Meanwhile,
US papers urged voters to turn out in masse to decide whether Bush
deserves to stay longer or Kerry deserves a shot at presidency.
The
Washington Post Tuesday pondered on
the possible aftermath of the US presidential election, especially
should George W. Bush be reelected, while The New York Times made
a last minute pitch to Americans to go out and vote.
“It
is no secret that many governments of US allies around the world, and
especially in Europe, are hoping for Mr. Bush's defeat,” said the
Post adding that if Bush is returned to the White House
anti-American feelings “could be greatly strengthened.”
“Bush
could head off this backlash by quickly pledging to make the
rebuilding of US alliances a priority of his second term and by
promising to consult more often and more carefully with traditional
American partners.
“If
he is to manage the tremendous challenges he will face in Iraq, Iran,
North Korea and elsewhere, Mr. Bush will need more international help.
He would do well to say so immediately,” said the Post.
However,
the Post added, “the challenge may be greatest for Mr.
Kerry,” should he win.
After
criticizing Bush's leadership and with Iraq “at a crucial
juncture,” he must show that his presidency “will not mean retreat
from America's commitment to hold elections and defeat extremist
movements there.”
Under
the title “Vote, No Matter What”, The New York Times urged
Americans to do their civic duty “because the rest of the world has
become disillusioned enough about the American political process.
“If
people can ride donkeys over mountains in Afghanistan to choose among
the decidedly imperfect candidates they were offered last month in
their first democratic election, we can stand in line and force
election officials to make sure our vote is recorded,” said the
Times.
“If
we start complaining now, perhaps we can fix things before it's too
late,” added the editorial, drawing a parallel between the electoral
debacle in Florida in 2000 and “Athens in the age of Pericles.”
“On
the presidential level, the popular vote really does matter, despite
the Electoral College,” said the Times referring to the
peculiar US voting system that gave Bush victory in 2000 in electoral
college votes, even though his Democratic challenger Al Gore won the
popular vote by over one million votes.
The
USA Today daily wondered if there
could be a repeat of the electoral nightmare of 2000 when final poll
results were delayed by 36 days of legal wrangling over Florida's
results.
“With
the candidates neck-and-neck in the polls and a dozen states rated as
tossups, the nightmare of the 2000 presidential election easily could
be back for an encore,” warned the nationally distributed newspaper.
“There
is no easy answer to this, except one of conscience: Fight to make
sure the election is fair,” added the USA Today editorial,
according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Bush,
Kerry on the Papers
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US
forces in Iraq also vote
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Incumbent
George W. Bush and his Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry,
meanwhile, used the pages of the USA Today Tuesday to issue
their final urgings to voters.
In
the twin commentaries, both titled “Why you should vote for me
today,” both candidates repeated their well tried mantras and took
parting shots at each others' perceived failings, trying to convince
voters to put them in the White House, AFP said.
Bush
again said former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain was a “unique
threat” and that the United States was “right to take action,”
adding that it was “promoting freedom, hope and democracy in the
broader Middle East.”
The
president said Kerry “from the Cold War to the Gulf War to the war
on terror ... has been consistently and dangerously wrong,” and
warned Americans that he would raise taxes and broaden the scope of
government.
After
saying the country had made “tremendous progress in only four
years,” Bush asked voters “to build on the good work we have
begun.”
Kerry
drummed home his main theme that the United States “is headed in the
wrong direction,” saying Bush had made “the wrong choices” and
“catastrophic misjudgments in Iraq.”
He
stressed again the missing “760,000 pounds (345,000 kilograms) of
explosives” from an Iraq weapons depot, implicitly criticizing the
Bush administration's description of the cache as a small amount.
“It
took just one pound of these explosives to blow up Pan Am Flight
103.”
Kerry
reminded voters of his background as a Vietnam War veteran, saying he
would “fight a smarter, tougher, more effective war on terror.”
The
senator also tore into Bush's domestic track record.
“He
(Bush) has taken care of the special interests, but failed the middle
class,” losing jobs and putting social security and health care at
risk.
Kerry
promised to lift the ban on stem cell research, save social security
and “make America independent of Middle East oil within 10 years.”
“It's
high time America relied on its own ingenuity and innovation instead
of the Saudi royal family,” said Kerry, adding that he would also
spearhead a bipartisan effort to “restore America's leadership in
the world.”
It
is only a bit over twelve hours before the answer to their pleas is
known.
Bush,
Kerry in Final Sprint to White House
