I am a doctor. George W. Bush’s platform beats that of John Kerry on one issue important to doctors and society: the establishment of a reasonable cap on non-economic damages in malpractice lawsuits.

But I will not vote for Mr. Bush. The rest of his policy on health care is shallow and poorly integrated and too deferential to big business. Mr. Kerry’s policy is much more comprehensive, and it strikes a better balance between benefits to society and benefits to moneyed interests.

Actually, health care policy is far down on my list of priorities. National security and the economy are numbers 1 and 2. I have children of draftable ages, and I am distressed to see our national might and reputation being squandered in an unjust war in Iraq, a war that might force resumption of the draft. We would be safer if we had captured Osama bin Laden instead of Saddam Hussein.

I remember when the Republican Party stood for fiscal conservatism. I was a Republican then. Now the Republicans borrow-and-spend, a much worse policy than tax-and-spend for which Republicans disingenuously berate Democrats. Mr. Bush’s “economy boosting” tax breaks went largely to the very well-off, from whom the benefits were supposed to trickle down. I do not think it has happened. Only the rich are getting richer.

I am a doctor, but not a one issue voter. I will vote for Mr. Kerry because I care about the future of my country and my family.

Ben Lounsbury, Auburn