Well lets face it, if the Republicans are right about the war on terror, than everything else is trumped by this war because, should we lose the war on terror, nothing else matters. You see, this is a matter of survival. This isn't about increasing your 401K retirement plan or being able to have the government help you pay for prescription drugs, this is about being able to survive in a civilized society.
I'm not saying society is going to crumble tomorrow, or a year from now. But lets face it, in the history of our world, we've never faced a threat like terrorism. Never before have we been faced with a scenario where a small group of people could wage biochemical warfare or unleash a briefcase nuclear device on a major city. Whether you agree with Bush's handling of the war on terror or not, you must at least agree that the times have changed, and now it doesn't require a massive government with sophisticated missile launching systems to attack our country.
As for the issues, I think they are dictated by the American public. Let's face it, in every poll I've seen, the economy is the most important issue to American voters. Yet Bush/Kerry continue to pound on the war on Iraq/war on terror. I think Bush is happy to take that argument, but I think it's up to Kerry to push the debate in a different direction. If he doesn't, he will lose the election.
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