I was a reluctant Kerry supporter until the debates, when he demonstrated a solid command of the issues, and was "presidential", unlike Bush2.

George Bottger, a close friend and colleague, articulated my feelings about this election in a recent letter to the Glocester (MA) daily newspaper:

"The only thing that George W. Bush has done well is hire good speechwriters; undoubtedly someone did that for him. Unfortunately, the rhetoric of Bush and his administration has little connection to reality, as evidenced most starkly by their continually touting their prowess in what has, in fact and obviously, been an abysmal demonstration of ineptness:
• The confrontation of terrorism
• The disaster in Iraq.

The damage that this administration has done to this country and its citizens will take years, more likely decades, to overcome. The consequences of their re-election in terms of negative impact on our children and grandchildren are beyond my comprehension.

What it comes down to for me is that the president and many of the key people in his administration are:
• Morally bankrupt
• Professionally and intellectually dishonest
• Contemptuously arrogant.

They are religious in the same way that Cardinal Law demonstrated that he is: they use it to promote their self-interest.

If these are the kind of people you want to lead our country, vote for Bush. If not, vote for Kerry or my long-dead grandmother. Either, in my opinion, is preferable. My grandmother could do no harm; Kerry, on the other hand, has the potential to be a great president."