It seems in recent years, the Presidential Election has become more of a spectacle than a duty and more of an obligation than a right. From the slanderous debates to the embarrassing “Florida Recount,” it’s becoming increasingly difficult to take the elections as seriously as generations past. Many voters today view voting as a nuisance and dread pretty much every aspect of the process except for the final announcement of concession, which, in recent elections, has generated more drama than any soap opera on television. It’s confusing to voters as to whom they should side with and vote for. Many voters are stuck in political limbo...not us. In the blog below, Cassie, Natasha, Collin, and I have decided whom we would or would not vote for, with a little background as to why and would like to extend the same question to you:
How do you feel about the presidential candidates, and whom would you vote for in The Great Debate for 2008?
For a complete list of candidates and credentials go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Presidential_Candidates
Natasha votes Rudy Giuliani:
Rudy Giuliani served as mayor of New York City for two terms. During that time, he cut taxes and balanced the city’s budget turning a deficit into a surplus. Also during this time, he lowered the crime rate, emergency response time, and the number of people on welfare. Giuliani is “pro-life” but doesn’t let his personal judgment get in the way of what is best for the country and respects the rights of women regarding choice. He understands the Second Amendment to the Constitution is clear with regard to the right for individuals to bear arms, but he feels there needs to be reasonable restrictions conducted on a state-by-state level. He is looking for Supreme Court judges to apply this reasoning and look deeper into what is meant in the Constitution. While he doesn’t support gay marriage, he believes in equal rights for all individuals and will support domestic partnerships. He is doing what he feels a president should do – put aside his personal views and apply the greater good of the country.
(Sources for this information are from the following websites: www.foxnews.com - interview transcript of the May 13, 2007 edition of Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace & www.joinrudy2008.com – the candidate’s official campaign site)
Cassie’s vote is up for grabs:
No candidate has my vote in this election yet; it is too early for me to decide. But I will say this: the one person I will absolutely not vote for is Hillary Clinton. The war in Iraq is an important issue to me. Recent news headlines, however, say that Clinton voted to cut off money for the war in Iraq, but she stated that she supports it. She is confusing and seems to contradict herself often. Even Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd said, "We're as confused as anyone on Senator Clinton's position." My personal opinion is that the people who vote for Hilary Clinton are just supporters of her husband’s accomplishments while in office.
(Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070517/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_iraq_5;_ylt=AgqeU.VizLIQw4ViBKSRvKC6mt5F)
Collin votes Mitt Romney:
Mitt Romney is pro-life, but he believes that government should not intrude on the woman’s decision. I believe the woman or couple has a right to choose; this is a personal decision and each situation is different. Mitt Romney is opposed to gay marriages; however, he supports benefits for gay partners. I know it may seem prejudiced or old fashioned; however, for me, marriage is between a man and a woman. He also supports having a universal healthcare plan, and I find it ironic that a country as rich as America does not have a universal health plan similar to Canada’s or the United Kingdom. Governor Mitt Romney also believes that President Bush gave an inadequate rationale for the Iraq war; however, to leave Iraq precipitously would be a mistake. I agree with Romney on this issue as well. Candidates can promise to withdraw from Iraq within three or six months after being elected, but is it possible? I would not be surprised that, if elected, some of these candidates may give us an excuse like “remember Vietnam and the chaos caused by rapid troop withdrawal,” so we are unable to withdraw at this time. I also support Romney’s views on taxes also because capital gains and the death tax affect the average American.
(Source: http://internetnewz.info/?rid=756225)
Kevin votes Hillary Clinton:
The one thing we all know about politicians is they’re all full of “crap,” and the only thing we can do is align with the candidates who are full of the same “crap” as ourselves, or at least the type of “crap” we can deal with. All politicians promise things they can’t deliver, so honesty is awash, and their political agendas are pretty much “bs”. So what are we left with? I believe you have to look at the individual’s resolve. How does that person handle adversity? How do they bounce back from being knocked down? Do they have that rubber suit for when “crap” hits the fan? Hillary Clinton has already shown that resolve and proves to be quite qualified. She’s been a senator, a First Lady of Arkansas, and one of the most politically active First Ladies of the United States in history. No other candidate even comes close in comparison in regards to responsibility and prestige, so if anything, she’s in by default. And let’s be honest: if she were a guy, there wouldn’t even be an election, there would just be an appointment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Presidential_Candidates
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30 comments:
I agree with you opening statement, elections no a days have become all hype. I honestly end of dreading them because the campaigning starts soooo early and by the 4 month you are totally over what any candidates have to say. When the actual day of the election comes all anyone is intested in anymore is who won and even then no one is truly happy. Is there anyone out there who would truly be the best candidate?
