4
4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 2, 2004
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ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
OPINION
NOTABLE
QUOTABLE
RACHEL HEAFIELD F o. (NE YEAR ONLY
EDITED AND MANAGED BY
STUDENTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SINCE 1890
JORDAN SCHRADER
Editor in Chief
JASON Z. PESICK
Editorial Page Editor
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority
of the Daily's editorial board. All other pieces do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
I don't have to - "4 -hrA
vote now. Don't even T
have to go to the v'v -4-
U
polls. Saved m e a trip --.on e a
on Tuesday."
-Green Bay Packers safety Darren Sharper,
after the Packers' 28-14 win over the Wash-
ington Redskins, referencing the correlation ..
between the result of the Redskins'final home
game and the outcome of the presidential elec--
tion, as reported yesterday by ESPN.1
The (very bumpy) road ahead
JASON Z. PESICK ONE- SMIAI OLCE
4
4
4
f this year's presi-
dential campaign has
made anything clear,
it's that both George Bush
- and John Kerry want to be
the president - very, very
badly. There's no other
explanation for why they
would subject themselves to
the insanity that has come
to characterize a U.S. presidential campaign. The
sustained personal commitment is enormous, and
then when it's finally all over, the winning candi-
date has to serve as president of the United States
for at least four years.
The question that the campaign did not make
clear is why either of these two men would want
to be president. The degree of difficulty that
lies ahead can be partially understood by com-
paring becoming president now to taking over
for quarterback Chad Henne with six minutes
to go in Saturday's game. Only the stakes are
a little higher.
The incoming president will face a number
of difficult challenges. Here are a few, although
there will be many, many more:
Fiscal and entitlement shortages
The nation's annual budget deficits have
become extremely large. Last year's deficit was
$375 billion; the Congressional Budget Office
predicts this year's will be $422 billion. The
annual deficits begin to disappear at the begin-
ning of the next decade, but that assumes the
president's tax cuts are not made permanent.
And the projections don't take into account
large spending increases that will undoubt-
edly occur. Making matters worse, the size of
the deficits appears up to hundreds of billions
of dollars smaller than it actually is because
it includes the Social Security surpluses that
should be dedicated toward preserving the
program for future generations.
Two Brookings Institution scholars, Wil-
liam Gale and Peter Orszag, estimate that
future generations will owe current genera-
tions $44 trillion for programs such as Medi-
care and Social Security. The Baby Boomers
are preparing to start retiring, so unlike 12
years ago when Bill Clinton had time to cor-
rect the nation's fiscal maladies, Kerry or Bush
will find himself in a race against the clock.
Iraq and national security
The number of U.S. troops who have died
in Iraq is now at 1,121 or higher, according to
the Associated Press, and even though there
are now about 142,000 U.S. troops there, the
country is not under U.S. control, the Iraqi
government's control or even the insurgents'
control. Iraq, which was once under the control
of a ruthless strongman who was in turn being
closely monitored by the United States, is now
a threat to U.S. national security.
It's difficult to buy the argument that Libya
decided to commiserate with the United States
for fear of an attack. In fact, the difficulties the
United States is facing in Iraq not only make
it more difficult to attack another country, but
it may be impossible to fight a truly necessary
war. Iran and North Korea are each more pow-
erful and more threatening than Iraq was, and
they also both know how difficult it would be
for the U.S to fight a war against them.
And it's become incredibly difficult to imag-
ine a scenario in which either Bush or Kerry
could send troops into a country like Sudan
where U.S. troops could help avert a major
humanitarian disaster. Sending troops to fight
for our principles will have a lower priority
than protecting our national security, and we
may not even have the troops to do that.
Arab-Israeli conflict
The Arab-Israeli conflict has bedeviled
U.S. presidents for decades. The one con-
stant for many of those years, Yasser Ara-
fat, may be nearing death. This could end up
having positive results if a more responsible
Palestinian leader takes his place, but it also
makes the conflict more confusing and com-
plicated. Saddam was a bad guy, but getting
rid of him didn't necessarily improve much
of anything. Could someone worse take over
for Arafat? Would a new leader be unable
to control the complex web of factions with-
in the Palestinian community? And what
would happen immediately following Ara-
fat's death?
These problems are not just headaches for
the incoming president. Having to study for
a midterm and cover a presidential election
at the same time is a headache. Either Bush
or Kerry will face impending crises. So why
would anyone want to be president at a time
like this? Well, taking over at the last minute
provides the opportunity to attain greatness 4
- something the country could use out of
its leaders.
But when you go to the polls today, don't
forget that the policy failures of one of the
candidates are largely responsible for at least
the first two crises.
Pesick can be reached at
jzpesick@umich.edu.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Like Wolverines, Bush will
stay the course in Iraq
TO THE DAILY:
With about six minutes remaining, the Spartans
winning 27 to 10, Michigan fans began pouring
out of the stadium. Yes, winning seemed grim and
tough for the Wolverines, and many would just as
soon give up and leave than stay with their team
through the tough road ahead. Sure, some people
may have hadtheirreasons, but when word gotout
that Michigan was making an amazing comeback,
herds of people came swarming back to the game.
Many people abandoned their team in the face of
difficulty and strife.
True Wolverine fans however, stuck with their
team, seeing it through to victory. True fans
understand what it means to stay the course amid
trying times and difficult circumstances. True fans
understand that when things get tough, the tough
get going. True fans placed theirtrust in the coun-
try's best football team and its coach, Lloyd Carr,
knowing that the Wolverines would give their all,
all the way to the end. Like it or not, those loyal
supporters were symbolic of everything our presi-
dent, George Bush, stands for.
