esrosedotblog

FOR

I am tired of being AGAINST. I have spent so much time lately thinking about how bad junior is that I realize I have not put together a cogent argument why I am FOR John Kerry. I told Dave this weekend that I felt bad that this had not happened. As usual, I blamed Kerry for this indirectly. He is: (fill in the blanks). Well, shit, this is more AGAINST stuff. I am less against Kerry than fearless blameless leader and that is just not true. It is the product of a lazy mind.

So. Voila. Today in the blogoworld, I discover that others have had similar concerns and that some others have answers. Try this one. from Scott Thurow by way of Amy Tan published in TRISTERO: FAIR AND BALANCED (062104) Sounds pretty good to me. I think I will steal some of it.

Scott Turow’s remarks on John Kerry and why he is the right person to be President:

 I could say the following without blushing:  He is running against a man who was not fit for duty in 1968 and is not fit for duty today, a man who lacked the qualifications for the office when he was elected and has demonstrated it.  We have been through a skein of national disasters, for which he accepts no blame, because he literally doesn’t understand enough about the job to realize how a better President would have responded.  John Kerry has been in public life for 35 years..  He was a prosecutor when GWB was running an oil company into the ground.   And he was already a seasoned United States Senator when GWB decided it was time to give up abusing substances.  JK has a sharper grasp of foreign policy, and more experience with it, than any candidate for President in the last 50 years, with the possible exception of GHWB (see today’s NYT).   His dedication to the cause of our military and veterans is long established.  And his commitment to economic and social justice for all Americans cannot be doubted.  A man can’t be the committed liberal Bush sometimes maintains Kerry is, and also the unprincipled waffler.  Life and public service are complicated, as GWB doesn’t understand.  JK does.  He has a sense of nuance, and the experience and values to improve the life of the country.. I like this part:

Then that prompted DIGBY/HULLABALOO (062104) to do the same. Click on 062104 then click to his link under Affirmative Action.

He's not a crook, he's not lazy, he's not stupid. He's very accomplished, he's highly experienced and he's got good instincts. But, I'm convinced that the most important character traits in a successful President at this point in history are resiliance and cunning; even if we win the election, politics are going to remain a bloodsport. The Republicans aren't going to fade away. This battle is ongoing and we must have someone who can withstand a punch and come back. It is going to be very, very difficult to govern. I think Kerry is running not because he's "electable," but because he's one of the few Democrats of his generation who has spent his life preparing to govern in the face of a radical political opposition. The job is not for the fainthearted.

But, even if you don't believe that any of that is tue, I think it is safe to say that the Democratic nominee for president is always going to be running to one degree or another:

To protect and defend the citizens of the United States.

To preserve the separation of church and state

To safeguard the right to choose.

To provide a decent safety net

To encourage progressive taxation

To protect the environment

To advance civil liberties and civil rights

To govern transparently

To provide opportunity

To promote equality

To advance progress

To preserve the American way of Life


These are good reasons to feel ok about voting for John Kerry. The other side has very different ideas.

I have some serious homework to do.