Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Selecting a Pres: why issues don't matter

How do you select a president? Should someone vote on the issues? Should people vote on personality? Character? Values? I have friends who agree with one candidate a majority of the time but would vote the other way on the basis of one or two “trigger issues” like abortion or the war.
Here are my thoughts on the subject: issues should not be the focus of your vote. They should assist you in making your decision but should not be the sole locus of decision-making.

Presidents often campaign on the policies they would like to pass but settle for what they can get done. Sometimes a drastic event happens (like 9/11 or the current financial melt down) that changes everything. For example, in 2000 Bush campaigned against “nation building” and military overstretch. He criticized US operations in Yugoslavia and Somalia and said if he were president he would not use the military in nation building/peacekeeping operations. Here is him saying just that (he talks nation building at the 1 min mark)


Clinton had a large list of issues he wanted to pursue. He ended up with a Republican congress and basically passed a Reagan agenda (welfare reform, NAFTA, balanced budget). Bush promised a Reagan agenda and ended up with a giant government that has massive deficits. Here is some research my friend did:

From 2001 to 2007, in the years that the Republicans controlled both the White House and the Congress, non-defense related Federal spending increased from roughly $330 billion to over $549 billion http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/PDF/S6.pdf, the largest increase in non-defense spending in the history of the United States.


Anyway, the point I’m making is that issues tell us what a presidents priorities are and what they value. That is important, and it’s nice to know that the Prez is going to push some good ideas (in theory). But campaign promises are largely empty promises (not lies, just wishful thinking). I like to use issues to help me understand where the candidate is philosophically, then I try to pick the person that I think will steer the country in a good direction. That’s why I don’t think the details of a heath care plan are that important but I do think the difference between a Universal plan and a “tax cut” “market based” solution is important. It tells me that Obama knows the system is broken and wants to try to fix it while McCain isn’t willing to move on his free market philosophy even if it means sacrificing millions without healthcare.

That’s just my thinking though. How do you make your decision?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You know I've been giving this alot of thought lately. My uncle Lawrence is a crazy right wing Christian type and I get frusterated sometimes because I think he only votes republican to keep the gays from marrying and to overturn roe vs. wade (sp?) That was annoying to me because I don't share those conservative values, however when I stopped to think about it, I'm pretty much the same way but in reverse. I don't care if Obama actually reforms healthcare, but the fact that he recognizes the issue at its core says alot about his intellectual depth and I feel more comfortable with him making weighty decisions. But if Obama shared McCain's view in Iraq and on healthcare, and everything else except those 'moral' issues like abortion and gay marriage would I vote for him? I lean towards the negative because I think those fundamental rights are so much more important than even healthcare and the war in Iraq, which is claiming so many lives! But then I find the fact that we have to debate these issues insulting. Why can't we just be nice to people so we can focus on the big issues like healthcare and economy and finally improve this country! I think too many citizens are distracted by these issues and I don't feel it should be relevant.

BUT I digress....to answer your question, there are a couple of core issues a candidate must agree with me on and everything else is either an added bonus or an unfortunate difference of opinion.

I would also like to point out that it usually takes a measure of intellectual depth to seperate ones 'morality' or religious beliefs from their policies. Hence why the imaginary scenario I depicted would be an impossibility.

(Yes I am aware that Obama does not support gay marriage....or at least won't say that he does. boo for that :()