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Friday,
February 27, 2004 |
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Kerry
steps up on issues
Brian
Andrew is a freshman economics and history major from
Tomball.
For
those of you who don’t know, John Kerry is the front-runner
in the Democratic primaries. At this point, he is almost
guaranteed the Democratic nomination for president. During
the last presidential election, the candidates, George
W. Bush and Al Gore, had many of the same platforms and
the two hardly ever made a solid stance on any issue.
Kerry’s leading competition is John Edwards. If Edwards
receives the Democratic nomination, I fear this election
will prove to be much the same as the last. As a Republican,
I hope that Kerry receives the Democratic nomination.
First off, Edwards appeals more to conservatives and independents,
and might actually steal some votes that would have gone
Bush’s way if Kerry were the opposition. Edward’s
strong showing in Wisconsin was led by the Republican
and Independent voters voting for him.
Secondly, since the last election, there have been many
polarizing issues that have arisen in politics. If American
voters have carbon-copy candidates like Bush and Gore
again, I am concerned that these important issues that
need to be addressed, might never be brought up.
When two candidates are much the same, neither will risk
going out on a limb and taking a stance. When neither
candidate takes a stance, you never know where your candidate
stands on important issues; and if a candidate does take
a stance on an important issue, it will only be a compromise,
leaving the issues to be re-addressed later. I fear that
if Edwards receives the Democratic nomination, we will
again be forced to sit through another election of mediocrity,
in which no real platforms or issues will be discussed.
One of the most important of these issues is national
security. Already, Edwards is shying away from this sensitive
subject, while Kerry is stepping up and facing the problem
head on. Though I disagree with his stance, I applaud
him for taking on the tough issues and coming up with
solutions.
Kerry’s main credentials are that he is a Vietnam
War veteran with several decorations. From his experience
he “knows the responsibilities of commander in chief.”
Kerry believes the best way to deal with foreign policy
is to be thoughtful and uplifting, something he claims
the Bush administration doesn’t do.
While Kerry focuses on the volatile national security
issue, Edwards chooses instead to make his platform as
bland as they come. He is focusing on jobs and the economy.
His choice of key issues highlights exactly what I have
been saying about him. Edwards is basing his campaign
around issues that all politicians talk about, ones which
are easy to energize crowds with. If you have ever heard
a political speech dealing with jobs and the economy,
then you have heard them all.
I, for one, am rooting for Kerry to be the next Democratic
presidential candidate. Not only will his nomination lead
to the addressing of important issues, it will hopefully
lead to an election where you can distinguish the candidates
by their platforms, not solely by their names or party.
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