Making a Sacrifice to Get a Better Republican

George Bush Jr is a bit a of a disappointment as a president. His diplomacy skills are weak, and he's done several things that run counter to some Republican ideals. Republicans typically oppose big government, but Bush has created 2 all new bureaucracies, the TSA and the DHS. Republicans support state's rights, but Bush had the supreme court pull rank on Florida to counter unfounded fears that a recount would cause him to lose. Republicans often criticize 'Tax and Spend', but Bush has 'Improved' the concept by implementing 'Tax-Cut and Spend' spiking the federal deficits to record levels. Bush constantly honors Ronald Reagan, but his stem-cell policies are at odds with Nancy Reagan, who believes the research could benifit those who suffer from Alzheimer's. Bush is not a very good republican.

Keeping Bush in the white house will ultimately lead to higher taxes as his successor scrambles to pay off all that debt. But few self-respecting Republicans could bring themselves to vote for that boring JFK wanna-be that's running against him. Since the president always gets the nomination, It's not like Bush will be replaced with a smarter Republican at the last minute.

But suppose Bush wins. 4 years later, his successor may have to face a more charismatic Democrat than Kerry. Furthermore, there is the risk that Cheney may be the Republican candidate, and he's rather unpopular. But if Bush loses, Cheney probably won't run, and whoever runs will be facing Kerry, who is so uncharismatic that he wouldn't stand a chance against a competant Republican with less of a bad reputation than Cheney or Bush. Even if Cheney isn't to succeed Bush, a 4-year-from-now Republican will still have a weak opponent.

Since the Congress is Republican, it can keep any of Kerry's more unpopularly liberal ideas from being implemented while we wait till Kerry has to face someone less controversial and more charismatic than Bush.

My list of hopefuls to beat Kerry (personal opinion, these candidates may not run or be popular with the national party):

Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii. She was the first to break through inpenetrable Democrat dominance.
Christina Todd Whitman, former governer of New Jersey, former EPA; she has more respect for the environment than Bush.
Colin Powel, if he ever decides to run.

So push Hillary's presidential attempt back 4 years; Vote for Kerry!