Voters should have good reasons to turn an incumbent out of office. In the case of President Bush, there are powerful reasons why voters should elect his opponent, Sen. John Kerry, the next president.

George W. Bush came to the White House without a mandate. He lost the popular vote in 2000. But he insisted that he was "a uniter, not a divider," and most Americans took him at his word. Today the country is more deeply divided than at any time since the Civil War. And the primary reason is Mr. Bush's relentless drive to impose his narrowly conceived brand of conservatism on the country.

We remember President Bush's shining moment of leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was resolute and compassionate. He comforted those who lost loved ones and vowed to strike back at those enemies who so deeply wounded us. Americans will always be grateful to him for those days following 9/11.

But a presidency is much more than a few days' or months' performance; it is the sum total of four years. And on balance George W. Bush has not been a good steward of the office he secured from the Electoral College.

President Bush's confusing approach to foreign policy has led the United States into a war that many opposed from the start. He has alienated our closest allies. He failed to listen to his principal foreign policy adviser, Secretary of State Colin Powell. Instead he bowed to the influence of Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, men who itched for a war in Iraq since long before 2000.

Iraq mishandled

The invasion of Afghanistan to root out the al-Qaida terrorist network responsible for 9/11 was swift and sure. And it accomplished much. Now that war is far from the center of attention and terrorists once again roam the Afghan countryside, posing a renewed threat.

We agreed with President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq. Given the intelligence information available to the public at the time, his decision seemed correct. But we shared the caution of Secretary Powell and Sen. Joseph Biden that the United States had to be prepared to win the peace there as well. The president assured Americans the military was prepared. It was not. Vice President Cheney declared our troops would be welcome with open arms in Iraq. Instead they have been challenged at every turn by insurgents who detest us.

The removal of Saddam Hussein, the menacing Iraqi dictator, was a plus. But failure to capitalize on his capture by helping Iraqis to rebuild their nation has fomented terrorism and made that misbegotten country more dangerous than when the war began. Ordinary Iraqis are grateful to be rid of Saddam and they probably are thankful for the work American civilians and military personnel are doing to repair infrastructure. But they resent the occupation of their country.

Ample evidence shows President Bush has not prosecuted this war wisely or well. Against the advice of top military officers, the president sent too few troops to war. Despite assurances that our soldiers would be well-equipped, there are crucial shortages. Americans are told that our forces are in control of the country, but there remain vast areas where terrorist thugs dominate. The promise of valid elections in January seems less likely each day. The president declared "mission accomplished" more than a year and a half ago. The honor roll of dead American service men and women attests that is not true.

The president did what he thought was best for the country when he ignored sound advice and galloped into war unprepared. Now he should face the consequences.

We are not better off

Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign slogan resonates again: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" The answer must be a resounding no, unless you are among the wealthiest Americans.

George W. Bush and his Republican allies who control the Congress have passed tax cuts that favor corporate interests, not working people. Their theory that money will trickle down is erroneous. More jobs have been lost in this presidency than any since the beginning of the Great Depression under Herbert Hoover.

The Republican Congress, with President Bush's cooperation, has weakened environmental laws, some of which were conceived in the Nixon years.

The president's opposition to abortion is a principled stance based on his personal religious convictions, but it is at odds not only with the law of the land but the vast majority of people who favor giving women a choice.

Steady increases in government spending coupled with ill-advised tax reductions transformed a budget surplus into an enormous deficit and an unprecedented national debt.

Strength and hope

Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic candidate, offers an alternative to President Bush's misdirected belligerence. He offers Americans hope that we can once again be safe as well as strong.

Republicans paint Sen. Kerry as weak and indecisive. His record of military service and support for U.S. troops makes a mockery of the first charge.

Sen. Kerry doesn't oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He criticizes how they are being fought, a legitimate opinion given today's information.

President Bush says he is a compassionate conservative. He hasn't shown us that. Sen. Kerry's policies on minimum wage, universal access to health care, reduced taxes for the middle class and tough environmental regulations offer hope to Americans that things can get better.

Through his many blunders, President Bush has forfeited any claim to re-election. Sen. Kerry offers an alternative that Americans would be wise to choose.