Note to Democrats: I'm not scared. I am, however, concerned...

I've read several posts on the web from Democrat types which imply or state that the Republicans are using terrorism to frighten people into voting for them. The writer immediately follows up with some ranting statements that we shouldn't fall for it, that we should vote based on intelligent reasoning or whatever. The strategy might have some merit, but for two fatal flaws.

1. I'm not scared. Not really. No one I know is really scared. When I fly, I'm a lot more afraid of the long security lines that I will face than any real possibility that someone on the plane is going to detonate his shirt buttons by remote control. I am concerned, however. I know that attacks have occurred. Others have been caught in the planning stage, and it is likely that more are being planned. Without aggressive action to detect and prevent these attacks, more will succeed. Which brings me-

2. I never hear any intelligent reasoning following the criticism. Most of what follows tends to center on how incompetent the administration is or how it is out to kill civil rights, but the conversation never gets back to the point: Where is the intelligent reasoning? What would the Democrats do differently? How are they going to address my security concerns? What I seem to be hearing most is that if we pull out of Iraq and stress dialogue that things will improve.

I don't believe it.

Democrats have an opportunity this fall to pick up a lot of dissatisfied conservative voters. There are still a lot of concerns out there that need to be addressed. Border security is a prime example. But they won't gain anything by simply railing. They will have to offer and alternative.