Here's The State News' worst-kept secret ever - we're formally endorsing Sen. John Kerry for President of the United States of America.
With the wit, diplomatic skills and tact to lead our country through the next four years, Kerry represents our best choice for president.
Before Kerry really got started, back when Howard Dean was a big contender, few people knew enough about him to invest their trust in him. In less than one year, Kerry took the unfocused anti-Bush sentiment, distilled it and channeled it into one of the most dynamic political campaigns in recent history. The debates have closed the popular perception gaps. Those once unfamiliar with Kerry or who he really is are now poised to vote for him, and excited to do so.
Frankly, President Bush runs the White House with a shortsighted Texas bravado. American leaders need to plan out their global strategies, not barge in with a gun-slinging attitude. Underneath the rhetoric, the war in Iraq is not as successful as the White House publicizes. But Bush should be strong on war. After all, he styles himself as a war president.
Kerry will have an easier time gaining the international troop support needed to get Iraq up and running on a level the current "coalition" cannot provide. The citizens of Iraq fight and die alongside of American troops, and the democracy and stability the Bush administration promised them will come faster under Kerry's guard. We're no longer liberating Iraq. We are fighting a defensive guerilla war in a place far, far from home.
In a global age, Bush suffers from jingoistic foreign policies. Right now, the world does not need invasive policies. Bush comes across to the world as flip and arrogant - neither of which are ideal qualities for a president to express. We will need a president who's capable of rebuilding and retaining partnerships with allies. A vote for Kerry is a vote for smarter, more thoughtful foreign policies.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were caused by al-Qaida supporters who lived and trained within the United States and were vaguely funded by Saudi Arabians. To focus all resources on Iraq and not directly on al-Qaida is shortsighted and dangerous, which we get daily reminders of on the evening news. If you're looking for a leader who will enrich the United States domestically and economically while taking a diplomatic route - the correct one - globally, Kerry is your man.
Sometimes, flip-flopping is a good thing. Kerry has recognized this, and Bush would have been wise to follow suit. Rather than sticking to a failing plan, an American leader should stop, reassess the situation and fix the problem. Telling the country over and over that everything is going to plan, when it's proven otherwise, should strike everyone as foolish. The entire world is waiting for Bush to flip-flop on his rosy-colored optimism over Iraq.
The next president also will nominate at least one new U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and could appoint as many as four. It's essential for the protection of American civil liberties that the right man make those decisions. Kerry, who is mostly consistent with our institutional stances on women's reproductive rights, gay rights and faith-free politics is capable of making a sounder judgment.
Bush claims not to believe in a litmus test for selecting Supreme Court justices, but his entire presidency has been a litmus test for our nation. We've been forced to reassess our belief in the Constitution, our attachment to our civil liberties and to question our freedom in general. It's been Bush-Cheney politics that pushed Americans to this test, and we believe that Kerry is running a campaign that will ask Americans to expand their rights, not restrict them. Universal health care is a basic human right, no matter the expense. America has the most bureaucratic, selective health care system in the world, and a vote for Kerry on Tuesday will help to change that.
Around the country, something new is happening. Some routinely conservative editorial boards have endorsed Kerry as president. Papers such as The Detroit News who have traditionally endorsed a Republican candidate are abstaining from endorsing any candidate. There could be no greater sign of ill faith in the president than his traditional supporters in the media abandoning him.
From the very beginning, voters have been told that this November's presidential election will mark a point in history. Messages of "Vote or die" have come down from every angle. This time, more than MTV-formed groups are inspiring higher voter turnout. People were excited to vote, but now, the drive of Kerry's campaign is making people excited to vote for Kerry.
Along with John Edwards, Kerry has made a formidable team born from the anti-Bush dream. In its endorsement of Kerry, the Orlando Sentinel said that Bush had disappointed it on nearly all counts. We have to agree. A movement in our nation evolved from "anyone but Bush" to "no one but Kerry." We'd be remiss not to give our full endorsement to the candidate who offers us a stronger, united nation eager to shed its divisive skin.
A vote for Kerry on Nov. 2 is a vote for a better America.
