In the liberal precincts of Manhattan, a supporter of President Bush for re-election feels isolated among old friends who overwhelmingly espouse an “Anybody But Bush” conviction, sometimes with an emotion that reflects an eerie personal hatred. Their argument almost never contains praise for the policies or personas of Kerry-Edwards, only a condemnation of Mr. Bush.

What I have heard from these friends are: the Iraq war was a mistake, and has been miserably mishandled; we were deceived by Mr. Bush; our international conduct is losing us friends and influence, especially among Muslim people; the neo-conservatives have hijacked our government; Mr. Bush is not intelligent or articulate; Mr. Bush will seek to repeal Roe v. Wade and deny a woman’s right to choose; Mr. Bush is a religious zealot and will cater to evangelical extremism with dire consequences for church-state separation and preservation of our public school system, which is threatened by assistance to faith-based institutions and voucher schools.

Mr. Bush’s economic policies, says the “Anybody But Bush” crowd, will lead the country to ruin through growing deficits, tax cuts that favor the rich, and the failure to stanch the export of jobs to foreign lands; Bush appointments will ruin the Supreme Court; Attorney General Ashcroft is a fascist, and the Patriot Act threatens our freedom and civil liberties, and those of others who have been mistreated by the excesses of our government and armed forces.

Strangely missing from the arguments of most of my friends is a balanced focus on the most important issue facing our country today, namely which of our leaders can best be relied upon to pursue the struggle against terrorism? September 11 changed the world. Sworn enemies of our way of life began a war in a cruel and cowardly fashion. If the attackers possessed more powerful weapons, does anyone doubt they would have used them on us without regard to how many were killed?

The terrorists who executed the September 11 outrage had no reason to anticipate the fury and force of the response of the Bush administration. They had every reason to expect some reaction, of course, but based on prior response they could not have expected the worldwide War on Terrorism that Mr. Bush articulated and which our Congress and the country endorsed.

We are engaged in a struggle that is at least as important and threatening as any war into which our country has been thrust in our history. Mr. Bush gets it. He understood the threat we face and quickly made decisions that required courage, intellect, historical vision, and understanding and determination to defend our interests and those of the Free World. Many brave Muslim leaders and countries are our allies and supporters in the struggle against militant Islam. The struggle is beginning to pit Muslim against Muslim in many places where governing authorities are struggling to prevent terrorists from overcoming the establishment of order.

Mr. Bush’s decision to take seriously the traditional American objective and mission to encourage the spread of freedom and democracy to parts of the world locked in rigid authoritarianism and religious dogma has prompted the stirring of political expression in places where free speech has never been known. The war in Iraq should properly be viewed as an integral part of the War against Islamic Terrorism.

Supporters of Mr. Bush are influenced primarily by the belief he is best equipped to lead the nation in this time of national emergency. Opponents of Mr. Bush place their emphasis primarily on the issues mentioned at the beginning of this article and in doing so appear to put less weight on the terrorist threat.

It is vital that the differences be faced openly and debated vigorously – namely, just how serious is the Islamist threat and what measurers and sacrifices should our nation be asked to assume to deal with the dangers we face?

Some of my more thoughtful friends also agree that the struggle against militant terrorism is, indeed, the vital issue in our national debate, but argue that the war against terrorism can as effectively be led by a new team.

My answer to that is there is no basis on which to conclude that such a result is likely. There is little in the records of the Democratic candidates, or their articulated policies, or the conduct of recent Democratic administrations, to support such a hope. Honorable, courageous military service does not alone qualify a person to lead the nation. A person must be judged on the full record.

To my liberal friends who feel so strongly about the deficiencies of the Bush administration that are cataloged above, there are at least two responses:

First, most of those deficiencies are arguable and can be debated in a balanced manner; some are fanciful and plain wrong, and others reflect a point of view that oversimplifies complex issues.

Second, no one needs to agree with every policy or action of any administration. But in life one must choose between alternatives and priorities and choose one. As Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” I choose the Bush fork.

The clarity of the president’s understanding of the nature of militant Islam is illustrated by his strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Arab terror and xenophobia. He also understands the essential goodness of the people of Israel, their fierce adherence to the same principles of freedom and justice that define America, and the struggles they have endured to maintain their existence in the face of an implacable, atavistic hatred that burns in most parts of the Arab world and is abetted by the indifference of much of the world.

Mr. Bush and his administration have demonstrated a determination to stay the course in bringing the struggle against terrorism to the doorstep of the terrorists. The advocacy and pursuit of freedom in Iraq can inspire and inform vast numbers of Muslims and others in hopes that they can improve their lives in a world made safer by our willingness to act on the basis of high principle. Despite painful setbacks, much has been accomplished in the effort to bring Iraq into the bright light of freedom under the leadership of Mr. Bush.