Militarily speaking

John Kerry and George W. Bush are more in step on issues military than one might commonly think, according to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Kerry's speeches and interviews with his military advisers make clear that he fundamentally agrees with Bush that the United States must maintain its unquestioned military dominance, the ability to project power anywhere it is needed, and that the United States should not just react to attacks, but be willing to launch preventive or pre-emptive wars.
...
Asked if that did not suggest Kerry had more in common with Bush on military issues than was often supposed, Carter agreed. "I think that's right," Carter said of the similarities. "He recognizes that this is necessary for the U.S."

As Kerry put it in his June address, "We must broaden our capabilities to create a military ready for any mission, from armored battle to urban warfare to homeland security. Yes, we must invest in missile defense, but not at the cost of other pressing priorities."

These are basic precepts in the War on Terrorism, which Kerry supporters often heatedly contend that Bush has FUBAR-ed. Missile defense, in particular, is a pet peeve of some lefties, who argue that investing in the technology is a particularly heinous waste of funds. What I'm wondering is if Kerry agrees with Bush on so many of the Big Issues in this campaign, namely the decision to go to war in Iraq (he voted for it, before he voted against it), the wisdom and necessity of pre-emptive war to prevent terrorist attacks, the necessity of force realignment, and the need to project military force anywhere in the world....what exactly is Kerry running on here? That Kerry could do it better? How do I know that?
In any case, those of you who woulda voted for Dean or Kucinich, or will vote for Nader, yer outta luck:

"There is no peace candidate in this race," said Ashton Carter, a Defense Department official in the Clinton administration and now a senior Kerry adviser on military matters who helped craft the June policy speech. "No candidate who is a peace candidate ought to win."