Bush is the idealist and Kerry the conservative

Must read in the London Times by another Democrat for Bush. I'm not quite as liberal as this woman, but she sums up my feelings on this election nearly perfectly:

I have registered as a Democrat because I want to put the party on notice. Should it lose the election, an open question at present, I want it to look at the numbers of Bush-supporting Democrats and draw the appropriate lesson about its unconvincing foreign policy. Perhaps then I will be able to support the party in 2008...

On foreign policy, Bush is the idealist and Kerry the conservative, afraid to disturb the status quo. I've never abandoned my belief in human rights and democracy.

Yes, exactly. And it just happens to be Bush who is championing those beliefs this time around. To see the Democrats abandon those beliefs in hopes of hurting Bush is just appalling. To underline the hypocrisy of Kerry's on again off again Iraq policy:

Kerry voted against the 1991 Gulf war, despite his present blather about the United Nations, global tests and international alliances. There could not have been a broader coalition then. Had Kerry been president, Saddam would not only be in power today; he would be richer, more powerful and running Kuwait.

Update: Times stories don't stick around for foreigners, so I'm linking to QandO's lengthy excerpt and commentary for future reference.