How do you scare a terrorist?

Sounds like the opening line to a joke, eh? Well, I guess I'll entertain any good punchlines, if you can come up with one. I can't really do that at this point 'cause I'm just so frustrated.

The Chicago Tribune this morning had a front-page article on Kerry's loss of support from American women. For some reason, of all the election coverage I've read over the last year, this article has bothered me the most. It may be partly because anyone who knows most anything about Presidential elections knows that you don't become President if you don't carry the female vote. And the fact that Kerry is now blowing that is the most clear proof I've seen yet that he's not gonna pull this out.

But I think the thing that amazes me the most is that women -- or at least the women who were interviewed for this article -- indicate that even though they disagree with Bush on major social issues, all of those issues must be put on the back burner while we make our country safe. I'm just ... stunned. Speechless. Luckily, I can still type.

The fear-mongering has worked. Say what awful things you want about the Bush administration (and believe me, I have, though mostly to the inside of my car's windshield as I listen to news on the radio), but they are entirely superior to the Kerry campaign in absolute control of a message. They apparently have a majority of Americans convinced that America is safer when they are in the cockpit. But the notion stuns me ... Not that people would think that Bush is the better protector, but that anyone in the Oval Office would be a better protector than someone else.

Bush-Cheney have gone on and on about how Kerry's "flip-flops" mean that he would be wishy-washy on national security, and that somehow this would "send a message" to al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that we won't strike back.

Think about that for a moment: Members of this terrorist organization happily take the wheel as they drive their [insert mode of transportation here] into [insert building here], taking their own life. They are willing to strap bombs to themselves and press the button as they call out a prayer. Do you really think they're scared of our reprisal?

All the terrorist organizations care about is how effectively they terrorize. If they are hunted down and killed in the aftermath, so be it -- they believe they die as martyrs and will be glorified in Heaven. The big, scary U.S. military machine is not their concern. Does Bush actually believe that Osama bin Laden thinks: "I better not blow that bridge up, because then America might really be mad and hurt me!" Umm, no. Their only concern is this: "Where are the weak spots in the borders of the U.S. that will allow us to strike?"

Now, is Bush any better at strengthening all weak spots than Kerry is? I suggest that there's no difference. In fact, I suggest that, as much as the workers under different administrations change, in the end, they are all getting essentially the same advice about protecting our country. In fact, when you get into the upper echelons of security experts in our government, I bet they are specialized enough that you would find the exact same people working for both administrations!

Richard Clarke worked for both administrations, and I bet that was because he was the best at what he does. Whoever the current equivalent of Richard Clarke might be (if there is one), if (s)he really is the best person for that job, I submit that a Kerry administration would be smart enough to keep that person on board. The whole idea that Bush is protecting us ... that Kerry would protect us better or worse, seems ignorant of the many, many advisors and aides to these men who shape their policy and tell them what to do and what not to do ... and to the thousands and thousands of people out there actually doing the protecting -- none of which will be out of a job based on who you vote for in November.

If you are honestly choosing to vote for Bush because you think that there will be any difference in the level of security under him versus a country under Kerry, then you have bought a line. You've been "handled." You've been manipulated. You just may want to look at some other criteria for who your next leader is going to be.