Voting for Hurricane Rita

There is widespread unrest within the Republican Party. A lot of us are upset that President Bush and the Senate don't have any interest in serious border control. A lot of us are upset that we aren't fighting the war in Iraq more aggressively. A lot of us are angered beyond words by the profligate spending we would expect from the Democrats but not from "our" party. A lot of us feel ignored, taken for granted, and frankly are getting tired of the mushroom treatment. Many pundits are looking at this (and other factors) and predicting a Democratic win in the coming fall elections. But...

Last year's two biggest hurricanes were Katrina and Rita. Both were huge storms, but one was much more devastating than the other. Becuase of where it hit (and the utter incompetence of Mayor Busses Nagin and Governor Hamlet Blanco) Katrina was vastly more destructive. They're both hurricanes, and they're both destructive. But if I'm forced to choose one or the other, I'd vote for Hurricane Rita. Despite their (many) flaws and failings, the Republicans remain a lot more serious about the war on terror, marginally less in favor or government regulation, and slightly more committed to lower taxes.

I am not happy about voting for the Republicans. They haven't done much to earn a vote. In many ways they have no claim to be a conservative party, at least in the way they govern. But the one thing they have done is be less bad than the Democrats. Even though they've abandoned most of what they proclaim as their principles, they're still closer to where I am on most issues. And I as upset as I am at the antics of Bush, McCain, Lott, and their ilk, how could I possibly vote the party of Hillary, Reid, Credit Check Chuck and Kennedy (D-Bourbon)? So while it may be true that the lesser of two evils is still evil, there isn't a viable alternative choice--and I have to vote for Rita over Katrina.