President Match

See how the candidates stack up for you at PresidentMatch.com.

My results...

1 Bush
Score: 47%

2 Kerry
Score: 36%

Senator Kerry's published views are slightly off compared to his recent statements, and of course lots of key sidebar issues, like stem-cell research, are not on there, so who knows?

Still, kinda bizarre results for someone who voted for Gore in 2000 and about a year ago was cheering for Governor Dean, ended up backing Senator Lieberman, and then accepted that Kerry was the Democrat to challenge President Bush. So why the shift? For starters, all I am certain of regarding Kerry is that his Colossal Government plans on the economy are probably going to continue to make Bush's awful Big Government plans look comparatively reasonable. (These two make President Clinton's social spending look utterly conservative.) Where does Kerry stand on national security? He will defend America if elected--I am not one of those who buys into the scare tactic of saying he might roll over for terrorists--but does he really mean that moves will be subject to international review? (A "global test?" Where is Princeton Review's study guide for that?!) Why should I believe him when he says it is not what it looks like? Certainly President Washington would not approve of his batting eyelashes over America's not-so-allied allies:

It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense, but in my opinion it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them.

Ignoring policies, what does it say about Kerry that, as vulnerable as Bush is, he can barely break even with him in the polls during his (Kerry's) best weeks? Bush is a better candidate than he was four years ago, but not that much better.

What fun.