This is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately. Whether you go out of your way to follow politics or not, there’s no way you can avoid seeing something about the election. That being said, just about everyone has some sort of opinion. While I think it is wonderful that so many people do seem to have such strong convictions this election season, I question what the opinions are based on. So much of what is being thrown out lately has been nothing but in Party fighting and mudslinging. That might be great for ratings but it’s a lousy way to elect the next president. For that, the focus needs to be on the issues. I was originally planning to post each candidate along with their views on the issues but I have since decided not to do that. However, if you are interested in seeing where each candidate stands on each issue, check out this New York Times article. You can also check out candidate individually or by topic on this site.
Another useful site is GovTrack.
When discussing the topic of the mudslinging, there’s no good place to start. Some would blame it all on Donald Trump, but I disagree. Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t jumped on his bandwagon nor will I be doing so, I just don’t think this election season would be that much more civil if he weren’t in the fray.
While we are on the topic of Donald Trump, I gotta say, I don’t get the appeal. Yes, I know he’s being hailed as the anti-Obama but is he really? Up until 2008, Donald Trump he leaned more toward the Democratic party, if donations can be believed. In fact, he donated $10,000 to Hilary Clinton. To be fair, he’s also donated to the Republican party. Don't believe me? Read about it here. Let us not forget his run with the Reform Party in 2000. The point? While it is possible and acceptable to change your mind based on what you see in the party, I can’t help wondering if the change doesn’t have more to do with poll numbers saying he would do well with Republicans. It has been mentioned, Google it.
I understand completely why people are fed up with politicians and would want someone they view as anti-establishment, but this really doesn’t apply to Donald Trump. As an international businessman, he’s had to deal with politicians for years. He knows how to get around laws, as a businessman. He has no clue how to negotiate as a politician. You know those executive orders he keeps slamming? I have to wonder how many he will write. There’s no way he will get even half of what he wants approved, even with Republican control of the houses.
Moving on to Ted Cruz, he has the same issue as Donald Trump. He is a politician but has no problem holding the country hostage if he doesn’t get what he wants. In case you’ve forgotten, Ted Cruz was the one responsible for the government shutdown in 2013 because he was unhappy about ObamaCare. Many were unhappy about ObamaCare but I personally know of no one who was happy about the shutdown. What did it change? Nothing, but it did make him an outcast within his own party. Can we trust him not to try to hold the country hostage again?
The remaining three candidates of the Republican Party should probably consider dropping out at this point. I don’t say this lightly at all. In fact, John Kasich is my choice for president. He is the common sense candidate, hence the title of this post. His record proves he has the experience necessary to guide the country back where it should be. Why is he so behind? Because he is mild mannered and not taking shots at anyone. Case in point, Marco Rubio gained popularity last week after he started to take shots at Trump over physical attributes. As for Ben Carson, I have to keep checking to see if he’s still in the race.
I won’t say too much about the Democrats. There're only two choices and even though there are quite a few states that have yet to have their primary, Hilary Clinton is well on her way to securing the nomination. Then again, when dealing with politics, anything can happen, especially in winner takes all primaries. Bernie Sanders has raised $42 million on his own, he may be able to change the current trajectory of his campaign. The only question that remains is will he. If I were to venture a guess, I’d say no.
Out of the two Democrats, even I deem Bernie Sanders more trustworthy and certainly more humble than Hilary Clinton. While I’m not so gung-ho on his views, I find certain things said and suggested about him ridiculous. Specifically, when he was slammed by John Lewis. I have no doubt Bernie Sanders participated in the March on Washington and other activities for civil rights. A true activist acts because it’s the right thing to do, not for public recognition or to get in good with movement leaders.
Regardless of who you support and why, get out there and vote. If you’re eighteen or older and have not registered yet, what are you waiting for? Check out USA Gov for details.
