Just so I can acknowledge a few things. Ronald Reagan was a very nice man. Barbara Bush is the model First Lady. Bill Clinton has been a sleaze.
Now. Let's look at the last four years.
A response to an attack on our soil that was exactly what our enemy wanted. Forgetting "9/11: We will never forget" and diverting our resources toward stalking the wrong man. Forgetting the successes of the Marshall Plan and trashing the country we occupied so thoroughly and thoughtlessly that we have created a whole new set of enemies of the United States. Osama bin Laden should be sending the current administration a thank you note for sending so many people into the arms of Al-Quaeda.
Do we feel safe with Kerry? Well, do we feel safe with Bush?
I keep 50 gallons of drinking water in my basement and potassium iodide capsules in my cupboard. I don't feel safe, and I feel far less safe now than I did in late September 2001.
Bush speaks without thinking of the consequences of his words. Americans are smarter than that.
Bush says the rules are different in war. The American Constitution is stronger than that.
Bush himself says he will not change his course in the face of changing circumstances. Americans have won wars by being more resourceful than that.
To all Americans of good will (and I do believe that's the overwhelming majority of you): Do what you think best. But remember, the voting booth is private. You could even tell the fellow doing the exit poll that you voted differently from the way you really did. That will help you save face. This isn't about demonizing people, it's about saving the country. We will all need to be neighbors on Wednesday. But please think of the country, the world, the children when you press that button or pull that lever or fill in that blank. God bless.