To be honest, I'm not very impressed with any of the candidates I've seen for the Senate. I feel the Senate is a weighty, important position that's supposed to rise above (most of) the politics and find the right path. What I saw from the candidates was either carefully modulated political messages (from Portman and Fisher) or extreme, not very helpful positions designed to overhaul the American way of life overnight (La Botz and Deaton).
It seemed almost impossible for a candidate to address current issues in a way that was effective and practical--and by practical, I mean something we could implement in a matter of weeks. While I believe both Deaton and La Botz make very good points on fundamental flaws with our system, the changes they want to implement would require changing the public's way of thinking 180 degrees. That won't happen in time to solve the urgent problems in our nation. Neither the "main stream" nor the "independent" party candidates give me the feeling they'd be a constructive force in Washington, and that makes me sad.
But I still have a vote to cast. I might not use it. But, if I HAD to vote...
It wouldn't be for Portman. Portman has a long history of service to Ohio and the nation, and no one can say he hasn't done it with honor. But anyone who did that much work for and supported the Bush Administration that much does not share my beliefs, and would not represent me. This is held up by the statements on his campaign website...point after point, I found myself disagreeing almost 100% with his positions. We're ideological opposites on every issues I find important.
It wouldn't be for Deaton. I do agree with most of his "Stick to the Constitution" vision for the government, as impractical as I think it is in the short term. However, he has a very conservative view on social issues that I find completely out of line with my own. I don't see him representing me on civil rights at all, for instance.
It wouldn't be for La Botz. His liberal view on civil rights and other social issues is in line with my own. However, I have the same problem with his vision for the government as I do with Deaton's: it is too far removed from our current way of life, and would face too much opposition by the public, to do us any good now.
I'd vote for Fisher. Again, this is only if I had to use the vote. Fisher's record as the Attorney General, in the State Legislature, and as Lieutenant Governor shows to me he's at least consistent with my values and my views. I'm not convinced he's able to be part of the solution in the partisan, strangled knot of Capitol Hill, but I can at least feel he'd represent me.
Showing posts with label Eric Deaton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eric Deaton. Show all posts
Tuesday
US Senate Race: Eric Deaton
Eric Deaton is one of the four candidates standing for the US Senate seat being vacated by the retiring George Voinovich. He's running as a member of the Constitution Party, whose seven principles state a belief in strict interpretation of the Constitution and a minimum of government involvement in the lives of citizens.
Deaton was born just across the border in Richmond, Indiana, and was raised in Lewisburg, OH. He attended the Montgomery County JVS (now known as Miami Vally CTC) and was inducted into that school's hall of fame in 2001. Moving on to attend the University of Dayton, Deaton graduated in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science in Electronic Engineering. He has worked for General Electric ever since.
Running for the Senate primarily to help oppose the two party system, Deaton believes the government has gotten too involved in the lives of citizens and as a result the country is suffering. Rather than coming up with a handful of soundbytes to describe his positions, Deaton has written a series of position papers on topics of importance, including
Deaton was born just across the border in Richmond, Indiana, and was raised in Lewisburg, OH. He attended the Montgomery County JVS (now known as Miami Vally CTC) and was inducted into that school's hall of fame in 2001. Moving on to attend the University of Dayton, Deaton graduated in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science in Electronic Engineering. He has worked for General Electric ever since.
Running for the Senate primarily to help oppose the two party system, Deaton believes the government has gotten too involved in the lives of citizens and as a result the country is suffering. Rather than coming up with a handful of soundbytes to describe his positions, Deaton has written a series of position papers on topics of importance, including
- Balanced budgets (Sometimes the budget should be balanced, sometimes it's a surplus, sometimes it's a deficit, but the massive debt we've acquired is ridiculous)
- The Fair Tax (There should be a far more robust sales tax to replace income tax, is the short version)
- Affirmative Action (The time for this policy is long passed)
- Government-Run Healthcare (Healthcare is and should remain a private sector operation)
There are a lot more on the site, and they're worth a look.
Interestingly, Deaton was also one of two candidates to answer Project VoteSmart's Political Courage Test. You can find his results here.
Friday
Mid Term Elections (National Elections)
First things first: It's about to become mid-term election season. This is typically where we have a backlash against the President's party.
People will go to the voting booth, mostly with their minds made up as to how they're going to vote...and very little of that mind will consider the why's.
My goal is to consider the candidates, not the party.
If they're up for reelection, have they represented me over the previous term? Am I comfortable with that person voting for me on such key issues as immigration, energy, and financial reform?
If they're challenging the incumbent, what are they going to do different? Do they have plans? Positions? Or are they just in opposition? Are they really a better fit for the job, or are they change for change's sake?
In any event, we need to know what offices are up being contested, and by whom. Here's Part 1 of that list!
People will go to the voting booth, mostly with their minds made up as to how they're going to vote...and very little of that mind will consider the why's.
My goal is to consider the candidates, not the party.
If they're up for reelection, have they represented me over the previous term? Am I comfortable with that person voting for me on such key issues as immigration, energy, and financial reform?
If they're challenging the incumbent, what are they going to do different? Do they have plans? Positions? Or are they just in opposition? Are they really a better fit for the job, or are they change for change's sake?
In any event, we need to know what offices are up being contested, and by whom. Here's Part 1 of that list!
The Races:
United States Senate
United States House of Representives
12th District
It's the first real set of elections since "third parties" were required to be allowed on the ballot, so the landscape of the ballot is wonderfully diverse.
I'll do a post on this later, but a quick run down is:
S = Socialist Party
G = Green Party
D = Democratic Party
R = Republican Party
Tune in Tuesday for some of the State offices up for grabs and their contenders!
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