A Liberal for Bush

Armed Liberal discusses the merits and shortcomings of both candidates and comes down, however reluctantly, in favor of voting for Bush.

Some select bits:

Bush has flip-flopped as well; against DHS, and then for it. Against nation-building, and then for it. That's what politicians have to do. I am concerned - in light of the seriousness of the issues of the war - that his position on the war is so nuanced that it's indistinguishable from no position at all. That's the risk with carefully nuanced positions. In accommodating the largest group, you are trapped and unable to move. I'm more concerned - in Kerry's case - that I can't make sense of his political evolution, and track it to his biography. I've blogged this before. This leaves me - and I think others - with a disquieting sense that he's Chauncey Gardner.

To me it seems that whenever Kerry has offered any details of his foreign policy plan, and his plan for the war in particular, it's been pretty much the same as the Bush plan. The only difference is, Kerry's plan will work better because he's good enough, smart enough, and doggone-it, foreign leaders like him.

No one who plays in the big leagues is incapable of hitting a curveball. No politician who has a state or national level presence is truly stupid, and it's not only offensive to bandy that charge about but itself foolish, because it leads you to get sandbagged by your opponent.

Open request to Democrats: Please, please keep repeating the Bush Is Stupid mantra. Repeat it so long and so loud you believe it down to your toes. Feel free to base your campaign strategy on this stupidity.

In fact, I dare you.

Finally, after skipping over a great deal of meat:

We'll skip the obvious social issues differences, and simply stipulate to them. yes, Bush is bad for gays, and probably for women. With due respect, both groups will survive, and in fact thrive as the underlying social changes that lead to greater acceptance will continue, regardless of who is in office and what specific policies they may promulgate.

Here's the 800-pound gorilla issue. This is the issue, in fact, Tammy Bruce cites in her decision to vote for Bush.

I suspect Tammy and Armed Liberal both support abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and any number of related agenda items. Both realize that, given the current social climate and social trends, those rights are already pretty strong and will not disappear overnight no matter who wins the election. Any shortcomings in social policy can be fixed, given enough time and energy.

But what will happen if the terrorists win?

"Winning" for the terrorists does not mean the United States withdraws from the Middle East, or even into a "fortress America". "Winning" means converting the infidels to their form of Islam. Nothing less.

If the terrorists win, I guarantee abortion rights, gay rights, women's rights, ad the entire Bill of Rights will go right out the window.

In a pre-9/11 world, this balance would have certainly tipped me toward Kerry. Sadly, I live in a post 9/11 world. I wish I didn't, and that none of us did.

Read the whole thing.