, part of the fourth largest weapons stockpile in the world.

We're told that the blame for the flu vaccine shortage lies at the feet of trial lawyers, or Bill Clinton, or technology, or the "English company." Yet, when you look into it it seems to be a clear case of managerial incompetence on the part of the FDA.

We're told lots of things that just don't make much sense when exposed to analysis. And, these are things that conservatives should be opposing, not supporting.

Here's a solution to this problem: vote Kerry for president, and Republicans for most other offices. Then, support Kerry when he does good, and oppose him when he does bad. The Republicans in Congress and the American public will keep him in check and make sure he does the right thing. I believe he would do it in a more competent, intelligent, and transparent fashion than we've been getting for four years.

In any case, before voting I strongly suggest looking back over the past four years, and using that as a guide to what might happen if we make the wrong choice.

Posted By The Lonewacko Blog at November 1, 2004 08:08 PM | TrackBack

Comments

I think you are completely insane if you think electing John Kerry is in any way a good idea. He's never been an executive. You claim he will be transparent when he hasn't even signed form 180 to release his military records. That's not transparent. You think he would be competent? The man who is probably the most responsible for Boston's Big Dig? Maybe the most wasteful public works project in history. Do your homework man.

You gave an example of a Bush campaign rally. It was a campaign rally, not a free speech rally or a simple July 4th celebration for everyone. Campaign rallies are not the time and place to wear your regime change in the USA t-shirts. A little common sense goes a long way but it is clear from your nonsensical post that you lack this attribute.

This column convinced me that I should not be reading Lonewhacko Blog pieces if I am looking for something logical. I'll stick with Alan and Michelle. At least they make sense most of the time. :)

Posted by: Penosity at November 1, 2004 09:28 PM

I've taken your advice and looked back over the last 4 years and considered what they would have looked like if Al Gore had been President instead of George Bush. I'll probably have nighmares tonight thanks to your advice.

Posted by: RL at November 1, 2004 10:02 PM

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=357339
..will also make sleeping hard..

Posted by: Rob_NC at November 1, 2004 10:33 PM

The Republicans in Congress won't keep Kerry in check, any more than they did Clinton. Remember the lies and the perjury? Even after it was proven his oath of office was no good, they didn't kick his ass out. Why should I believe they'd do any better with the current Dem contender?

Posted by: gus3 at November 1, 2004 10:34 PM

Kerry just can't get past that GLOBAL TEST requirement.

All our hopes and dreams? The world is waiting for America to be held accountable? What kind of man is this? What kind of American is this?

"This is the choice. This is the moment of accountability for America," Kerry said on the tarmac of Orlando International Airport. "It's the moment where the world is watching what you're going to do. All of the hopes and dreams of our country are on the line today."

Posted by: RL at November 1, 2004 10:41 PM

..you need to listen or read this mans opinion..
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_110104/content/rush_is_right.guest.html
.�.a smash down�..

Posted by: Rob_NC at November 2, 2004 09:22 AM

LW: While I may not completely agree with the problems you highlight I won't try and knock them down. I do, however, take grat exception with your proposed solution (i.e. JK and split government).

"thousands of illegal aliens cross our deliberately porous borders each day, and thousands of Middle Eastern illegal aliens have been released into the U.S. due to lack of jail space"
- and somehow JK will either fix it or a Congress that has shown no interest whatsoever in these matters will force him to fix it?

"Yet, the roots of terrorist ideology remain largely untouched. Our supposed allies are still spending billions of dollars spreading the very ideology that supports most Islamic terrorism."
- and, assuming you are talking about Saudi Arabia, we were supposed to immediately initiate a military take over of Islam's most holy land and a huge source of our imported oil without first securing a solid base from which to initiate operations, ensuring an alternate POL supply and to do so not only bringing all Muslims down on us but ignoring a hostile nation on our flank?

"clear case of managerial incompetence on the part of the FDA"
- and this is a "firing offense" for the President? Geez, he's not the king or a man-god, he's just the President.

Posted by: submandave at November 2, 2004 11:09 AM

There is a climate of fear allright. I fear someone so incompetant and arrogant as Kerry being in power. Kerry has yet to articulate a single message other then he will do better then Bush. His policies are foolish pandering by any analysis, and any lesson taught to the republican party by Kerry's election would be drowned out by the lessen taught to the terrorists who ardently wish Kerry elected.

Kerry is such a vapid candidate that his supporters must resort to such a worthless reason to gain support. Is there anything about him we should vote for?

Posted by: Brian at November 2, 2004 08:16 PM