Clinton,Trump, and Johnson: here's the difference

Written By ARW

Intro: Unless you truly want it all to end via meteor, we suggest you start looking at where the candidates stand on the issues. Regardless of your political persuasion it would be nice to see some real differences quantified between this gaggle of geese. Below is a nice clear issue list of each candidate in the election. You may see a "pro" as a "con" but you cannot deny the differences as listed. Our take? We do not think the Libertarian or Green party candidates stand a chance. But note that despite the 2 party obstacles, Johnson has polls showing him with 10% of the vote, an all time high we think. At 15% he could not be refused to participate in a televised debate. If he joined forces with Jill Stein on a single ticket, that could help. But we think  this country needs its multiple crises to come to a head under one of the 2 front runners for people to take theri heads out of the sand and start to think who is there to help them, and who is there to help themselves.- Soren K.

A Fab Four for Fall- by ARW

This year no one may have an Electoral College majority and the third party candidate with the largest number of popular votes may become the compromise after a long deadlock.  That means that a vote for any one of these candidates REALLY could be for the next President of the U.S., not just a protest vote.   It is time to really think about what we are doing here my fellow Americans.  Here is 'my' pro v. con analysis on the FAB FOUR! 

Gary Johnson – Libertarian

Pros

  • Opposes undeclared war
  • Former chief executive – governor of New Mexico
  • Believes in individual liberty
  • Will End Prohibition
  • Opposes Military-Industrial complex

Cons

  • Former Republican, not a “native” Libertarian
  • Opposes Universal Healthcare
  • Supports private corporate prisons.
  • May try to end Social Security
  • Opposes Glass-Steagall

Jill Stein – Green Party

Pros

  • Will End Prohibition
  • Believes in individual liberty
  • Supports Universal Healthcare
  • Supports Glass-Steagall
  • Opposes corporate power in government
  • Opposes Military-Industrial complex

Cons

  • Never an executive in a government entity, like a governor or a mayor
  • DC connections weak
  • Opposes nuclear power
  • Fear for economy in such “green” hands

Hillary Clinton - Democrat

Pros

  • Orderly turn over in government
  • “might” support Universal Healthcare
  • Tough government infighter; gets stuff done
  • International experience “should” mean she favors diplomatic solutions

Cons

  • Opposes Glass-Steagall
  • Supports private corporate prisons.
  • Appears to have neo-conservative leanings
  • Koch brother support
  • Former Republican
  • Air of corruption

Donald Trump – Republican

Pros

  • Not polished
  • Supports Glass-Steagall
  • Supports Universal Healthcare
  • Not tied to special interest groups, because has his own money
  • No connections to the military-industrial complex
  • Entertainment biz connections means most likely will not start a war on purpose, because will want to build a casino in Tehran or a golf course in Pyongyang
  • Called out Bush/Cheney on illegal Iraq War in red state primary and won anyway

Cons

  • Does not seem to believe anything
  • Opposes Universal Healthcare
  • Opposes Glass-Steagall
  • Candidate most likely to start a war on accident
  • Xenophobic rhetoric
  • Would have to chop off a body part were I to cast a vote for him.

SO there it is in a nutshell. The four candidates we have going into November.  I have not decided and so I have listed the four candidates in order of likelihood that I will cast my vote for them.  Generally I do not make recommendations for president, but I will say that I have cast most of my votes for Libertarian candidates in past presidential elections, so it would not be out of the ordinary for me to do so again.  Nonetheless, the fact remains that I have not decided yet.  

 

In the case of Trump, I do like his independence, shoot from the hip style, but most of time I do not like what he is saying.  I have never been able to take the candidacy seriously, because it paralleled so perfectly the need of Hillary Clinton for a crazed, blowhard Republican nominee to run against.  There is also the big negative that I vowed to chop off my hand before voting for Donald Trump. It is hard to know what Trump will do, which is why you see I have him listed as opposing and supporting Glass-Steagall and Universal Healthcare.  

 

In the case of Hillary Clinton, I truly LOVE her deep connections to the current administration and government in general.  In the past few decades, we have seen horrendous economic turmoil during the transition of the White House:  1976 Stagflation, 1980 Unemployment, 1989 Saving & Loan crisis, 2000 the DotCom flameout, 2008 the Great Recession. Above almost all else, the ability to get a job matters to me, but when you talk about using my tax dollars to feed defense contractors and executing undeclared wars, I balk.  Hillary’s connections to Kissinger and the neo-conservatives are anathema to me. I kind of WANT to vote for Hillary as the easy and safe choice, but the disastrous consequences of Bush/Cheney’s invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan are still too fresh for me, so that is why she is third.  

 

I actually like Jill Stein and her positions on most issues, though abolishing nuclear power is stupid and I strongly oppose it.  However, I do try to not be a one-issue voter, so Jill Stein does have a chance with me, hence her second place standing here.  In the final analysis though the fact that she has not actually ever won a significant election or ran any significant government entity means that she is just TOO inexperienced to be promoted to the top job just yet.  

 

Gary Johnson is currently in the lead for me and I do like that he has held elective office and in fact was an executive in government.  That means he HAD to make decisions as the governor of the state of New Mexico.  I do not like that he is a former Republican, because so many Republicans have tried to make it big as Libertarians by just calling themselves Libertarians so they could get on the ballot.  Gary Johnson did appear to hold Libertarian positions for the most part in interviews, but I also must admit that I have personally drifted from some of the strong positions that Libertarians take on social programs.  Still, when pressed about ISIS and invading other countries, Gary Johnson fell back to a solid Constitutional position, by saying if it is so bad we need to send the Marines then perhaps we should be debating a declaration of war. He reiterated that he would not be sending troops into war without such a formal declaration and right now that is pretty significant for me as I “sense” a push for war after eight years of low profits in the military industrial complex. 

 

 

I could change my mind about any of this at any point and reserve the right to do so without making updates here, but there it is. Glass-Steagall is obviously important to me, because it clearly limited the ability of banks to play games with depositors’ money and its repeal is directly responsible for the Great Recession, IMO.  Universal Healthcare is important to me, because I do not think you can realize the ownership society without it.  A deadlocked Electoral College is a REAL possibility.  Johnson could carry his home state of New Mexico AND the neighboring state of Texas.  Texas is Bush country and neither Clinton nor Trump may win this state.  If Johnson carries those two states, there begin to be real chances for NO CANDIDATE having an Electoral College majority.  Clinton delegates will not support Trump and vice versa.

 

The importance of the Electoral College should not be diminished.  I think the Supreme Court was wrong to be involved in the 2000 election AND when it got involved Scalia should have recused himself due his personal relationship with Dick Cheney and that would have left a 4-4 tie and another entity needs to decide.  The 2000 election should have gone to the Electoral College to debate and hammer out a solution according to the original architects of this nation.  In fact, I believe a REAL obstacle to a Trump presidency could be the Electoral College...just as the Founding Fathers had conceived.  

 

In conclusion, I would like to say, “Do your damn civic duty and PAY ATTENTION to the issues and cast an INFORMED vote in November, because an INFORMED vote for any one of these candidates is a REAL VOTE that is going to matter!!!!!!”

*** ARW

The meteor was unavailable for comment- Soren K

 

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