If you are as addicted to the Sunday morning political shows as I am, you would know that, for decades, he has been analyzing and opining on the political scene. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he knows more about political history than anyone on TV.
Without a doubt, this is the most important presidential election of our lives. If we elect the Democrat, we are promised a continuation of Obama’s policies. If we elect a Republican, we are sure to see an attempt to reverse the past eight years.
The Democrats are running Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and our own Martin O’Malley. All promise a bigger Federal Government.
The Republican list is as long as any in memory. Alphabetically, they are Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carlie Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump. Five more, Rick Perry, Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal, Lindsay Graham and George Pataki have already dropped out.
Every few days we see polls telling us who has the most support. The consistent first four are, in alphabetical order, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. What makes this race different from the past races in recent memory is that at least three of the four are considered “outsiders”. Ben Carson is a brain surgeon. Donald Trump is a businessman. Neither has ever run for ANY political office. Ted Cruz is a Senator; but is a certified maverick in the U.S. Senate. Most other senators consider him an outsider.
The DNC (Democrat National Committee) is doing everything in its power to promote Hillary Clinton. They scheduled their last national debate on a Saturday night, when it is known that few people will watch. The next debate is on a weekend, at the same time as two football games.
The Republican debates have been on weekdays, in prime time, and have set records for numbers of viewers. Like them or not, they have set viewing records, and millions of people know more about them than they did before the debates.
Both parties want “insiders” to be their candidates in the general election. This is because they know what to expect if that person becomes president. Having a president who has never been part of the establishment threatens the status quo, and makes them quite nervous.
If you like, the way the country has been going, then, by all means, vote for one of the candidates favored by the DNC or RNC. If you think the country has been going in the wrong direction, then, by all means, vote for one of the “outsiders.”
Back to George Will. He once said, “Before election day, you will see ad after ad after ad telling you to be sure to exercise your right to vote.” George Will disagrees with this. He says that he works to know as much as possible about each candidate and casts his vote for the one that is, in his opinion, best for the country. Then, someone who has done no research, and knows nothing about their policies, casts an uninformed vote that cancels out his.
I agree with George. If you are going to vote, check out the positions of all the candidates and vote for the one that most agrees with yours. If you, like so many, tend to go into the polling place with no knowledge of what anyone stands for, and then please, stay home.
