LISNews: Librarian Blog Since 1999

[DISCLAIMER: I have no illusions that I will influence anyone's vote with this posting, and that's not my intention. This is food for thought about how some of us are deciding how we will vote.]

That's the question Virginia Postrel answers in a blog posting with the same title. Here is an excerpt
(the same excerpt posted by Glenn Reynolds:

I'm not picking a boyfriend here either, or, for that matter, an intellectual mentor. Given the current balance of power in Congress, there are only two things the president can significantly affect: foreign policy and regulatory policy. I prefer Bush to Kerry on both. It's a cold calculation.

Though I supported the war in Iraq, I never thought it would be easy. In fact, I thought things would be worse. It was a high-risk venture, requiring long-term commitment to secure long-term, strategic gains. I wish Bush had warned the public more about the inevitable difficulties, but I do not feel betrayed. I feel no need to lash out at the president.

Voting is an expressive activity, but it need not be emotional. Andrew Sullivan's invocation of "The deep emotional bond so many of us formed with the president back then" does not apply to me. Bush leaves me cold and always has. I never wanted to hang out with him, so I don't take our policy differences personally. I never idolized his leadership, so I don't feel he's failed me. He gets my vote in part because I don't identify with him. He's just a hired hand, and he's better than the alternative.

I feel much the same way about Bush, and I am confident that there are Kerry supporters out there who likewise are not in love with their candidate and who are well aware of his shortcomings, and who nonetheless will be voting for him based on a similar line of reasoning. I just can't seem to get worked up into a Manichaean lather about this election, and frankly, I'm glad I can't. That doesn't mean I don't have a strong preference.