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Bush Or Kerry?Character Or Whining?Most elections are rife with negative campaign ads but this 2004 presidential election seems to be setting a new, low standard. I favor President G. W. Bush rather than Senator Kerry but it seems to me that the Democrats have reached new lows in half-truths, slander, and character assassination. Senator Kerry has not only used his attack dogs to berate President Bush but he has stooped to that level unhindered by courtesy or respect. I can only assume that Senator Kerry does not believe the Presidential Office deserves respect regardless of the current office holder. While both parties are using these negative, attach ads, the candidate’s character is revealed by how each reacts to these ads. Democrats have called President Bush everything from AWOL, liar, stupid, and arrogant. To my knowledge Senator Kerry hasn’t directly said things quite this negative or smearing but he has Dean, Kennedy, Soros, Moore, and many others speaking for him. Even during the height of these personal, non-policy attacks, I don’t recall President Bush complaining that he was being treated unfairly by the supposedly loyal opposition. To my knowledge President Bush never personally attacked anyone that called him names or questioned his leadership with carefully crafted lies. The character of President Bush appears to expect this type behavior from the opposition as natural but unnecessary. He never whined about how he was being treated not only by Democrats but also by a partisan media. No, President Bush went about the business of governing and leading, allowing the inflammatory rhetoric to die a natural death as facts came to light. Throughout all these attacks, no Democrat came to the President’s defense except perhaps Zell Miller. Now, Senator Kerry is being attacked on his Vietnam record by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group and the Unfit For Command book. The only reason Kerry’s Vietnam record is being questioned is he chose to highlight four-months of service as proof he would be a more effective Commander-in-Chief. Kerry reactions to these ads and to the book is to immediately blame President Bush as the mind behind this horrendous plot. He then gets his lawyers to threaten any network that dare run these ads and also threatens the Unfit For Command book publisher to get them to recall the book. It seems Senator Kerry’s idea of free speech is only if that speech is favorable to him or unfavorable to his opponent. Character is how one handles both favorable and unfavorable events. Senator Kerry appears to handle favorable events well but blames others for any unfavorable events even if his choices and actions initiated those unfavorable events. We are in a very dangerous time when terrorism is seeking to destroy our way of life. When some so called allies are more interested in harming us than in helping us. What we need is a leader with a sense of self and view of the future that removes the terrorist threat. We are in a war and that war cannot be won or properly fought by treating terrorists as criminals. Court trials are only effective after the war is won and the enemy is defeated. We need a leader who is steadfast in what he deems necessary to protect our nation and our way of life. We cannot afford to have a leader that bases his actions on polls or the opinions of unfriendly allies. We need a leader who is willing to review our treaties and alliances. Someone willing to remove those nations from the umbrella of our protection that refuse to aid the war on terrorism. We need courage not caution; steadfastness not instability; vision not vacillation. We need a president who is more interested in protecting our nation than in being liked and in being re-elected. We must select a leader whose word is believed and trusted by those who like us and especially by those who hate us. We must have a leader who can make a decision and then stand by that decision until either the job is done or the situation requires a new tact.
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Author: Don Miller
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