The Cavalier Daily (Univ of VA) endorses Kerry

Kerry for president

October 07, 2004


With the presidential election less than a month away, each candidate continues to emphasize that the choice the voters make Nov. 2 will have crucial implications on the fate of the country. And they couldn't be more right. With that it mind, we endorse Sen. John Kerry for president. While the reasons themselves could take the space of weeks of lead editorials, we choose to discuss the most essential issues that we believe give Kerry a decided edge over President George W. Bush.

Primary among those reasons is Iraq. The president's one-track mind for Saddam Hussein's ouster prompted the deception of America regarding weapons of mass destruction, and his push for unilateral military intervention over diplomacy alienated most of the world. Kerry's level-headedness and absence of personal vendettas will ensure a more rational, cooperative approach to world relations. With potentially volatile situations in North Korea and Iran, the senator will provide a desired alternative to the current cowboy mentality in the White House.

Now that the war in Iraq is sucking billions of dollars out of the federal budget, it only makes sense to reevaluate our tax policy. Simply, it's completely unprecedented to cut taxes in a time of war. Kerry's plan to roll back the Bush tax cuts on those who earn more than $200,000 a year (while aiding those who make less) properly addresses the disparity in the current structure which overwhelmingly favors the rich and corporations. To top it off, Kerry's proposal also includes a new jobs tax credit that will help small businesses, a sector Republicans claim will suffer under Kerry's policies.

Equally important to the man we put in the White House are the people he is charged with appointing, and as several Supreme Court justices approach retirement, it is absolutely imperative that Kerry be the executive selecting their replacements. Conservatives denounce the work of "activist" (read: liberal) judges and their wider interpretation of civil liberties, so four more years of Bush would encourage a reining in of rights rather than an expansion of them. Kerry, however, has stated he will only appoint federal judges who support privacy rights and a woman's right to choose, privileges that are in danger of being negated by a Court stacked by Bush.


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http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=20864&pid=1196

My sister goes to UVA, so she'll be very pleased to hear this. Hardly surprising though: Charlottesville is a small dot of intense blue in a sea of red. Bumber stickers seem to go about 90/10 Kerry in this area.