Well SC Repubicans, you surprised me. The conventional wisdom, that the evangelical vote would carry the day in SC, was wrong. You did not put your support firmly behind a guy who wants to amend the Constitution to bring it up to God's standards. And you were not charmed by the former imaginary D.A. from Law and Order. Good for you.
McCain's victory got me thinking: what if it came down to Hillary and McCain? Who would I support? Despite any inferences you may make from the title of this blog, I am not a partisan hack. There was a time when I felt very strongly on the side of John McCain (circa 2000). But now, after 8 years of the guy who beat him, well, I'm a bit wary of electing another Republican. Still, though, Hillary...really? I think if it came down to these two, I might well go with McCain.
Here's my thinking: McCain will not torture prisoners, which is a big issue for me. However, McCain will stay in Iraq, an equally big issue for me. But, on the Iraq issue, McCain's experience in Vietnam at least lends his thoughts on Iraq some credibility, whether or not you agree with his proposed policy.
On the other hand, Hillary probably won't torture prisoners either. And she will probably stay in Iraq. So they seem to be evenly matched on my two biggest issues. I guess I'll have to look deeper into their policy proposals.
Let's see, healthcare: McCain proposes what is essentially some sort of "market-based" solution to the healthcare woes of our country. One thing I like, McCain talks about low-cost health clinics, something I think is essential in providing healthcare to more people. One thing I don't like, any "market-based" solution for healthcare is a dubious proposition because there is an inelastic demand for healthcare (that is, healthcare demand is not the same as consumption demand, you don't go to the doctor's office to get that stylish new drug you've been shopping around for). Clinton wants to have some sort of optional socialized healthcare system- that is, if you have healthcare and you like it, you can keep it, or you can opt-in to a government healthcare system. One thing I like, it would provide healthcare to more people. One thing I don't like, most people receive healthcare as an employer-provided benefit, if they have a choice to opt-into a government healthcare plan, what incentive is there for the employer to continue providing the benefit?
Ok, on to energy issues. McCain's take on US oil-dependence is well-reasoned and he has acknowledged that human activity contributes to global warming. My problem with his proposal is that he buys into the "pollution shares trading" idea, and I simply do not see how that will reduce overall pollution. Clinton says essentially the same thing as McCain on this issue.
Alright, how about the economy? McCain will balance the budget, cut taxes on businesses and cut spending (surprise, surprise). Trickle-down economics remains a force of nature in politics...why, I am not sure. Clinton wants a "progressive commitment to shared prosperity." Sounds like socialism, but let's see where she's going with this...she wants to raise the minimum wage, fix the healthcare system, and promote education. Blah, blah, blah, freakin' blah. Sure, healthcare and education affect our economy, but she will have to work harder to prove to me the causal connections between her healtchare and education policies and economic success. I can see it, but I don't want to infer.
And finally, just for fun, gun control. McCain is all for gun rights and supports instant criminal background checks for gun owners. He doesn't believe that gun ownership is tied to higher crime rates. Clinton wants instant background checks and to extend the ban on assault rifles. I'm all for that. However, her position statement (that can be found here) indicates that she hasn't given much thought to the issue. That could be a good thing.
So, where are we? Well, I am exactly where I started. I don't really like either of them much. I think if I had to vote today, though, Hillary's healthcare proposal, which I'm sure she will pursue vigilantly, eliminates her from consideration. I just don't think socialized healthcare will work without either drastically reducing the quality of healthcare or drastically increasing government spending and taxes. I guess I would go with McCain. Consequently, McCain's issue statements can be found here.
I sure hope Obama wins the nomination.
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6 comments:
Just a quick note about the primary. John McCain got about 150,000 votes.
In 2000 he got about 240,000.
Seven years later, 90,000 fewer votes.
That you can't decided who you'd vote for between Hillary and McCain is precisely why McCain will not be the nominee of the Republican Party.
my point exactly, anon (at least insofar as the similarities between them). but who, then, would you say will win the GOP nomination? Romney doesn't represent that "change" that everyone seems so hell-bent on. Huckabee is really only favored by evangelicals (and not even all of them). Thompson just doesn't seem to want it. So who's it gonna be, Ron Paul?
Thompson helped get rid of Huckabee (Thank God). So, I say, one down, one to go. Hopefully, McCain will be the next one to go - or at least dispatched with before the nomination is decided.
Frankly, though, it's just the Left who are hell-bent on change. Though I'd love to see Thompson get it, if I had to lay money on it, I'd say Romney is going to be the nominee.
Anon- I would also add that a significant number of self-avowed independents are looking for change as well. This is nothing new, statistics indicate that the party of a two-term president is much more likely to lose the following election. Certainly a penchant for "change" can be inferred not only in partisan, but in at least enough independents to make a difference.
mccain will not be the next president of the usa...conservatives will not vote for him...this is an observation, not a passion...mccain has been alienating conservatives for a long time and they simply will not vote for him...look at it like this...if the dem candidate had gone out of her/his way to alienate black voters, would they they get the black vote in november?....don't think so..
if it's mccain v obama, then it will be the biggest defeat since reagan v carter...if it's clinton v mccain, she will still win, but not by as large a number...
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