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The Presidential Election For Those Who Scratch The Surface
June 29th, 2016
Thank you Christy Rose for the request
This is going to focus mostly on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. I’ll also briefly include Jill Stein and Gary Johnson but before I do I’d like to get into the election process itself.
In no way is this a true or direct democracy. Sometimes the person who is elected wasn’t elected by the people to include George W Bush in 2000. The votes of the people are undercut and the electoral college puts who ever they want into office. That doesn’t scream democracy to me. Even the primaries are decided by nominating conventions and indirect elections so at what point do the people vote for whose in office. If the argument is that the general pubic is too ignorant to vote themselves, it is a poor one. The average IQ of America is 98 and ranks fifth in the world for college graduates. We’re certainly smart enough to choose our own leader. So why are we not allowed to put our President into office?
Democracy has come a long way since it’s beginnings in Athens Greece in the 6th century B.C.E. Paper ballots or casting your vote with a stone is ancient, causes too much confusion, and gets unreliable results. Industrialization has brought us into a day where “1 person 1 vote” can be effectively realized with computers. I don’t really see an argument against direct democracy. It would force politicians to be more accountable to the people. Informity (public awareness) would reach new heights. Politicians would want you and I to know about more than ever before. The movement to write the Constitution started somewhere and I understand this would that big. I would never through away the Constitution and our forefathers could only guess at the evolution of technology and education. In this day they would be seriously kicking around the idea of direct democracy. I think Jefferson would win.
The problem is America contradicts itself. Americans want to be thought of as individuals yet hold so tightly to the status quo. If daily life is not disrupted we don’t want to try anything new. Everybody (within reason) has to be on board. The first African American (really mulatto) President was OK. Possibly the first female President, again OK but if it’s something that the American public has to do differently forget it. I’m not trying to be negative but I’m so tired of people complaining when we can just take matters into our own hands. I believe in the American public and I believe we would do well and effect change with a direct democracy.
Donald J Trump should be considered very close to American individuality. It’s why the American public is eating him up. He doesn’t just beat the same old tired political drum. Americans identify with the need to stop being so damned politically correct and not changing anything but the allowance of trans fat in restaurants. It’s not just racist and bigots that like Trump. A vote for Trump is really a vote for individuality. Personally I think some of the most asinine drivel comes out of the man’s mouth but it wouldn’t be heard from any other politician. I mean some of what he says just needs to be interpreted. For example, the ban on Muslim immigrants means that a fire has to be lit under the “good Muslims'” asses to put a stop to isis. If isis was a supposedly american group spreading it’s own brand of democracy, you can bet your paycheck America would put a stop to it. I expect more from the true Islamist than anyone else. I think a wall on the Mexican boarder is a good idea. It’s fundamental if you really want to keep illegals out. Anything else is pissing into the wind.
Trump is not that amazing businessman that some perceive him to be. He has so many investments it would be impossible for all of them to fail. If most any of us were born to his life we’d be doing the same or better. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and doesn’t know anything different. He wouldn’t continue health insurance and pension benefits for the workers at the Trump Taj Mahal and I think we be in for more of the same indifference with Trump as President. This Country is facing the worst monetary stratification in it’s history and people want to put a billionaire into office? What are they thinking? Is he going to help out the ever dwindling middle class or is he going to help out his billionaire colleagues and friends. It’s a real turkey shoot to say who will help them more, Donald or Hillary.
Jill Stein is the candidate for the Green Party. She’s all about a healthy planet and healthy people but she seems to have failed almost every political endeavor she’s attempted. Stein is a Physician and health expert. I personally don’t want my health to be a legal matter. I do want a cleaner planet. Stein’s testimony on the effects of mercury and dioxin contamination from the burning of waste helped preserve the Massachusetts moratorium on new trash incinerator construction in the state and she later testified in the effort to get the Massachusetts fish advisories updated to better protect women and children from mercury contamination. If the environment is #1 on your agenda she’s your candidate. Though I like Jill Stein the question of experience is too big to ignore.
Gary Johnson, I love this guy. Definitely an individual. Gary was the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. He is not status quo. He’s the Libertarian Party candidate and believes in small government. So much so that he canned 1,200 state employees (that’s still job losses). He reduced the 10% budget growth while increasing spending for education. He believes in the decriminalization of marijuana because he thinks it should be a public health issue not a criminal issue. Johnson compares it to the failed prohibition of alcohol. He vetoed 200 of 424 bills in his first 6 months as Governor and line item vetoed most of the rest. His leadership during the Cerro Grande Fire was undeniable. He told his driver to stop the car where he got out and started stomping some small flames. His wife and staff followed suit. He was all over that fire the a state should be. He was the first New Mexican Governor to be elected for 2 successive four year terms. He left the state with a $1 billion surplus. If this guy could get more of the media spot light, Clinton and Trump would both be in trouble. Also with more media we could get a better feel about how he’d do with foreign affairs.
I really liked Kasich the best of all of the candidates. My daughter says if teenagers were allowed to vote Sanders would be the next President. We avoided a Cruz missile and a late night with Ben Carson. When looking over the democratic candidates they appeared like fighters against paper champions (Sanders and Clinton); just not not memorable.
Back to Donald and Hillary. Trump will find himself over his head as President especially in foreign affairs. The one thing that he will be able to effect is where the money goes and unfortunately it will be flowing the wrong way. Some would say Trump wins this election either way with Hillary being so cozy with the wealthy folk. Hillary could carry out the same old same old bullshit or she could realize the younger more optimistic less pessimistic Hillary. She’s not fooling me. I think she buried the Hillary Clinton that I would have like to have known when she had to defend a child rapist. She learned that compromise even for something that horrible was OK and self gain became her comforter.
I’ve always contended that if everyone who really wanted to vote outside of republican, democratic cast did just that we would see an independent or third party president. I am a hypocrite. I’m voting for Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. If I get rocks thrown through my window I’m not sure I wouldn’t deserve it but there’s just no way I’m putting a billionaire into office. The electoral college still may. Until next time, keep your homes well.
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