In a bizarre coincidence, President Bush's
daughters visited our university and spoke about
their father earlier that day. They spoke of a dedi-
cated man. In an example, they mentioned how
their father, before he was president, would never
leave a game his favorite baseball team was play-
ing, whether they were winning or losing. He
would see them through to the end.
Bush understands what it means to stay the
course, even when things seem the toughest. He
understands that wavering amid difficulty, losing
confidence in the objective and leaving before the
job is done are not the actions of a true leader. He
understands that when times are tough, the mis-
sion and the team still deserve our unrelenting
support. He understands that when something is
right, like removing a leader who kills and tor-
tures innocent people for amusement, America
must keep its promise to the world and do it,
weapons or no weapons. It was right!
Kerry would have left with the herds of countries
who have forgotten what it means to support a world
dedicated to doing what is right. He would have left
with the countries whose corruption is only now
being uncovered - abandoning our most loyal sup-
porters of freedom and democracy, who will never
waveratour side. Bush will neverleave the field.
Alex Grimes
LSA freshman
The letter writer is a member of
Students for Bush
Students have unique
opportunity to impact the
outco mof the election
TO THE DAILY:
We huddle around the TV, yelling,
screaming, begging, and plea
giously, 11 Saturdays each fa
1998 post-graduation migration
cisco, no matter the circumstanc
the confused questioning of ou
Pac-10 friends, we gravitate tog
vicariously through you. We lon
you among the 111,000,to feel t
ing, screaming, begging, andF
contributing to the cause. The ft
has a bye this week, but our
be much like it has been for tl
- with one exception - this w
convene around the TV on Tu
than Saturday. We will yell, s
and plead, all the while living
through you. In California we
part, but we are not in a positio
impact the outcome of this ele
you are. On Saturday we saw ju
erful you are - the power of t
voices of 111,000 Michigan Wol
have the opportunity to have s
ence on Tuesday - we will all
you - PLEASE VOTE! It's C
Michigan Wolverine.
Bush's grammar prot
are indeed telling
To THE DAILY:
In his column, Wrong cand
country, wrong time (11/01/04
claims that he would rather "h
dent who wavers on his gram
president who wavers in the fa
opinion." Lee, grammar is ver
you were interviewing candidat
tion at your high-stakes com
you choose someone with poo
Of course not, because gramm.
about a person than his imme
edge of the possessive and cont
of "its." Why, then, would you
for the most difficult position i
the president of the United Sta
really want someone who can
a correct sentence representing
American people to the entire w
If we ask one thing from our 1
minimum level of intelligence a
also write that, eventually, Sad
"would have" had weapons ofr
tion, "and then where would we be
ment represents everything that i
Bush and the Bush ideology. If w
attacking defenseless nations be
remote possibility that they coul
the distant future, be a threat to t
our nation, almost no nation wou
ed. This type of pre-emptive vio
extremely dangerous precedent f
the world. What if India were to u
iding. Reli-
11 since our
to San Fran-
e, no matter
ir newfound
ether to live
ig to be with
hat our yell-
pleading are
ootball team
routine will
he past nine
week we will
tify attacking Pakistan or South Korea North
Korea? As the world's most powerful nation, we
have an enormous responsibility to set a higher
moral standard, to mend rifts with our brains
and not with our guns. Violence begets nothing
but violence.
Suzanne Swanson
LSA senior
Bush's Iraq campaign is
reckless and irresponsible
esday rather TO THE DAILY:
cream, beg, D.C Lee points out in his column Wrong can-
vicariously didate, wrong country, wrong time (11/01/04),
will do our that President Bush's stated position of "for-
n to directly eign-handed foreign policy" does not preclude
ction - but the president from exercising an even-handed
ist how pow- foreign policy. Indeed. Rather, it was Bush's
he wills and clear and single-minded determination to
verines. You invade a country that did not attack us - while
imilar influ- drawing troops and resources away from our
be watching response to those who did - which is enough
ireat to be a to do the trick. ("But at least he was clear!" I
can hear Lee thinking.)
Josh Scott Lee then offers us, presumably as a defense
Alum of the war in Iraq, the rat analogy. A rat bites
your child, you kill the rats, wherever you
lems can find them. Got it. I submit that there are
a number of ways to kill rats. We'd do well to
choose 'one that does not result in the deaths
of over 1,000 more of our children, the killing
of many more thousands of our neighbors and
date, wrong the eventual birth of an exponentially larger rat
), D.C. Lee population even more inclined to bite.
have a presi- Matthew Walker
amar than a Rackham
ce of public
ry telling. If
es for a posi- LETTERS POLICY
pany, would
ir grammar? The Michigan Daily welcomes
ar tells more letters from all of its readers. Letters from
diate knowl- University students, faculty, staff and
racted forms administrators will be given priority over
do the same others. Letters should include the writer's
n the world, name, college and school year or other Uni-
ites? Do you versity affiliation. The Daily will not print
't even form any letter containing statements that can-
you and the not be verified.
world? Letters should be kept to approxi-
eaders, it is a mately 300 words. The Michigan Daily
nd skill: Lee reserves the right to edit for length, clarity
dam Hussein and accuracy. Longer "viewpoints" may be
mass destruc- arranged with an editor. Letters will be run
?" This state- according to order received and the amount
s wrong with of space available.
ee are forever 0 Letters should be sent over e-mail to
cause of the tothedaily@michigandaily.com or mailed to the
d possibly, in Daily at420 Maynard St. Editors can be reached
he security of via e-mail at editpage.editors @umich.edu. Letters
ild be exclud- e-mailed to the Daily will be given priority over
lence sets an those dropped off in person or sent via the U.S.
or the rest of Postal Service.
se that to jus-
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