Summer 2004

Bigfoot Read a Book!
Thoughts on John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best by Michael Kranish, Brian C. Mooney, and Nina J. Easton

In his campaign appearances, John Kerry has not make a good impression on me, other than by seeming smarter than G.W. Bush. I will grant, however, that few candidates make a good impression on me. They have a universal tendency to avoid straight answers and hedge all bets, throwing in an occasional firm answer in support of "America". This really does nothing for me. I vote either from a sense of duty or because one of the candidates scares me.

With such an important election coming up (and with such a scary incumbent to oust), I decided to do my best to come up with a better reason to vote than "Maybe one vote really does count." So, I got the new biography of John Kerry written by a trio of reporters from the Boston Globe.

The book shows Kerry's background, his privileges, his struggles to meet the expectations of his class, his political ambitions, and his achievements. For me, the most compelling part of the book was learning that John Kerry had any achievements or issues that he championed. We have heard much about Kerry's privileged background and his ambition, but don't those traits exist in the vast majority of presidential hopefuls? G.W. Bush had an even more privileged background, just less ambition (that is, until a preacher hinted that God wanted him to be president).

Kerry's political achievements have changed my mind about his candidacy. He is more than just the not-Bush candidate. He is a candidate who has a successful track record of balancing difficult budgets and working across party lines to do so. Considering the current state of the nation's finances, doesn't that seem like a crucial qualification for the 2004 race?

He is a candidate who understands the concept of foreign diplomacy. Need I mention all the burnt or burning bridges we need to rebuild?

Free trade has ruined most Democrats' credibility with labor, and Kerry is unfortunately in the Clinton bandwagon on trade. But he hasn't shown any tendency to be as antagonistic toward labor as the Bush administration, so on this issue I can only claim Kerry as the lesser of two evils.

Finally, in contrast to Bush, Kerry appears to care about the environment. When he was Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, he worked on resolving acid rain problems and limiting sulfur dioxide emissions.

So, Kerry can count on me to gladly punch that chad all the way through this November. He's more than just not Bush, he's also a small but necessary step toward mending America after four years of blunders and delusions.