Note that I love Kerry more, but that I love Bush less
November 02, 2004
Four years ago I was at a turning point in my life. I had lost my nationalism and was trying to figure out where I stood on my politics. More personally and immediately I had just dumped my cheating boy toy at the time, and was studying for a huge exam on modern Middle Eastern history. So while Zenith Nadir spent most of election night 2000 excitedly watching election coverage in my room on my ghetto ass TV monitor yelling at me about electoral votes, I was bent over Dr. Cleveland�s Concise History of the Middle East , trying to keep my mind off the boy across the hall with whom things had not worked out as planned. If only I had known that the pages of modern Middle Eastern history would be taking a sharp turn for the worst (which is saying a lot cause it�s pretty much all bad when it comes to modern ME history), and �big� issues like matters of the �heart� would not be so big anymore.
This election year has been all about lukewarm endorsements, so allow me to join the fray�lukewarm, after all, is my forte. I will try not to natter on too long�others have done it better, and I will link you to their sites. But before I do that, let me just say, like everyone else I am iffy about Kerry, though surprisingly I have warmed to him with time. Some friends of mine have argued that on the issue that concerns me most this election�the war on Iraq and policy towards the ME in general�Kerry will be no better than Bush. Perhaps this is true, but what it comes down to for me is simply this (to bastardize a line from Shakespeare�s �Julius Caesar�)�it is not that I love Kerry more, but that I love Bush less (SO much less). And I perhaps naively believe that it won�t get much worse than it already is.
For something a little more convincing check out Leah�s brother�s brilliant analogy on the matter:
Saw something in the opinion section of the SL Trib that was most likely written by a na�ve, just-turned-18, proto-voter, high-school kid. Direct quote: "I will be voting for President Bush because he should correct the chaos he has created in Iraq and the hatred so prevalent against our country."
Another one essentially said, "Keep him in. He knows what he's doing." That whole 'don't change horses midstream' bullshit.
You take your car in for a new muffler. The technician starts out by pouring sand in the engine block and blowing out all the tires. Most people would think that it's about time to get the hell out of Jiffy Lube and get your ass to Midas, but before you can say, "Uh-oh. Better get Maaco," the general manager steps in and says, "Trust me, he knows what he's doing." When you check in on him again, he's holding an acetylene torch and your car's on fire.
Now, is it time to sue the bastards and let your insurance cover repairs elsewhere, or would you prefer, as these people apparently wish, to leave the repair work (and the resulting bills) up to the guy who fucked up your car in the first place?
When Junior makes a mess by drawing on the walls, the first thing a parent should do is take the crayons out of his sticky little hands.
For a comprehensive endorsement that is also an enjoyable read for those who appreciate nuanced, intelligent sarcasm check out The New Yorker.
For the best (read: most amusing) endorsement of Kerry [ �He's a long way from being the Messiah, but at least he's not the anti-Christ.�], among others see Slate
For a more personalized endorsement check out Notorious if you don�t already do so regularly (which, ahem, you should).
And for the love of Allah, Yahweh, Jesus, Mother Nature, Science, Buddha, Ahura Mazda, Osiris, and wanting to see me in the US again in the next four years, go out and fucking vote for Kerry.