# American Conservative magazine endorses Kerry **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 23, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716 "2004-10-23T01:31:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/1 "2004-10-23T01:31:29Z")
I’m not sure what to say. An incredible stand by the editors. I’ll just throw it out for debate. I will say that I agree with the assesment of the presidency, although I evision a different solution. I also agree with the idea that Kerry will be a one term president, spending his four years cleaning up aisle ME. [www.amconmag.com/2004\_11\_08/cover1.html](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover1.html) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/2 "2004-10-23T01:34:03Z")
If there’s a better indication that the Bush Administration is far off the mainstream of American values, I can’t think of one. ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/3 "2004-10-23T01:54:36Z")
I read the article cited and a few others that I could. What I find MOST interseting about it is that exept for maybe 1 or 2 sentences there is no mention of Kerry. Only attacks against GWB. And I think that is telling. These are not people who think that Kerry would be a good President. In fact, as I read it a Kerry presidency would only serve as a prelude to an even more conservative president in 2008. Sure they adhere to the “anyone but Bush” camp, but not for the reasons the Democrats do. To them he’s TOO liberal. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/4 "2004-10-23T02:00:46Z")
> [@JamesCarroll](#): > > I read the article cited and a few others that I could. What I find MOST interseting about it is that exept for maybe 1 or 2 sentences there is no mention of Kerry. Only attacks against GWB. And I think that is telling. > > These are not people who think that Kerry would be a good President. In fact, as I read it a Kerry presidency would only serve as a prelude to an even more conservative president in 2008. Sure they adhere to the “anyone but Bush” camp, but not for the reasons the Democrats do. To them he’s TOO liberal. No. They don’t think Bush is too liberal. More that he is just an incompetent conservative. Particularly when it comes to international politics. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/5 "2004-10-23T02:02:09Z")
It’s weird that this is Pat Buchanan’s magazine, and yet Pat endorsed Bush a couple of days ago. ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/6 "2004-10-23T02:10:43Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > No. They don’t think Bush is too liberal. More that he is just an incompetent conservative. Particularly when it comes to international politics. True. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/7 "2004-10-23T02:11:57Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > American Conservative magazine endorses Kerry Good article, but to be fair, it appears that American Conservative magazine is endorsing **everybody** in turn. In essence, it’s endorsing nobody. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/8 "2004-10-23T02:16:33Z")
In fact, now that I look, one of the articles literally does endorse nobody, i.e., not voting at all. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/9 "2004-10-23T02:19:51Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Good article, but to be fair, it appears that American Conservative magazine is endorsing **everybody** in turn. In essence, it’s endorsing nobody. Not quite – they’re endorsing everybody **but Bush.** ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/10 "2004-10-23T02:20:28Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > In fact, now that I look, one of the articles literally does endorse nobody, i.e., not voting at all. Well, the headline is “Kerry’s the one”, and since this is the presidential endorsement, I think they meant it. I doubt this is an editing error. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/11 "2004-10-23T02:22:14Z")
Pat Buchanan [endorses](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover.html) Bush. Granted, he’s not particuarly happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/12 "2004-10-23T02:24:25Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Good article, but to be fair, it appears that American Conservative magazine is endorsing **everybody** in turn. In essence, it’s endorsing nobody. Yep. And Buchanan endorses Bush basically on the logic that good Republicans should support their party’s candidate, even if he sucks. IOW, vote for Bush, but hold your nose while doing it. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/13 "2004-10-23T02:27:37Z")
[Bush](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover.html) [Kerry](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover1.html) [Nader](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover2.html) [The only one who’s scarier than Bush](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover3.html) [Badnarik](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover4.html) [nobody](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/cover5.html) [scary guy, again](http://www.amconmag.com/2004_11_08/taki.html) ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/14 "2004-10-23T02:57:53Z")
> [@The American Conservative](#): > > it is as if Bush sought to resurrect every false 1960s-era left-wing cliché about predatory imperialism and turn it into administration policy. Truer words have never been spoken. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/15 "2004-10-23T03:14:45Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > I’m not sure what to say. An incredible stand by the editors. Something that I have appreciated for quite a while now. I’m even a registered Republcan. I just am so very turned off by Team Bush’s incompetence and perfidy. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/16 "2004-10-23T03:39:59Z")
The _Tampa Tribune_, which has also almost always endorsed Republican Presidential candidates, has refused to endorse Bush. There was one other time that they did not endorse the Republican candidate was in 1964 when Goldwater was running against LBJ. They endorsed no one. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/17 "2004-10-23T04:01:45Z")
It is funny that at another board I post at the reaction from the right to this endosement is exactly the same as here: They endorsed nobody. Must be the marching orders from the republican right. Or maybe it is a coincidence… ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/18 "2004-10-23T04:14:55Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > It is funny that at another board I post at the reaction from the right to this endosement is exactly the same as here: They endorsed nobody. > > Must be the marching orders from the republican right. > > Or maybe it is a coincidence… No, it is just that few Pubs really find Bush all that appealing. The Religious Right doesn’t like him, because he just gives lip service to their agenda. And he certainly isn’t the darling of the fiscal conservatives. Those with a libertarian bent can find little good with Bush. Iraq is looking worse as time goes by. Now if Bush had managed to blow Osama’s ass to hell… About all Bush has going for him is that he seems more appealing than Kerry. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/19 "2004-10-23T04:18:33Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > ]About all Bush has going for him is that he seems more appealing than Kerry. Well, humans are more or less hardwired to react positively to fuzzy, stupid animals, so I can see that… ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716/20 "2004-10-23T04:22:39Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > It is funny that at another board I post at the reaction from the right to this endosement is exactly the same as here: They endorsed nobody. > > Must be the marching orders from the republican right. > > Or maybe it is a coincidence… How exactly is this unclear? Look at the picture of the magazine’s cover, for Bob’s sake! > [@](#): > > THE CONSERVATIVE CASE > For Bush > For Kerry > For Nader > For Peroutka > For Badnarik > For Not Voting Everybody gets an endorsement. “Kerry’s the One” only for Scott McConnell. It’s not even the first article on the list! And furthermore, this, at the top of every single page, bolding mine: > [@](#): > > Unfortunately, this election does not offer traditional conservatives an easy or natural choice and has left our editors as split as our readership. In an effort to deepen our readers’ and our own understanding of the options before us, **we’ve asked several of our editors and contributors to make “the conservative case” for their favored candidate. Their pieces, plus Taki’s column closing out this issue, constitute TAC’s endorsement.** —The Editors Clearly, they’re not enthusiastic in the least for Bush. But the article endorsing Kerry wasn’t exactly glowing either. And hell, Peroutka, got _two_ endorsements. :shudder: And by the way, if it wasn’t clear already, I’m not voting for Bush. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-conservative-magazine-endorses-kerry/270716.md?page=2)