I was away for the Labor Day weekend and did not get a chance to comment on this before, but better late than never:
Last week it was reported that, in an e-mail John Kerry sent out supporting the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio, Kerry claimed Ken Blackwell, the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio and current Ohio Secretary of State, "used the power of his state office to try to intimidate Ohioans and suppress the Democratic vote" in 2004.
Our democracy, any democracy, depends on honest elections and the people’s faith in honest elections. There have been instances where legitimate questions about election results have been raised. When this happens, they need to be answered. But just as important as addressing legitimate questions is not wrongly attacking the legitimacy of our election system for mere personal interest.
Personal ambition must not come before the best interests of our country. Richard Nixon understood that in 1960 when he told his supporters to halt efforts to challenge the results in Texas and Illinois. There were legitimate questions about the results in these states, but it was a dangerous time, and Nixon felt the United States could not afford the uncertainty of an election challenge. So he put personal ambition aside for the good of our country.
It appears John Kerry has decided this question differently. In bringing up these phony claims yet again (he did, after all, lose Ohio by more than Nixon lost the entire country), Senator Kerry is telling us he believes attacking the legitimacy of our electoral system is just another tactic he can use to gain chits for when he runs for President in 2008.
We all make choices, and these choices say a lot about us. Richard Nixon made his choice in 1960. John Kerry is making his today.
[Title revised: September 6, 2006]
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