DES MOINES, Iowa — This race comes down to one simple question: Which candidate stands the best chance of defeating George W. Bush?
Thousands of registered Democrats across this state have asked themselves this question for the past several months, as a crowded field of political hopefuls crisscrossed Main Street Iowa. Yesterday, they met in churches, homes and local civic centers to declare their preference for Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.
But theirs is not just any decision in any election. They truly believe Sen. Kerry can actually defeat our supposedly “unstoppable” incumbent president. And they are right: First, Bush is weak domestically and on foreign policy. Second, Sen. Kerry possesses the important qualities to capitalize on these weaknesses in a general election (read: among swing voters).
On taxes, the president has worked with Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate to pass tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, so much so that our supposed “economic recovery” has not resulted in substantive decreases in unemployment rates.
And we’re not just talking about the manufacturing sectors. IBM recently declared its intent to lay off nearly 5,000 information-technology workers and send those jobs to India. Economic data shows the situation has grown so futile for some unemployed Americans that they have simply stopped looking for jobs.
Bush also passed the “No Child Left Behind” Act, mandating accountability standards among school districts across the country (and gaining the support of prominent Democrats like Sen. Ted Kennedy), but the good intentions of this legislation became an unfunded mandate under Bush’s inept leadership.
As a result, many state governments, already strapped for cash, endure even greater burdens on education without the money to meet them. This from a Republican candidate whose party preaches the importance of states’ rights! No wonder Kennedy is backing Kerry.
And on the budget, an issue particularly important to Republicans who accuse their opponents of behaving as “Tax and Spend Liberals,” the Bush administration has run up one of the biggest federal deficits in history. With the president’s recent declaration for further exploration of space in addition to our war on terrorism and further tax breaks for the wealthy, there is no end in sight.
Most importantly, our president seems to enjoy playing shell games with foreign policy. At first, the war in Iraq was in the name of Sept. 11, 2001, an outright attempt to destroy a regime in league with al Qaeda and its nefarious terrorist networks; then, a self-defense against weapons of mass destruction. Finally, and perhaps most hypocritically, this war became a mission to defend the human rights of the Iraqi people.
But just last week we learned from Secretary of State Colin Powell that the Bush administration still lacks evidence of weapons of mass destruction or any link to al Qaeda. You might not have heard about it — Bush was too busy trying to distract the American public with pipe dreams of lunar space stations and trips to Mars.
But why John Kerry? What is it about this junior senator from Massachusetts that will allow him to capitalize on Bush’s failures among the all-important swing voters?
Kerry articulated a clear message on taxes tonight: Corporations must pay their fair share. He has campaigned consistently on closing the loopholes that allow corporations to leave the country and cut jobs for the working people who didn’t get those Bush tax breaks.
He said, “I am running to restore fairness, prosperity and justice to our economy so that instead of Americans working for the economy, the economy works for them. And we’re going to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.” This must sound like a good alternative to the lower- and middle-class Americans who have seen their wages stagnate or their jobs sent overseas while Bush’s corporate pals got rich. Many of those voters are here in the Midwest, in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
On education, Kerry has the credentials to appeal to the middle-of-the-road voters. He proposed an “Education Trust Fund” that will serve to actually fund federal mandates. He would also revise the No Child Left Behind Act to ensure those schools that experience difficulty in achieving adequate test scores receive efficient federal support, not penalties. In Kerry’s words yesterday, Bush has “made a mockery of the words ‘No Child Left Behind.'”
Perhaps most importantly, however, Sen. John Kerry is not soft on foreign policy or military defense. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, having received a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat. He believes we need to work with our allies to rid the world of terrorism and deal with Iraq. And who would sit across from him in the debate? A draft-dodger who snubbed his nose at the world and bent the truth for his own political ends.
My colleague would point to Edwards’ medical past and his approval of pro-choice rights, or quotes Kerry made many years ago or his choice to don a bit of makeup.
But do swing voters actually care about any of these things? No. They care about taxes, the economy and our ongoing war in Iraq.
John Kerry can deliver on all three issues should he become the Democratic presidential nominee.
Paul Temple (ptemple@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in political science and philosophy.