Why We Will Vote for Bush

We just found out who we will be voting for tomorrow. It’s
not that we were among the undecided.  We actually endorsed
John Kerry during the Democratic National Convention.  But even earlier
than that we had decided to offer our vote to the people of Manta,
Ecuador.

Our reasoning is simple.  The President of the United
States is more than the most powerful man in the world. The decisions he
makes and the actions he takes affect the lives of people around the
world more than the elected leaders of their own countries have the
power to. He is nothing less than the leader of the free world.

As such, we have long felt that people around the world,
especially in the American Sphere of Influence, should have a voice in
selecting the President of the United States. To that end, it is up to
concerned Americans like the Dowbrigade to offer our votes to deserving
or disenfranchised cities and towns and villages throughout Asia and
Africa and South America. People should select places they have ties
to, or knowledge of, or contacts in, and invite people there to participate,
through them, in the most important elections on the planet.

We decided to test our theory out with the peaceful Ecuadorian
Pacific Coast port and resort of Manta,
Ecuador. Manta is the nicest city
in Norma Yvonne’s home province, Manabi, a clean and growing small city
with a good University, tennis club and cable TV.  The people there
have a special interest in our elections, as they are host to a large
American military base just beyond the main tourist beach which allegedly
monitors Colombian drug traffickers and possible terrorist activities.

So we contacted some friends who work for the local daily
paper, the Manta Mercury (Mercurio) and arranged for a
poll to be offered
to readers, asking for their opinion on the Presidential Race.  We
promised to vote for the winner.

So far, a total of 497 Ecuadorians have contributed to
our poll. Each of them has, in effect, one 497th of a vote for President.
At last count they are breaking 47%
for Kerry, 52% for Bush.  Who
knew? But a promise is a promise, and vote for Bush we will, barring a
last minute rush for Kerry before we head to the polls.

To anyone wondering
if there is something illegal in this arrangement, we think not.  We
are not "selling" our vote; we received no consideration in exchange, except
for the warm glow that comes from being a good citizen of the world. A
person is allowed to take counsel from anyone they like – their parents,
children, religious leaders, pets.  Hell, if Ben Affleck and Ashton
Kutchner are giving political advice, why not the population of Manta,
Ecuador.

So that’s why the Dowbrigade will vote for Bush. That, and our own private presidential streak. For the past six election cycles, we have voted for the loser every time. This is no time to be changing that trend.

We hope that others will be inspired by our example and
select towns or cities of their own to represent in future elections.
After all, we’re all in this together.