Intrigued and want to know more? Read what Christopher Ruddy has to say.
I'd like to point out another site for everyone that's come in handy for me and my (mixed) decision:
http://ontheissues.org
As for my vote, I'm still unsure. I'm leaning towards Obama and Edwards... I'm concerned with the pertinent issues that affect the well-being of the people I know and love -- issues such as poverty, education, civil rights, health care and the environment.
The war in Iraq is the number one issue we face currently, I realize. However, the grave error in judgement has already been made, and there are only two equally difficult routes to take: stay in to assist in reconstruction or pull out and leave the disaster behind. Whoever is elected into office faces the arduous tasks of comforting the families of those affected and cleaning up the abominable budget deficit our current President has left us with.
I'm going to be honest here, this upcoming election I have no idea who is even in the race. I hate following politics because of all the false information or the high hopes that the canidates put out there during the campaign season and once elected not a damn thing is done. Look at us now, gas prices through the roof, Bush getting richer, middle class and poverty folks falling behind in mortagages and normal bills. If were looking for a candidate to vote for we need one that is going to be strong with protecting this country but pulling back troops from areas we longer need to be in and I'm a former military solider. We have our own wars at home that need to be handled......Vote for Sanjaya, like the intro says politics have almost become a joke.
I second that, Eddie. Really. It would be nice to have an actual humanitarian in office for once...and one who is aware that empty promises in order to win votes are NOT what the general democracy is asking for.
I have the same thought as Eddie. I dont even think about it until its here and time to go to the polls. I will start worry about it then. All they do is lie about what will be done anyway. Once in office they just do as they please not as they promise. Look at Bush.
I agree with the opening statement as well. At this point in the election process I am still undecided. However, I'm leaning toward Obama or Edwards. One might say I want to see and African American (Obama) in office, but really this is not the case. He seems like the ,most honest :), of the all. Plus, I am a democrat, and I usually vote straight democratic candidates. My issues that I want addressed is the Iraq war, because I have a nephew in the Army, and I am always concerned about his safety. He has been to Iraq twice, and that is just to much for one person to bare. I hope he doesn't come back with PTSD, (Post traumatic stress syndrome). Also health care, and education, all in that order. This was an excellent topic, and I can go on talking about it, but I will stop for now.
Shirley – I choose Ron Paul –
I am just glad that Bush is no longer going to be the president. He has done nothing to better the United States. Instead of fixing any of the issues that we face today, like global warming, mercury in our vaccines, fluoride in our water, and many other things, all he has done is spend our tax money on useless attacks towards innocent people, has caused the deaths of many of our men trying to find a ghost, while trying to build a democracy in the middle east in order to gain control of the oil for profit.
While many people in America suffer of poverty (due to the economy) and lack of proper affordable medical health care, the Bush administration allows corporations to send their employment over seas! They do nothing to rectify the issues in the United States. They are supposed to be working for us; not the other way around. We pay them with our hard earned tax money.
I voted for democrats on the last election and it felt as if I did it in vain. It turned out that the votes had to be recounted because of an error they found in the voting system after the winners of the election were the democrats. (Please refer to Election irregularities at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_general_elections,_2006 – There were scattered reports of problems at polling places across the country as new electronic voting systems were introduced in many states…) Who really chooses the president? Is it for the people; by the people or is the choice left in the hands of the political powers?
I have chosen to vote for Ron Paul because he seems like an honest candidate that will work for us to better the situations we Americans are in. I might be wasting my time by voting but I hope that I am wrong and hope that this election is a fair one.
This is an interesting blog discussion. At the moment, I have not decided which candidate will get my vote. It’s too premature to make a decision; plus, I have not taken the time to familiarize myself with each candidate’s views on the important issues facing our nation.
