I had a very long argument with a friend of mine the other day on who is the better candidate for president. He is pro-Kerry. The thing that struck me about the argument was that Kerry seems to have all the fine points in his advantage. The economy is down, jobs are not paying well and the war in Iraq is headed toward a draft situation.

In any case, with the finer argument in his war chest, the Kerry campaign has not gone beyond pointing fingers and reminding us constantly what we already know. Kerry needs to give us details on what exactly he is going to do differently. There is no doubt in our minds that the war is sucking the economy dry, but what exactly is Kerry going to do to change that and at the same time win the war on terror?

What exactly is he going to do to convince France and Germany and other traditional allies to step in to Iraq? He proposes a summit and a change of guard at the White House. How is that going to do the magic? Is he currently negotiating with them?

What we need now is not another experiment but a way out. It is very easy to see that the campaign in Iraq is not heading according to expectation, but it is even more difficult to see where Kerry would take it.

America is fighting against people who will scoff at every rules of engagement. We need a president who is resolute and determined.

The solution is not a change of guard, just a change of tactics. I believe that Bush can do the job.

Inya Onwu

Graduate Student

Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering