Decisions, Decisions
Published January 31st, 2008The Democrat debates tonight were held in Hollywood. Since it snarled traffic really badly for me on my way to work, I’ve decided to vote Republican.
Yeah, I didn’t think you believed that for a second. I did watch the debate tonight, because Super Tuesday, AKA The Nearly National Primary, hits California on Tuesday. And since Edwards has dropped out, I have to decide who to vote for. Let’s hit some issues:
Abortion
This is still a big issue for some people - and for dual reasons on the R side. Some object due to religious/moral reasons, others object due to legal reasons - they believe the Federal Government should not have say over this. But I don’t agree with either side of that. I don’t have any moral objection to it (no brain, no pain, not an issue for me) and while I’m somewhat sympathetic to the question of Federalism, I believe this to be a legitimate medical procedure. And if it takes a Federal decision to guarantee patients have access to, and allows doctors to perform, a legitimate medical procedure - I am OK with that. Of course, Hillary and Obama pretty much agree on this, so it’s a wash. Doesn’t help me decide.
Housing/Mortgage Crisis
This only affects me indirectly - mostly in that the Federal Reserve keeps lowering the key interest rate and hosing the rates on my savings and checking accounts. I don’t have any loans tied to the rate, nor a mortgage, so it’s pretty annoying. Hillary has a pretty aggressive regulatory stance on this - she wants to freeze the interest rate on sub-prime adjustable mortgages, and keep the freeze for at least 5 years, with the goal of having them convert to “affordable” fixed-rate mortgages. This sounds like a bad idea to me. I think by hamstringing the banks in some places it’s going to cause havoc in others. I’m no economist, but I do know that the more the government meddles in the guts, the worse off it tends to be. Obama has a more hands off, create some funds and tax breaks for struggling homeowners type of plan. That sounds much better to me. I also believe he talked about instituting some oversight (and I think Hillary did too a little) to make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again. That’s also probably not a bad idea. Point for Obama.
Immigration
Both are pretty close on this, and I think the issue is far overblown and a waste of time to even discuss at this point. Draw, and no help deciding here.
Education
Hillary would end No Child Left Behind, Obama would “reform” it - point for Hillary. I like that Obama wants to make math and science a national priority - but Hillary has the high ground on this issue, from the looks of it. Point for Hillary.
Iran
Hillary’s position is more hardline and establishment, Obama’s is more optimistic. Personally I’d prefer something in the middle, but given what hardline has gotten us so far…point for Obama. Perhaps reality will temper him somewhat.
Energy
A sticky issue, but one I disagreed with Edwards on in places. Foremost, nuclear power. It is the best way to go, hands down, for our national energy production. Nothing else comes close in efficiency (both cost and energy) or - yes - environmental safety. Both will fund alternative energy research, which is great - but Obama attacked Hillary on her not-very-enthusiastic support of corn-based ethanol. Guess what - that’s a plus for me. Advantage to Hillary here.
Iraq
Both are currently very close on this one too, regardless of what the media keeps trying to say. Obama makes a big deal about being against it from the beginning, and how it’s important to be right from the beginning. Clinton continues to admit to making a mistake in supporting President Bush without actually saying the word “sorry” or “mistake” - I find both candidates’ philosophical positions wanting here. On the one hand, Bush has always believed he was right from the beginning, and look where that got us. I’m OK with someone, a leader especially, being able to say “I made a mistake” - it’s important to be able to recognize and admit this - and move on. It’s not flip-flopping - it’s called maturity. However, Hillary has not, to my satisfaction, admitted this. Point - just barely - for Obama.
Same-Sex Marriage
Both are on the “separate but equal” train - no marriage but yes civil unions. I think we know that separate is inherently unequal. So the only difference I see is that Hillary thinks states should possibly decide the issue. Sorry Federalism Fans - this cannot be a state issue, it’s either a right or it’s not in this country. Point for - grudgingly - Obama.
Free Trade
I don’t understand this topic well, nor do I understand their stances. I’m punting on this one.
Social Security
Whatever, they’re not going to privatize it, I don’t think it should be privatized, it will get figured out. No help here.
Guns
More regulation, yadda yadda. Whatever, this isn’t really an issue to me. No assault weapons, great, good enough for me, do whatever else you want - the 2nd Amendment, IMO, does not apply here anyway.