But, I will most likely vote for a Republican candidate because I am a registered Republican. However, Rudy Guilliani will probably not get my vote. If I had not seen a Barbara Walters’ “Exclusive” interview on Guilliani, I would have considered voting for him. He and his wife Judith (who is 10 years younger) are both on their third marriage. She is a registered nurse. They met when he was still married. After I listened to her as she answered Barbara’s questions, I concluded she is not genuine. They showed a clip of her in the “spotlight” with cameras following her every move and she was just so fake on camera. I do not think she has the qualities to be First Lady. I know the election is not about the wife but I take that into consideration when I cast my vote. It’s the total package for me. I also think Guilliani is riding on his fame from 9/11. He was at the right place at the right time and he did a great job with 9/11 no doubt. But if Jeb Bush was mayor of New York at that time, we would have also hailed him as “America’s Mayor.”
Also, I want to say that I don’t think America is ready for a woman President or a black President. Unfortunately, gender and color will affect the votes they receive. Even though we’re in the 21st century, I think it will take America some time to get use to the idea of a Mrs. President or a black President. However, it makes for a great debate. Please don’t miss understand my point. I’m not bias or racist. This is my personal opinion and reality as I know it today.
I want to point out that all the unresolved issues facing our nation today are not all President Bush's fault. No matter who is President, he/she will always be blamed. I think that is not fair. Bush didn't create the poverty we see today nor did he created the lack of health care in this country. He inherited those problems when he took office. He may not have done much to rectify those issues. But which President in the past has done so? And if he did then why are we still facing the same problems? I do not have high hopes for the next President to resolve the health care crisis we faced yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Now, on the war in Iraq, why is Bush solely blamed? Is he able to make a decision on his own and a full blown war occurs? Does he not have to go through Congress and get their approvals? So shouldn't the United States Government be blamed and not always point fingers at Bush? How about Hillary Clinton? Did she not support the war and voted for the war? Why is she retracting her decision now? In my mind, it took away her integrity when she said the war in Iraq is a mistake after seeing how the war is not going our way. Mistake or not, she should stand by her decision. I have always found her to be wishy-washy. Just my thoughts.....
I am still uncertain about my choice for the election in 2008. I consider myself an independent, but have always leaned strongly to the right. I am quite certain, though, that I will not vote for the disingenuous elite that make up both parties. They came from a life of privilege and will not understand the problems of the common person in America. The concerns in my family are national security, taxes and senseless governmental regulations. I feel that the government has a tendency to strongly regulate certain things (like the environment) while other things (like healthcare) fall by the wayside. Both things are equally important to our futures, but one issue does not deserve more attention or funding than the other.
I would not vote for anyone because i do not believe in voting for these reasons they only time you even hear about the president is when there is a bad issue going on or when your favorite tv show comes on and they decide they need to come on instead to talk about issues that they wont ever take care of in the afterthought so i dont vote and dont plan on voting anytime soon!
I, like many of my classmates, am undecided at this time. For now, I believe it is a waste of time. As time gets closer I will focus my attention on each canidate in the race. But, until the race gets closer all that will be seen is one candidate bashing another and each candidate side stepping issues trying to be their parties top contendour. A presidential race would also not be complete without Ralph Nader becoming a candidate and showing the joke that is our political system.
I do not usually pay much attention to the elections until the last minute. However if I were to pick a candidate to vote for now, I would vote for Hillary Clinton. I may not agree with her personal views, but I like the fact that that is all they are for her, just personal views. The choices and votes she makes are for what she believes is better for the country. She supports the individual's choices and rights even if it conflicts with her personal opinion. I think we are ready for someone who wants what is best for the nation as a whole.
I don't know who I wish to vote for. I am just about to turn 18, and before now, I have never really payed attention to the Candidates. I feel that I am generally pretty independent, I don't really lean to one side, I vote for who ever I think will do the best, regardless of political standpoint. I am still looking over the vast information he candidates have given, as for my choice, only time will tell. Whoever wins, I just hope our country will thrive under them.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't done much research on the candidates yet. So far I am still undecided, but I have read some on John McCain, and seen first hand the work of Mike Huckabee. I usually attend school in Arkansas and aside from being small, landlocked, and at times scary, I havent seen his leadership cause much trouble. I like that McCain doesn't mind taking an early stand on things, but I do know that being stubborn about early decisions can get you in trouble (I've been there). The good news is that I still have a few months to watch these men and women so I can size them up before I make a final decision.
