Sunday, October 28, 2012

Independent Voter 2012 Presidential Endorsement

It’s time for this independent voter to cast a vote for president based on how the candidates stack up against the responsibilities of the office.
 
Commander-in-Chief:


Barack Obama has more experience leading a military already engaged in a conflict than Mitt Romney. Romney served as commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts National Guard as governor but that’s not quite the same.

Barack Obama ended the war with Iraq, the country that had nothing to do with the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. He increased troops in Afghanistan, the country from which the attacks were planned.

While efforts to keep the Taliban from controlling Afghanistan may have only tangential defensive benefits for the United States, under Barack Obama, the military killed more actual members of the organization that attacked the United States than they did under George W. Bush.

The decision to go into Libya represented an extra-Constitutional use of the military: one that goes beyond  the defense of the United States or its interests.

Romney’s positions during his debate with Obama were different from the positions stated during the primary debates and his writings. It’s impossible to tell how he would have acted if faced with the same challenges.

Given that Romney has several advisers who worked in the George W. Bush administration and were around for the invasion of Iraq, I’m giving Obama a slight edge here.

Optional Consideration:

The president doesn't have much authority outside of Commander-in-Chief but he does nominate judges and recommend people for certain vacancies.

Obama has nominated two Supreme Court judges that have been confirmed.

The four oldest judges are:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Clinton nominee
Antonin Scalia:    Reagan nominee
Anthony Kennedy: Reagan nominee
Stephen Breyer: Clinton nominee

Romney’s judiciary adviser is Robert Bork, a Reagan nominee who went unconfirmed by the senate.

Since the supreme court is leaning right at the moment and of the four eldest nominees, Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems frailer than Scalia or Kennedy, Barack Obama might have a slight edge at maintaining the status quo of the court.

Endorsement:

I voted for Barack Obama. Based on Romney's experience, he might be suited to a job finding efficiencies within various governmental agencies. As president, he would have no time to do that. Should he be elected, I wish him luck.

House and Senate Races:

Republicans have resisted revenue increases because they claim that any increased revenue will be eaten up by increased spending and will not reduce the deficit.

Democrats have resisted spending cuts unaccompanied by revenue increases because they claim that such cuts will not reduce the deficit because they will go to pay for tax cuts.

Health care is the fastest growing part of the federal budget and one of the first issues that the Obama administration addressed through the Affordable Care Act.

As an independent, I'm a little perturbed that the Republican party chose, as a strategy, to simply vote in unison against all of Obama's policies for the last four years, including policies that they previously supported.

Since budgetary matters will be front and center beginning November 7, here is a chart of how various administrations have contributed to the increase in the national debt.