Stem Cell Research
Both support expansion. Fantastic. I’m in. Points for both - this is a big deal.
Health Care
I have some friends who strongly believe in private health-care only. Fine - but our health care system is miserably broken. It’s a total mess, and disgustingly expensive and inefficient. The two keep sniping at each other about the “universality” of health care, and I think both of their ideas are better than what we have. It’s such a complex issue that I’m not sure anyone has a good grasp of the plans, but from what I’ve heard, I like Hillary’s better. Point for Clinton.
Electronic Medical Records
Oh god, I had to split this out from Health Care, mostly because it’s a negative point for Hillary - while EMR’s are great and indeed the future - no EMR is functional for a large institution. None. We’ve looked at all of them, and Cedars is implementing one that basically doesn’t work for any specialist department. EMR’s aren’t where we should be working right now. What we should be working on first is PHR’s - Personal or Portable Health Records. These would be housed online at a place like Microsoft or Google. And frankly, I trust them more with that information than I do the government or the insurance companies. Plus it would make available mountains of clinical data to be mined for new ideas and treatments. The benefits far outweigh the concerns, in my opinion. A person should sit down with a PHR specialist at their general practitioner and get help setting up their PHR. They could then be given a PHR reference card. Their record could be accessed by themselves via password, or by a verified medical institution. Does it need rock-solid security? Yes. But it’s worth it, 10x over. After PHR’s are commonplace, then EMR’s become possible - with interchangeable, true standard data formats (the current “standard” - HL7 - is anything but) filtering out from the PHR’s, then EMR’s could be developed for specialty areas that are perfectly interfaceable with PHR’s and the more general EMR’s. I can only hope whoever wins gets some good advice on this issue.
Taxes
Both have some ideas here and there, but from what I’ve heard, I think Obama’s plans might be best. Point Obama.
Homeland Security
Blah blah useless politics. I think it all gets summed up in the Patriot Act, so lets take a look:
Clinton - voted for it, voted to extend it.
Obama - wasn’t around to vote for it, voted to extend it.
Well. Both of you suck, and minus points to both of you. Ugh. “Change” my ass.
FISA
Finally came around to vote no (effectively) on Telecom immunity. Points for both. (This is getting hard.)
Net Neutrality
This is a big deal to me - and both support it. Fantastic. But I worry a little about Hillary’s enthusiasm, so a half point to Obama.
Entertainment
This came up for Obama tonight, and I liked his answer. I wish Hillary would have been given the chance to answer as well. But I do know that she has been real ornery about violent video games, edging pretty close to the censorship zone. Point Obama.
Personality/X-Factor
Isn’t this really what it’s about - even if we don’t admit it? Who’d we like to have a beer with? Or a cup of coffee? Who’d we like to have over for dinner? Who seems like a friend? For me, I actually like Hillary better. I really do. I think she’s whip-smart, has a good sense of humor and is a damn good politician. I may not agree 100% with her politics, but I have to respect her superior politicking. I hate the term but to me, she’s more Presidential - but that’s not a rational opinion, it’s an emotional one. This isn’t to say I dislike Obama - he seems like a good guy to me. But he doesn’t seem as good a politician, doesn’t seem as forceful in will. I really have to give this “category” to Hillary. I like her.
Final Tally
Well, lets go back and look…Obama wins. I agree with more of his positions, and so he will represent me best among the two. So, you hear it here first - I will be voting for Barack Obama come Tuesday, Feb. 5th. However, if in the end Hillary Clinton wins the nomination, I will support her wholeheartedly 100%.
Yeah, well mine was a mail-in. I woke up yesterday to find out that one of what I bubbled in no longer counted. Go me. Never you mind that I tend to vote Dem out of pragmatism, my core beliefs tending far to the left of the Donkey Party.
I agree with most of what you’d bothered to specify. I’d like to point out regarding healthcare that Clinton and Edwards would require what the media have called an “individual mandate,” meaning everyone would be required to enroll in health care of some sort. Clinton had said something along the lines of, ‘You can’t have universal health care if not everyone is required to have it — that’s not universal,’ where Obama took a more libertarian tack and said something like, ‘Everyone is going to want to enroll.’
Happy voting!
Oooh, thanks for breaking some stuff down! I know you follow all this stuff, and I sadly don’t, so you drilling down a few key points and summarizing is pretty helpful.