Something positive

Tgirsch at Lean Left asks a question:

There has been a great deal of criticism of Kerry supporters, claiming that we support him "primarily because he's not George W. Bush," and that we don't have any positive reasons for supporting Kerry. While the "not W" aspect does hold a considerable amount of weight, at least for me, there are plenty of good reasons to support Kerry over Bush. In my case, for example, I'm a pro-choice environmentalist, two things which are virtually impossible to square with any aspect of the GOP's platform. But even that is more of a pro-generic-Democrat stance than a pro-Kerry stance in particular.

So I figured I would issue a challenge to the bloggers on the leftermost side of the blogosphere: Pick a positive about John Kerry, like something he accomplished in the Senate, or some other positive good he helped facilitate, and write about that as a front-page post on your blog. The right has been asking for such things, so why not give them what they ask for? Let's build a positive case for John Kerry.

[. . .]

So here goes, something positive.

What got me behind John Kerry was this, the thing that angers the Swift Boat Nitwits for Bush. Always liked Kerry because he was indeed nuanced, a man who contemplates the big decisions, never hesitiating to amend his position in light of new information. But the thing I respect most is his courage.

The fact that he took the stand he did when he came home from Vietnam tells me that he's not afraid to walk into Hell if he has to, but he's gonna do it for the right reasons. I talk often here about some good officers I've served under, men who would lead you into the teeth of it and would do their damndest to bring you back alive. Kerry did that. He not only took care of his men on the battlefield but looked out for the other young men yet to sacrifce their lives when he brought the mistakes of the war to the attention of the nation. John Kerry is a man of principle (as far as a politician can be) and has proved it on many occasions. He is an educated man, a thoughtful man, and a responsible man. That's why I like him as a candidate, that's why I respect him as a man and a fellow veteran, and that's why he's got my vote in November.