As for the comments about voting not being as serious as it used to be I only partially agree. I think many people fell like their vote doesn't count anymore. I believe that the real problem is that most people in our country do not understand our election system. It really is not vote for vote which person wins. It's an electoral college, and each vote tells a collegiate which way to vote. Essentially your vote counts individually, but not exactly on the scale of the entire nation's votes goign into one pool. Much past that I can't go into detail about the system we use. If everyone was better educated on how their vote counts toward the election, I think they would be more inclined to vote.
I do not know who i am going to vote for yet seeing as how there is still another year left before voting. I don't think this nation is ready for a female president. It will take more than one try before a female will win. I think the same with the African American guy, not that I wouldn't vote for him, (because i might) but because i think there needs to be more African Americans to attempt it.
"May the best man or women win" When does campaigning for finance more important than what the people want. Our society has truly forgotten that this country was build by the people for the people. I vote not because I have total faith in the person I am voting for. I vote because I hope that one day some one have the best interest in our countries well being.
What is the buzz about? One voted this way, one voted that way, one is a (Catholic, Jew, Mormon, etc), one is of African descent, one is this and one is that. It is too much for a mere human to comprehend!
It is, therefore, my choice to wait it out.
Yes, I plan to wait and ignore as much of the media saturation as I possibly can. The election is over a year away so why should I waste my precious time listening to or reading a lot of worthless political rhetoric? Over the coming months we will be bombarded with scandal after scandal and then the smear campaigns will begin. Rudy/Hillary said _____ then turned around and did _____ (you fill in the blanks). Do you really want him/her to be in charge of our troops (or economy, foreign policy, etc.)? Who knows what the final ballot will contain. Remember Ross Perot who dropped out because of threats to his family?
Once most of the dust has settled, we will be down to two viable candidates who are in the final lap of the race. At that point I will begin to read everything I can get my hands on concerning the records of the final candidates. It will be up to me to “write their resumes” and make a choice. Up to me to vote my conscience and pick the candidate that I feel will do the best job managing our country. That will be the hard part.
What if the one that is the best candidate for the country isn’t the one who is more aligned to my personal political agenda? What if it boils down to social reform vs. economic stability? I really want that public health care, but I really want to retire with plenty of money instead of having to work until I am 75. For the time being, I am going to monitor the issues then when the time comes, we will see who is still standing.
I am voting for Rudy Guilliani because i am a true republican and will stick with the republican party. I also think that Guilliani showed strong leadership during the 911 attack and while he was the mayor of New York City, the city prospered and he got the panhandlers/bums out of the city. At this time i dont know exactly all that he stads for and would like to know more before i truely cast my vote.
If I had to vote today, I would vote for Rudy Giuliani. He showed great leadership during and after the 9-11 attacks and I have no doubts that he would be the best candidate to lead our country in the continuing war on terror. No candidate perfectly portrays everything one would want in a president; Giuliani is the closest to what I would look for in a president right now.
While Rudy Giuliani aligns closest to my vision of a president, Hillary Clinton is the opposite. She wants to retreat from our enemies. Her health care plan would ruin our health care system just like it has in Canada and Great Britian; Socialized health care has NOT worked for anyone yet (those citizens end up seeking medical treatment here in our country). If my husband were posting this blog, he would also make note of the probability of thirteen, week-long mood swings a year affecting her decision-making skills; National security decisions affected by fluctuating hormones would likely not be in our country's best interest.(He wants to see the response to this comment, and now I know how he would feel were I to run for president! lol)
I think it is still a little early to know, but right now I am leaning towards voting for Obama. I agree with him on most of the important issues to me such as: pro choice on abortion, opposes gay marriage- but supports civil union and equality, supports legislation to recruit and reward good teachers, agrees with developing alternate fuels and increasing efficiency, more possession restrictions on guns, supports fair trade NOT free trade, and believes health care is a right not a privilege. I will have to watch the debates when it gets closer to time to vote, but he is the one I agree with the most for now.
