The second presidential debate has come and gone, and this time there was no tie. President Bush came prepared and put his opponent on the defensive. Unlike the last debate, which many pundits gave to Sen. John Kerry, this was a victory for Bush.

The president took advantage of lowered expectations in the media and drove his points home. Following this debate, viewers who may be undecided were left with a clear picture of both candidates.

Kerry finally clarified his position on abortion. He wants to use taxpayer money to fund procedures, including partial-birth abortions and the destruction of embryos in stem cell research. If abortion is truly between a woman and her doctor, leave our tax dollars out of it.

Kerry told the American people once again how good his plan is for cleaning up Iraq and fixing things with North Korea, and once again it made no sense to anyone who knows anything about dealing with terrorists. Appeasement for thugs never works – ask the school bully.

Perhaps Kerry would like us to remember the last time he negotiated for us during the Vietnam War. Except he only wants you to know about the good things he did, none of the bad.

Bush realizes this and since 9/11 we have sent a clear signal to those who harbor and fund terrorist activities, we will not negotiate.

There was a momentum shift Friday towards a safer America. We all need to make an informed decision this fall: Will we succeed against terrorism on our own or allow our popularity with the rest of the world to jeopardize our safety at home.

If John Kerry gets elected, how long will it be before we have another 9/11?