2012 Before You Vote for President

(disclaimer – I’m not a blog reader. I don’t know if this is a typical blog or not. So this is basically how I am deciding.)

How to choose: (check out Vote411.org)

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the volume of data about the candidates – here’s a simple way to sort through the information.

Please note the job description – before you decide who would do a better job. No matter what the candidates promise, much of the power lies in Congress.

I thought about trying to put the job description here – but it is a really big job.

1. Presidential Powers

Suffice it to say – the President is not responsible for the budget, that would be congress.

The President is primarily Commander and Chief, our face to the world. The Executive branch “executes” or enforces the laws that Congress makes.

He also makes appointments that must be approved by Congress.

Evaluating a Current President

• What bills did (s)he veto?
• What bills did (s)he support/sign?
• Who did (s)he nominate to appointed positions?
• How is (s)he seen on the world stage?

If you agree with them – then vote for them.

There are arguments for voting by political party, especially given the way committee’s are organized in the House and Senate. These considerations are beyond the scope of this blog entry.

Evaluating a Candidate for President

• What is the candidates past experience?
• What do they support?
• How are they viewed on the world stage?

Candidates make huge promises, well beyond the scope of the position they are running for.

Setting the promises aside, what do they say they will push for specifically within the role of commander and chief and appointments.

Will their appointments fall in line with your values?

The League of Women Voters has a great site.

1. Put in your address,
2. Click to get personalized information on the candidates,
3. Click find my information and then select the city from the drop down menu – it will list the candidate –
4. Click on the 2 you want to compare and it displays the information.

2012 Political Elections

(disclaimer – I’m not a blog reader. I don’t know if this is a typical blog or not.)

Food for thought:

The United States was conceived by the 1%.

At the constitutional convention it was purposed that only men with 100,000 dollars should vote (that number isn’t adjusted for inflation).

Some of the most respected 1% where scientist, which at the time went hand in hand with elitist believing that only well educated men trained in critical thinking should vote.

The runner up became president.

This ensured that a majority of the people would be represented in the executive branch with the top 2 becoming President and Vice-President.

Fear of assassination aside, it might do the country good to have political opponents working side by side.

There were no formal political parties.

It was believed that political parties would be the death of democracy and polarize the nation.

There were no special laws for congressmen.

Today Congress doesn’t participate in Social Security, they have their own plan.

Only Congress has the right to levy and weigh taxes.

Therefore congress men and women are responsible for the United States budget.

We might remind congress that they will be held accountable for the budget regardless of who is president.

There was no Federal Reserve.

The United States printed and controlled it’s own money. Now there is a board of governors made up of bankers and Senate Appointments.

Currently the representatives haven’t filled those seats.

Corporations were not people.

It’s always tricky. Freedom of speech, the right to peaceable assembly – these ideas helped legitimate corporations as having the same rights as people.

Question is, should they – they aren’t people. They are made up of individuals who have those rights. Do organizations have the same rights are the constituent member’s? It could be argued they do today.

Accountability

Congress and the Senate both swear to “faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which [they are]  about to enter”.

Let’s hold them to this promise above all others.

We should not tolerate our elected officials endless investigations and tireless congressional hearings when there is the work to be done on the budget.

We didn’t send them to Washington D.C. to grandstand.

A special note:

There are many in congress, and perhaps even most, who do a large portion of their job to the best of their ability.

They are, by in large, a caring and concerned group, who are, if nothing else, responsive to their constituents.

If we pressure them on working together, clearly outlining what we value as a nation our representatives will take it to heart.