Tuesday, August 9, 2016

My litmus test for electing a president


What are your priorities when choosing a president?  For me, I have quite a long list of things I would like to see--much longer than the 10 items I've listed here.  The list below only reflects the 10 top items that eliminate a presidential candidate in my mind 

1.     Do they take money from large corporate donors and super PACs?  If so, absolutely no vote ever.  Our democracy depends on it.
2.     Did they vote for the Iraq war?  If so, absolutely no vote for president for this candidate.  They were either stupid, or followed the pack, or were too cowardly to vote their conscience for fear of political repercussions—they do not deserve to be President of the United States.
3.     Are they for trade deals that take American jobs over seas and/or feed the economies of other countries to the detriment of our own? Absolutely no vote for this presidential candidate since this is treason against the American people.
4.     Do they support Right to Work laws and other anti-union policies or choose vice presidents who do?  No, never.
5.     Do they support and will they continue to use laws enacted under the Patriot Act?  If so, nope, not this candidate.
6.     Will they support any cuts in Social Security or Medicare for any reason? If so, this candidate is scum, a bum and should hold no office ever.
7.     Are they for deregulating banks and exhibit other neoliberal characteristics?  If so, it is highly unlikely that I would vote for them.
8.     Is this candidate opposed to a progressive tax plan, support corporate welfare, tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations, and favor supply-side economics?  This presidential hopeful is not my candidate, period.
9.     Integrity—Has this candidate been consistent in his/her positions over the long haul, or do I sense that their policies shift with the political winds to what is popular at the moment?  Nope.  How can I trust such a president?
10. Is this candidate a bigoted, misogynistic jerk?  No vote.


There are more issues that will eliminate a candidate in my mind or make that candidate unfavorable in my eyes, but these above are my top ten.  So far I have only one candidate that passes my litmus test. (You may well know who that is.)

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