Now it is true that for some people, John Kerry does not seem like all that compelling of a candidate. He’s male, white, rich and a politician. He does not have that straight-talking charm that seems to motivate people who are turned off by the political process. He has a voting record that the Bushies will tear apart over the next months before the election. His views on some issues are complex enough that his words can be twisted into sounding like he is on both sides of an issue.

I want to remind you of a few reasons why you must vote for John Kerry. First of all, and most importantly, when you actually listen to John Kerry on the issues, he is right on. He is very, very smart, he really understands the issues, he has a lot of experience working within the political process and his views are based on (what I think is) a true desire to solve problems. He is not a slave to his political ideology like Bush is. As the late great Paul Wellstone said, politics is about making people’s lives better. It is not about trying to convert people to your political ideology. John Kerry is brilliant when it comes to the messy business of dealing with the actual issues. If you are turned off by John Kerry I would encourage you to listen to him directly on the issues and tune out the character-bashing chatter that the Bush adminitration is orchestrating.

Second, and less importantly, the lesser of two evils is still better than the greater of two evils. You may not think John Kerry is perfect but George Bush is a catastrophe. The Bush administration are right-wing extremists in a country that is almost exactly 50/50. We need a President in the center, or at least closer to the center than Bush.

Lastly, when asked, people overwhelmingly think that the government works best when there is some balance between left and right. Right now we have all three branches of government effectively controlled by Republicans. We need to restore some balance. This forces some compromise and in a country that is 50/50, we should all recognize the importance of compromise.

I believe John Kerry is smarter, more experienced, more honest and better equipped to lead this country. Even if you don’t agree with all of this, chances are you agree that a little compromise and balance in government is good. Support John Kerry.