http://observer.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,6903,1273736,00.htmlLeader
Sunday August 1, 2004
The Observer
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If George Bush's presidency has not convinced us America is a foreign country, last week's Democrat convention at Boston left no room for doubts. Democrats may be first ideological cousins to New Labour, but their presidential candidate, John Kerry, opened his acceptance speech with a military metaphor that could never be used by a European counterpart: 'I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty'.
Republicans insist that Democratic values - pre-eminence of science, affirmative action and instinctive multilateralism - are anti-American and anti-patriotic, but the central taunt is that Democrats are soft on defence and security. Kerry's metaphor - from a stage filled with veterans from Vietnam - was well chosen.
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But the risks of another Bush term are far greater. Kerry immeasurably improves our chances of defeating terrorism and making the world safer. In a bitter fight in a divided America, reassurance that Kerry has the support of the rest of the world could be a decisive factor in key swing states. We must offer that signal.
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