Still reeling from a decisive defeat in the November 2 elections, liberals are casting about for convenient justifications to hang their tattered hats upon.
A poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland makes much of the lack of WMDs discovered in Iraq. It suggests that the misguided American majority chose to stand with President Bush because somehow, Bush supporters are afflicted with "cognitive dissonance." Even in light of the Duelfer Report, the liberals lament, Bush supporters persist in their delusions about WMDs.
Voters' personal faith is also raised as an incentive to support President Bush--faith over reason, of course. The faith issue serves as a handy rationalization to assist liberals in believing themselves intellectually superior to the mindless and ignorant conservative masses.
Well, libbers, here are some hard facts:
1. The Dems got nationally spanked in this election.
2. The majority of Americans prefer Bush over Kerry.
3. The War on Terror is a huge concern to most Americans.
These realities are not based on faith but rather on a logical understanding of the clear and present danger to our nation from Islamic radicals, as demonstrated on 9/11. The Madrid and Beslan massacres only underscored our need for strong leadership in the face of a brutal and merciless enemy.
Speaking only for myself as a Bush supporter, the WMDs were never the reason I supported the Iraqi war. In fact, they were an inconsequential red herring. The war was logically necessary for a number of reasons outside of WMDs, the most compelling of which was Saddam Hussein’s proven track record of atrocities. Other reasons, among them his funding of suicide bombers and support of terrorist training camps, buttressed my conclusion beyond all doubt.
I think American voters forgave Bush his error on WMDs because they understand what is at stake. To ensure America’s safety in a post 9/11 world, Saddam simply had to go. After the election, a British publication bemoaned the stupidity of 59+ million Americans in reelecting Bush. How’s that for twisting the data to fit the mindset!
Personal faith had nothing to do with my Republican vote, although I understand it’s within the liberal comfort zone to accept such a simplistic interpretation of the popular mandate (more CD there, perhaps?). No, my faith is not orthodox by any standard. But I do believe in right and wrong, good and evil. I believe in killing those who are determined to murder us and our loved ones, killing them first, quickly, without hesitation and in the largest numbers possible. That belief meant voting for President Bush, because Kerry was not to be trusted with such vital decisions. I’m relieved for all of us that Bush won.
Liberals may call my position cognitive dissonance if they like. I call it common sense in its most clear-eyed and righteous form. And I’m proud to be only one of 59+ million.
