 am a moderate Republican. The short answer to the question
of what it would take for me to vote for a Democrat is
simply this: George W. Bush. (That’s what made me vote
for John Kerry in 2004.) In 2008, though, the largest policy
issue casting a shadow over my vote will be that of Iraq. I am
a youth who has served in Iraq in the U.S. Army, and my experience
dramatically changed my views. I was against the
invasion initially, because I felt alarmed at the hostility from
the international community and ashamed at the idea that
we were forcing a war on a smaller, weaker country. (Even so,
I wasn’t about to let my country go to war without me, and if
I had reservations about the conflict, then it was all the better
I be there to help make it more humane.) Later, my time
in Iraq changed my opinion into one of wholehearted support
for the war. That’s because I admitted to myself that I
believe in three very important ideas:
 The first is simply dumb patriotism. Perhaps readers will
not believe that such naive notions toward country still exist,
but my peers in the military are a living testament to
them. It shouldn’t seem unreasonable to anyone that men
and women who have been willing to fight this war might
also be willing to vote to ensure the conflict is negotiated
to the advantage of our nation. If we are at war, then I want
to win. As a person who has already invested a lot of time,
sweat, and blood into this venture, I naturally want to see it
become a success.
Second, I believe that the Iranian revolution in 1979 ended
a century-long secularizing trend in the Middle East. The
newer shift toward theocracy alarms me. I saw the invasion
of Iraq as having great potential to change the entire region
for the better. I understand the criticisms and accusations
about colonialism and the honest and sober fears Americans
have about being viewed as imperialists. However, the people
we are fighting must be taught what civil rights are, regardless
of how old their civilization may be. If we don’t do
it, no one else will. Satisfying our strategic interests as a nation
requires that we fix something that would otherwise
continue to be a threat.
Lastly, I have a problem with al-Qaeda. We might have
been diverted from fighting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan with
the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but that doesn’t mean we
aren’t also fighting al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia. I cannot give
my vote to anyone who would advocate withdrawal in the
face of our sworn enemies. Unfortunately, that’s what leading
Democrats are doing, and why they’re unlikely to get
my support. Whoever comes forward and owns the “withdrawal
vote” in 2008 can be sure to lose mine. The Democrat
who can gain my vote will be the one who comes forward
with a plan to win.
. . . return to cover story |
