A vote for sincerity

When Clinton was president, it was almost cool to be a conservative. His foreign policy was a mess, his personality flaws were many, and his wife was the right wing's personal punching bag. (Emphasis on bag.) Ah, the good ol' days of Bill Clinton's first term.\nI was in high school then -- already a burgeoning political junkie. \nI wrote opinions for my high school newspaper, usually devoting my time to slamming his administration and its opinion poll-driven policies. Sometimes it was so easy I felt like I was playing dodge ball against a blind kid with no arms. \nIn October 1993, I wrote a piece condemning Clinton -- specifically his policies in regard to the U.S. Armed Forces. He had already flip-flopped on "gays in the military," approved the military base closings that would economically devastate many small communities and over-extended our foreign presence after slashing the military's infrastructure. These were reasonable complaints, and we are still feeling the effects of those policies today.\nFast-forward to 2004. I am again writing conservative opinion for my school newspaper. But being a conservative now isn't as easy or as much fun as it once was. The Republicans are in control of the legislative and the executive branches of government with a formidable, although not dominant, presence on the Supreme Court. \nAs a conservative columnist, I am supposed to defend these idiots. \nYou may have noticed, I attack Sen. John Kerry and his DNC colleagues -- and they deserve it. But at the same time, I also think, "Don't look behind the curtain!" I know what is hiding there, and it ain't pretty. \nI must contend with a "conservative" spending money like a Democrat. I have to deal with a good man selling a just war under false pretenses. I must overlook him playing an over-zealous Christian moralist proposing an inflammatory Constitutional amendment that has ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE of passing, just to get the votes of bigots. \nAll these things have this conservative wondering -- where have you gone, Barry Goldwater? \nSo, I have two options for the present. (No, Nader does not count.) One, I can vote for President Bush and hope against hope that he comes to his senses and starts acting like a fiscal conservative. Or, I can vote for Senator Flip-Flop and watch the CNN/USA Today opinion polls (of the hopelessly ignorant) that dictate American policies while I wait for the Red Sox to win the World Series to complete the 2004 triplet of horror. (IU missing the NCAA was the first.)\nI'll take "Between Iraq and a hard place" for $1,000, Alex. \nThe future is equally bleak. If Kerry wins, two pro-government liberals will be added to the Supreme Court for the next 15-30 years and the GOP will put up a "snowball's chance in hell" presidential candidate in 2008, a la Bob Dole. If Bush wins, the DNC will provide Clinton II: "Electric Boogaloo" as Hillary will likely run against the GOP would-be successor in four years. Somebody shoot me.\n All things considered, I am giving my meaningless endorsement to President Bush, with prejudice. Right or wrong, he believes what he says and does what he thinks is best for the nation -- a welcome change from the previous administration's insatiable need to please. A president who stands for something is a good thing.\n Moreover, I know any nation or group that threatens or attacks us will not go unpunished under President Bush. He will not cave to pressure from foreign governments and press when deciding what is best for America. \nBeing human, he will continue to make mistakes. But the decisions he makes will not be in response to fickle public opinion. Rather, they will be sincere attempts to make America safer and a better place to live.