Yeah, Bush wasn't all that palatable for a second term, but he was far better than Kerry.

I am a bit older than most around here, and have now voted in 9 presidential elections.  Of those 9 votes, I have voted enthusiastically for a candidate 3 times (33%).  84, 88 and 2000.  The rest I settled. 

I will say that my vote in 80 was a settled one, but looking back, I am glad I voted for Reagan in 80 (this of course was offset by the Bush 41 betrayal after 88).  I was young and foolish so believed some of the MSM lies at the time about him.

That was the last time I thought of the MSM and integrity in the same sentence.

I was never able to vote for any of these, but here's a list of whom I would have voted for in my life time, given what I knew in 2000 and learned later:

80: Reagan (I hate Carter)

84: Reagan (I like Reagan)

88: Bush I (I like Reagan)

92: Clinton (I like the Clintons)

96: Clinton (I like the Clintons)

00: Gore (I like the Clintons and Al Gore was a decent chap back then)

04: Bush (I was proven wrong about him)

08: McCain (although ideally paired with Lieberman)

I think it can easily be seen that my position is neither conservative nor liberal as such but simply based on centrism plus radical anti-communism plus support for the military and Israel.

What isn't clear above (some might say especially because of Clinton) is that I usually also care about the lifestyle of the politicians I support. I prefer politicians who are themselves fairly conservative and religiously somewhat observant but advocate a completely secular state nonetheless. George W. Bush was, with a few minor exceptions, a good example of what I like (and so was McCain).

I also take into account the enemies a politician has. Again, George W. Bush profitted here (as did the Clintons and Al Gore though).

In 2012 I will likely support, in order of my preference:

1. Any pro-Israel Mormon running as a Republican

2. Any pro-Israel Jew running as a Democrat

3. Hillary Clinton

Gore wrote "earth in the Balance" in 1990.  He was not a decent chap even then.

After creating the Internet, he knew his money would be in GW. We would have had cap and trade in 2001.