This is an interesting piece with a troubling conclusion. Democrats must consider how many in their party will vote for Bush. Too many voters are impressed by the bully cowboy. mjh

A Democrat breaks with tradition By P. Amy MacKinnon

When Mr. Bush first ran for president in 2000, I found both his politics and his campaign methods anathema to the American concept of justice. I was with the many who questioned whether his intellect, interest, and experience were commensurate with the demands of being the leader of the free world. I didn’t approve of his so-called middle-class tax cuts, nor his incorporating nuclear power into his energy plan, nor his judgment in appointing an attorney general inclined to sheathe immodest works of art.

But then Sept. 11 happened. Our nation needed the strength of a leader, and I wondered where we’d find one.

For nearly 25 years, America has been under attack by Muslim fundamentalists – attacks virtually unanswered by all presidents as far back as Jimmy Carter.

We’ve somehow confused the systematic massacre of Americans for random acts of violence, though the collective onslaught – catalogued even incompletely – seems in retrospect to be a clear declaration of war: ….

So in November, I’ll break with tradition and vote for a Republican. I’ll place my trust, fears, and future in the hands of a man who has shown the world what it means to lead a nation. It’s a tradition of leadership that began with Washington and Lincoln, continued with FDR, and has been resurrected by Bush. It’s a tradition I expect our future presidents to follow.

• P. Amy MacKinnon, a freelance writer, has worked for Democrats in Congress and the Massachusetts State House.