First, welcome to the ranks of voters.
I'm not a great fan of W... he's no Reagan. Reagan would never have promised or signed off on the entitlements that Bush has (since when does anyone have a right to free prescription drugs?). That said, at least he has a basic background in conservative thinking, even if, like his father, he applies it wrongly by trying to reach out and be inclusive and PC and so forth, instead of just saying "this is what's right and this is what's wrong, and here's why."
One example to highlight the basic difference between the Rupublican and Democrat thought process: Bush understands that a tax refund isn't the government giving you something, it's the government taking less of what is yours. Democrat class-warfare styled arguments about the government "giving money to the rich" are as much disingenuous as ludicrous on the face of it, yet appeal to a certain percentage of the population who can easily be bribed.
There are an endless number of examples, of course. The important thing to note about the campaign, is that while Bush might not make principled stands for a great deal of things, the Democrats are completely bereft of any ideas save one: a visceral hatred of all things Republican. I don't really understand it, but it is what it is. I can't think of a single thing the Kerry campaign stands for on principle.
If you ask the average Democrat what the most important thing is about the upcoming election, they'll tell you defeating Bush. If you ask why, you'll likely get a rant on how much they hate Bush. If you ask why they hate Bush, they won't really know - they just do. It can't be coincidence that the Left has been positively in rabid attack dog mode since Kerry locked up the nomination. I've been dubious on how much influence big media really wields - but then I took just enough journalism in school to learn how news gets slanted. For me, seeing it in practice, I just automatically take my discount of it. If you're going to school, I highly recommend doing the same. It will change your entire outlook on the world, 99% of which is filtered through a media prism before reaching your own sensory input.
I'm sure a lot of people will have a lot of advice for you, and that's fine. Basically, all I'll tell you is think for yourself, don't trust everything you hear from the journalism communi(s)ty, and understand the history of our nation. Guide your political consciousness with the principles of our founding - "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - and you'll do just fine.
Huh, Reagan signed a tax increase for social security and the prescription bill has the seeds of privatization.