One Deeply Disillusioned Idaho Republican Walks Away

Dear Vice-President Cheney:

I voted for you and President Bush in 2000 on the basis of my belief that your beliefs, while holding the line on moral issues like the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, would demonstrate that it is possible to be fiscally and socially conservative but also compassionate and caring domestically and exemplifying cooperation and moral leadership internationally. The idea of "compassionate conservatism" and the campaign statements of now-President Bush that we must not communicate arrogance in our foreign policy won my vote.

Some personal context: I need to make it clear that I am a conservative Christian, a member of the Church of the Nazarene, and that if you looked back across my voting record you would see that I have voted for Republicans almost without exception. I proudly display my flag on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. I am not attracted to John Kerry, whose positions on social issues, issues of faith and the like are in deep opposition to my own. I won't vote for him in the upcoming presidential election. Michael Moore's movie is getting alot of attention, but I find him a loud-mouthed, arrogant, truth-bending self-promoter. I loved the joke early in the Iraq situation that said two piece of evidence that the world was upside down were that 1) the French were accusing the Americans of arrogance and 2) that the Germans wouldn't fight. My wife and I travel, and the behavior of the French and German governments made me sufficiently angry that we will not visit there until their foreign policy is less arrogant in its own way. I say those things just to establish that my natural orientation is conservative and pro-government and fiercely loyal to my country.

I'm out: That said, I also need to make it clear that I will not be voting for the Bush Cheney Rumsfeld ticket in the fall, either. You've lost me. I'm not drifting off, I'm marching off. I'm embarassed, ashamed and disgusted. The combination of arrogance, ignorance, isolationism, incompetence, and now vulgarity on the floor of the Senate is just more than I can bear. I want a grownup, someone I can respect, in charge, and I don't see any of those around in any of the parties with Presidential candidates.

The current administration as the conservators of a sacred set of American ideas: If I were you, I would say what you have said--that we are in a battle with terrorism for our lives, and that to beat this evil force we have to be forceful in return, and I don't disagree with the idea that we must combat terrorism, but I see signs that we are losing the high ground which makes the battle worth fighting. This battle is not primarily about geography or commerce or even personal safety. It is a battle about a set of precious American ideas. GK Chesterton said that America was the first country founded on the basis of a CREED--on a set of sacred IDEAS. Yes, I hear President Bush, on point as always, talk about freedom and democracy as the basis of this conflict, but he no longer has the credibility to persuade me that those are his motivators. My sense is that he, and even moreso you, Mr. Vice-President, are motivated by a kind of testosterone-drenched guy "group-think" that doesn't serve you well.

The loss of moral authority: Many years ago the Catholic church, for whose THEOLOGY I have a great deal of respect, communicated to its constituency that the forces of evil were so strong that the Inquisition, the selling of indulgences, and other practices were justified. The point finally came when the Catholic church retained its power, but lost its moral authority. The current administration is at and beyond that point.

My hunger for wise, courageous and moral leadership: I'm motivated to write to you because of your use of the "F-word" on the floor of the Senate. That act communicates to me that not only is there no "hardwood" at the core of politics today, but that the veneer of civility and adulthood and professionalism, for heaven's sake, is wearing thin and this administration is down to the chipboard underneath. Please understand--this is not support for the Democratic Party or for Patrick Leahy. I'm betting he made some kind of a wise-guy remark that prompted your ill-advised, and I hear from the papers this morning, triumphantly reconsidered remark. When my son Ben and I visited Washington several years ago, we talked about the great events that room had seen. I'm sure that your remark was not the first dishonorable moment, by far. It just makes me wish that people like the current President's father, or RIchard Lugar from my home state of Indiana, or a moderate Democrat like Cecil Andrus from my current state could be nominated and elected President. Someone whose decency and solid wisdom shines through in a crisis. Someone I could trust and believe in.

No action expected; just a heads up: Let me hurry to say, I'm guessing I'll be lucky if even an aide reads this letter, and that at most I'll get a form letter in return thanking me for my interest. Many better people than I have tried to suggest unlinking fierceness against terrorism from fierceness against other governments, or against the Democrats or the press--all to no end. I don't expect anyone in the administration to admit mistakes or to change. I just want you to know that one flag-waving conservative Christian Republican in the heart of solidly Republican Idaho will have his flag waving proudly on the Fourth, and will be voting for other Republican candidates in the fall, but will not be voting for the Bush- Cheney-Rumsfeld ticket.

Mark Pitts