Don't think we're not going to be talking about this in class tonight, folks...
I am going to be honest… I just read the blogs that were written after mine and I decided I must make comment to one of them. I wish I would have read them sooner so that I could make my comment in class. Unfortunately I did not read it until now.
First of all… to even imagine that there are people in the U.S. that vote for a president solely because he is a republican scares the heck out me. This, to me, is like saying that it is ok to hire a serial killer for my baby sitter just because he preaches the gospel.
Another disagreement that I have towards one of the blogs is that: just because a president is hired doesn’t mean that he is going to fix our nation.
I believe that when I vote for a president it is because of the fact that he makes a lot of promises to better our nation, not make it worse as in the case of the Bush administration (and I emphasize the Bush administration because of the fact that a president does not work alone). I don’t expect all the promises to be adhered to but I expect to, at least, see him/ her try to keep some of the promises, even if he/ she fails to fulfill all of them. We vote in order to hire a president that is competent so that he can help our nation to be united and to become stronger economically. We shouldn’t vote just because he claims he is a democrat or a republican. We should vote for someone that can show that they have the best interests for our people, our children, and definitely our earth (because without this earth there people would cease to exist)
I had to add in a comment as well, Shirley. Remember, folks, this is an on-going discussion. If you feel more needs to be stated, have at it!
Christine, having lived in England for a little over a decade, I've seen/experienced how the NHS really is ideal for those living in poorer areas of the country. The quality of care is actually pretty good. Privatized health care is certainly an option, should anyone wish to have luxe quarters during their tedious hospital stays. However, even though there are those who cannot afford Club Med service, they still have a health system that grants them decent medical care.
The reason why there are those seeking health care outside of their own countries (and NOT necessarily in the U.S. -- those in Britain are actually getting medical work done in Belgium...just a hop, skip and a jump over the Channel) is not because of a lack of quality care due to systems like the NHS; it's due to the extensive population growth. The waiting lists are substantial. This is certainly a problem EVERYWHERE, and, as a result, hospitals are considerably understaffed and lacking in proper resources and equipment.
We face this problem too, you realize... Have you been to Lakeland Memorial, Heart of Florida or Winter Haven Hospital recently? The waiting times are utterly horrendous.
Trinell I would have to agree with you. People should focus more on who would do the best for our country. You notice how we hear more of the candidates that have raised more money.
It’s been nagging at me so I have to comment about what Khimc said. To say that Jeb Bush could have done the same job that Giuliani did...oh hell no! Let's just look at what he's done to the Florida school system (see FCAT blog). And maybe it was the wrong choice of words to say that he was in the right place at the right time. There was no right place for that. Let's look at Ray Nagin during Hurricane Katrina. He was in the right place at the right time and failed miserably. (I’m not meaning to start up anything so sorry if I offend but 9/11 is still a very touchy subject for me.)
As I stated before, I will most likely wait until a month or so before the election to pay any attention to the politics being tossed about. However, I was impressed by Al Gore’s movie and I recently read (on Newsmax.com) that he may be joining the race if he wins the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his documentary warning of the dangers of global warming. I had just completed Survey of Earth Science when I saw the movie and was impressed that many of the graphs Gore used were familiar from class.
Gore has been touring the country promoting the movie and getting lots and lots of names of people who could be considered potential voters or campaign contributors. He is very likable and will have a lot of support from the diehard environmentalists to the recyclers who wish they could do more.
Personally, if he were to run, I would vote for him due to his environmental stance. We have only one planet and I feel like it is much more important to ensure the future of our species by preserving our precious and fragile home than it is to squabble about things that pertain only to the now (healthcare, abortion, détente). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that those issues are not important, I’m saying our world is more important.
We need someone who is going to fast track energy efficiency and the abolishment of our dependence on foreign oil. I’m hoping that Al wins the prize and runs for the White House. What do you think would happen with Gore in the White House?
I was actually reading over what everyone said about who they want to win and I still think that there isn't enough backround information on what they really are going to do for the United states i think they all just fluff the things they are going to fix just to influence you into voting for them but when they are elected they don't do anything for the country that they said they were going to do!
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