It's about "fear" or "courage". That is the choice.

[kentuck]

Fear is not a winning message for Americans. It was not in the Great Depression and it is not now. Americans are hopeful people. In their final choice, they will choose hope and courage over fear and paranoia. The candidate that realizes this truth and can communicate it in a courageous and forceful manner will beat the socks off George W Bush next November.

No doubt, 9/11 was a traumatic event for our nation. We were united in our desire to go after the guilty parties. That is why we went into Afghanistan. We traced the footprints right up to the cave of Osama bin Laden. Then we forgot about him.

Mr Bush decided that he wanted to finish that little bit of business that his father, Bush41, had left undone in Iraq. He decided to invade that nation under false pretenses or at best, false intelligence. This ran counter to everything America has ever stood for. We do not declare war on other nations without cause. America is not a war-mongering nation, however much some people might argue otherwise. We have had war-mongering leaders in the past that have led us to war, but the American people are by their nature, a friendly and peaceful people.

Now, Mr Bush has a new political ad out in Iowa touting his leadership in the war on terror. He mentions a "horror like none we have ever seen". He is playing solely on the fear of our people. That is a message that only works when there is not a counter message of courage and hope.

We need a candidate that will say, "No, we will not cower in fear. We will not hide under our beds. We do not wish to give up our freedoms because our leaders are too fearful and too paranoid to fight the terrorists in a more courageous and intelligent manner."

"We will fight these outlaws with the help of our friends and allies around the world. We are not the Lone Ranger. We will not preemptively attack another nation where we do not have solid proof they are a threat to us."

"We will withdraw from Iraq as soon as we can get assistance in stabilizing that country. We will bring our troops home. We will protect our nation and our borders and the people of America can feel secure that we will do that without having to surrender any of our hard-fought freedoms. We refuse to go along with these "Chicken Littles" with their color-coded fears, hiding in unknown locations whenever their paranoia starts to overwhelm them."

"We will protect our country and we have the means to do so. But we do not have to live our lives in fear. We will continue to hunt down those responsible for 9/11. And we will find them. The American people can be assured of that. We refuse to be guided by the fears of George W Bush and Dick Cheney. It's time for them to put their Patriot Act under their arms and get out of town. We've had enough of their type of "leadership".

[MasonJar]

1. What an impressive pronouncement

I wish that you would forward this to every Democratic candidate and to all the newspapers in the state. I am proud to be from the same state as you, Kentucky

[kentuck]

4. Thanks MasonJar!

I do believe this is the message that will win for the Democrats. And perhaps we are too much into personal attacks rather than on his policy of fear. People do not wish to be afraid. They want a man of courage to lead them. That is not George W Bush.

[ninkasi]

2. Exactly, Kentuck!

That's a winning message. I refuse to cower under the bed out of fear of a terrorist popping up out of nowhere. I absolutely refuse. I cherish our Constitution, and having liberty; if I have to surrender them out of fear, then it really doesn't matter who wins.

Loss of liberty to the Bush cabal, loss of liberty to someone else, it's all the same, liberty is gone. What a pathetic bunch of scardy cat cowards the Republicans are.

[rucky]

3. and we can't fear the BFEE, either

it's a house of cards.

As usual, another great post from Kentuck!

[janx]

5. Dean has been pointing this out non-stop. He knows history.

And he echoes what so many of us feel. We're tired of the fear-mongering. What a perfectly terrible way to treat the American people.

Great post, Kentuck.

[kentuck]

6. Thanks. I didn't know Dean had addressed this issue specifically?

But that may be why he's ahead?