I would like to say I will vote for George W. Bush. I honestly would. But I cannot overlook my disappointment with his administration. Even more, I cannot justify another Republican term. Like most Democrats, I choose to vote for Kerry not for Kerry, but for the sake of change.
This administration's excessive confidence is the first change needed. One example: Vice President Cheney went ahead with the administration's cabinet selection process in 2000 so as give the perception of electoral victory, when in fact the outcome was still contested. In a similar fashion today, Bush refuses to admit the administration's mistakes in order continue the perception of victory at home and abroad. Though "freedom is on the march in Iraq," Bush will not confess that the future remains uncertain. Though tax-cuts brokered a domestic recession, Bush will not admit that current account deficits are unsustainable.
This kind of know-it-all conceit toward the future and corresponding denial of facts ought to make one uncomfortable. After all that the country has been through, the United States should stop, reflect and figure out whether the Bush path is the correct path. Whether our current war-footing will secure the country for the long-term; whether environmental concerns really are overplayed; whether big-government is truly too big. Republicans have had four years to answer these questions. Democrats now deserve a chance.
This administration also exceeds its political mandate to promote ideology. Ideology under this administration often trumps prudent politics. The reasons why you hear little talk of WMD's today and more rhetoric parlaying the spread of liberty in Iraq is because politics failed to cover for ideology.Lacking the political evidence for invasion, Bush must rely on an ideology of freedom.
The same can nearly be said of Bush's tax cuts. Touted as a way to keep our economic fundamentals growing, this administration's tax cuts are in fact a way to keep conservative ideological fundamentals growing. The lack of political prudence when choosing to cut taxes and fund a global war on terror cannot be understated. Foreign investors cannot understate this lack of prudence as the dollar continues to fall and private investment dries up. Greenspan cannot understate this lack of prudence; though backing the tax cuts in principle, he makes it clear that it must be offset by spending cuts in excess of one-trillion dollars. Cheney reminded Americans two years ago that "Reagan taught us that deficits don't matter." But in the realm of politics, it seems they do.
Records of Republican social programs such as the famed "No Child Left Behind" act fare no better. Here in Baltimore public schools suffer because of this act. Under certain provisions of the "No Child Left Behind" act, numerous student suspensions from a particular school give parents the right to transfer their kids outside of that school. In order to avoid the consequences of such a scenario and the label of "persistently dangerous," public schools discourage the suspension of delinquent students. Originally intended to provide incentives for schools to reign in troubled youth, this provision actually undermines the ability of schools to discipline students and retain good ones.
As reported in the Baltimore Sun, many educators contend that this provision is responsible for recent surges in violence at Baltimore schools. Such is the law of unintended consequences. When taken in this light, Republican sponsored social-programs appear out of touch. And when funding for existing programs such as the "No Child Left Behind" law get cut, it sends the message that this administration's social work is little more than a token gesture. Though Democrats also have a record of failed social work, they at least have a record of positive reform.
While I cannot sufficiently fault the President or his Republican administration for the problems facing the United States, I can sufficiently claim he is not the solution. The solutions to most problems come in the form of new methods. John Kerry and the Democrats will hopefully secure that opportunity.
--Michael Huerta is a junior applied mathematics and political science major.
