If you were to stand within earshot of a playground in any state across our great land, you’re bound to hear childish banter such as:
“He’s calling me names!”
“She said I’m fat!”
Barry called me a liar!”
You’re a dodo head!” ( It’s really a word. I looked it up. And someone has most likely called you one whether you heard them or not.)
Should you happen to turn into one of the many televised Political Debates, ( you must have by now – it seems as if there’s been enough of them), you’d notice a similar banter.
“Hillary was the worst Secretary of State in the History of the United States,” said Trump.
Jeb Bush taunted Hillary with the term “anchor babies” causing her to scream back that they were “just babies”.
Chris Christie attacked Marco Rubio, saying all he did was constantly repeat the same rhetoric, interrupting him saying, “There he goes again!”
In the following debate, when Trump attempted to revise the same point with Rubio, Marco Rubio, told him that he had just repeated himself 5 times in the past 5 minutes!
Donald Trump has been quoted as saying that:
Jeb Bush will never secure the border.
Ted Cruz will fail like all the others.
John Kasich is wasting time and money.
Marco Rubio has the worst voting record in the Senate.
He then called the other Republican candidates “mere puppets”.
What’s more, Bernie Sanders said, Hillary’s dog ate his homework!
Maybe I made the last one up. But don’t they all start sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher after awhile?
Relax, I’m not on a soapbox to push my own political agenda. I don’t have one, and honestly I’m not interested in hearing yours. All I’m saying is, this wonderful country of ours has issues and we, the people, are in the long grating process of choosing a new leader. But with the posturing and backbiting that takes place during the debates, how are we to decipher where these candidates stand?
With these questions in mind, I channeled my inner Nancy Drew and came up with some answers.
According to U.S. News, 63% of people polled wanted to hear our candidates policy positions rather than their routines, positions held or how much money they raised in fund raisers. The top issues in the 2016 election are:
- Immigration
- Same-Sex marriage
- Education
- Gun Control
- Taxes
- Economy
- Health Care
- Climate Change
- Foreign Policy
- Environment
Different polls added terrorism and race relations to the list.
The American people remain uneasy about the economy. Bernie Sanders is against an economy that benefits what he considers to be “millionaires and billionaires.” And while Hillary won’t go that far, she was quoted saying the economy “still isn’t delivering for the ordinary Americans.” Republicans blame the Democrats. Marco Rubio says “the American dream is slipping away.” John Kasich promises to “get the economy moving again. And before dropping from the race, Jeb Bush asked us to use our imaginations where people are lifted out of poverty again. (I’ve been using my imagination for 7 years. It hasn’t worked, Jeb.)
Our current administration has brought climate change to the front of the class and aims to produce binding agreements that could get the world closer to preventing temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – or so they say. Their actions have not only been suspect, but have spurred many a lawsuit form industry groups.
Where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders argue when pushed about which of them is doing more to fight climate change, leading Republican Presidential candidates debate if global warming’s driven by human activities.
The Keystone XL pipeline is another hot button topic on energy policy in the 2016 election. President Obama rejected it because of environmental concerns and both Democratic candidates stand with him. Most Republican candidates support it.
Where the Second Amendment is concerned, most Republicans support it and the NRA. They defend the right to carry concealed firearms. The Democrats support more gun control and disagree among themselves how much.
With healthcare, it’s the rising price of drugs that is on everyone’s mind. Bernie Sanders says he’ll negotiate prices for Medicare and force companies to release pricing information. Hillary plans to put a $250 monthly cap on out-of-pocket drug spending for people with chronic or serious conditions. Republican Marco Rubio says drug companies have engaged in pure profiteering, and Trump called it disgusting and vowed to fix it.
When it comes to Medicare, Democrats want to expand the program, while most Republicans want to reduce and privatize it. Republicans also vow to repeal Obama Care, while Democratic candidates say they’ll uphold it. Both Democratic candidates say they will repeal the Cadillac tax. (I ask you when you look up what this is, to also look up the health care plans our candidates are privy to. It will blow your mind.)
So do your homework America. It’s your future that’s at risk here. Every Candidate has a candidate website that should answer any question you may have. Most are their name then dot com. (other than Ted Cruz who uses dot org)
What would I like to see? I thought you’d never ask! In a word – RESTORATION – of faith in our government to bring our military and reputation back to its former glory so we can feel safe from terrorism and when our borders are threatened.
RESTORATION of our health care system, so surviving an illness or accident can be our only concern.
The RESTORATION of faith in humanity. Somewhere in the past seven years, we’ve grown apart. I don’t care what color you are, what tax bracket you’re in, or where or even if you go to church. We share a planet.
Do you want my vote, Presidential Candidate? Show me the baby – don’t tell me about the labor.
Leave me a comment!
FROM THE POINT ALWAYS, LORI FLYNN
Politics not your thing? Pick up a copy of my newly released Romantic Suspense novel, ABSOLUTE RECALL. It’s easy to do! Just go to “About The Book” and click on the link. I thank you.
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