Rooting Against America

George C. Landrith

John Kerry and the leadership of the Democratic Party have decided that for Kerry to win, America must lose. Bad news for America is good news for Kerry. Good news for America, whether it be jobs or in Iraq, is bad news for Kerry. Thus, Kerry is rooting against America and asking Americans to trust him to lead the nation.

During this election cycle, Kerry first rooted against America as he talked the economy down. His allegation that the economy was the worst in 50 years wasn’t true. But if it were, it would help Kerry’s campaign. Not surprisingly, consumer confidence slipped with Kerry’s and the media’s steady diet of naysaying and pessimism. As confidence slipped, Kerry talked the economy down further, making it a self-fulfilling process.

Kerry temporarily got the results he sought – a lead in the polls in the late spring and early summer – by selling pessimism and bad news. To make matters worse, Kerry’s economic doom and gloom was made up and designed solely to advance his personal political ambitions.

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has consistently said the economy is strong and growing. Who are you going to trust? The Federal Reserve Chairman or a politician who needs doom and gloom to win? It’s an easy choice for most Americans.

Once America realized Kerry offered only pessimism and doom and gloom, his lead evaporated. In contrast, Bush built a significant lead by accepting difficult challenges and offering real leadership.

Hoping to stop his fall, Kerry expanded and intensified talking America down even on matters of national security. He accentuates the negative and mocks any good news -- even impugning the intelligence and motives of anyone who has good news.

When Iraq’s Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi spoke to a joint session of Congress to report on progress in Iraq, Kerry didn’t attend. But as soon as Allawi finished speaking, Kerry slammed Allawi for thanking America and saying freedom and democracy are winning every day in Iraq – despite the challenges. Kerry’s campaign mocked Allawi as a “puppet” – this from the politician who criticizes Bush for not using diplomacy effectively.

Historically, patriotic Americans have disagreed about all sorts of things during an election. But on matters of national security, the debate would never compromise America’s safety, discourage our troops, or encourage our enemies. Sadly, that is no longer true.

For John Kerry, winning political points is more important than America’s security. He has sent a very clear, yet unarticulated, message to America’s enemies – if the terrorists will increase their attacks and derail democracy in Iraq, Kerry will win and the terrorists can take credit for influencing America’s election.

Additionally, Kerry makes excuses for those who are not our allies while mocking our true-blue allies. This, when we now know that Saddam Hussein was using the Oil for Food money to buy votes at the UN and to bribe France, China and Russia to sell him missile parts. Everything Kerry is saying makes it harder for America, Iraq and our allies to win the war on terror and have free elections in Iraq.

America’s loss is Kerry’s gain. Iraq’s loss is Kerry’s gain. That is how Kerry wants it. And the terrorists take courage. To Kerry rooting against America is fair game because his political ambitions are more important than America’s wellbeing.

Kerry’s defenders say he is merely saying what he believes. But that doesn’t pass the “laugh” test. Which of Kerry’s many different positions on Iraq does he truly believe? Kerry started off supporting the president and questioned Howard Dean’s fitness to serve because Dean said America was no safer with Saddam in jail. Now Kerry says the war is all wrong and that Bush has made America less safe. Kerry is dividing America to advance his political ambitions and giving hope to our enemies.

Democratic Senator Zell Miller expresses frustration with Kerry and Democratic leaders for their lack of bipartisanship on America’s security. Senator Miller says, in the past, national security “was a bipartisan commitment…. It was said of U.S. foreign policy back in those days that partisanship stopped at the water's edge.” Not any more.

The truth is, John Kerry began talking America down the day he returned from Vietnam and he hasn’t stopped since.

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Mr. Landrith is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Business Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Politics. He had a successful law practice in business and litigation. In 1994 and 1996, Mr. Landrith was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's Fifth Congressional District. He served on the Albemarle County School Board. Mr. Landrith is an adjunct professor at the George Mason School of Law. He is recognized as an authority on constitutional law and jurisprudence, federalism, global warming, and property rights.

george@ff.org