Presidential Primaries:
On Ron, Barack, Hillary and Ralph
by Diane V. McLoughlin
04/02/08
Whoever becomes the next President of The United States,
I would wish them well and hope that they exceed all
expectations to the good.
Reading the tea leaves is never fun. I have to say there isn't
one candidate yet that my gut says, that's the one.
On Ron Paul: The candidate who comes closest in the
current political climate, for me so far, is Ron Paul. Ron
Paul believes in individual liberty, small government, and an
end to ambitions of empire.
I can't say that I am completely sold on Ron Paul, but he's
got a lot going for him. Absolute (at least so he says)
adherence to the Constitution.
He says he would bend the rules overseas in order to gather
intelligence on those who might wish to bring harm to
America.
Spying would be justified in some circumstances. But it
raises the question, how far is he prepared to run with
paranoia?
How far is he prepared to go with non-Americans (fellow
human beings) in ignoring their rights? Go too far and it
seems to me that you're pretty much back to where you
started - far, far away from peace in our time.
Ron Paul is against abortion and would want to leave
decisions about its legality up to individual states. That's a
problem.
But. We have got to get our foreign affairs envelope fixed.
He says we need to get out of foreign entanglements. He
says we should quit propping up dictators.
If we get out, how many lives would be spared devastation?
This is the question my mind keeps coming back to. We
must repair the damage done to America's relationship with
the rest of the world.
On Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: It would be great to
see a black man, or a woman of any color, win the
presidency. Not just for the inspiration to Americans. I was
going to say for the inspiration to minority groups and to
women. But that isn't right. I think it would be inspiring to us
all. It would be wonderful. I think many would hope it would
signal a new era in equality. Not just in America. But also in
other nations as well. One could not say enough good
things about the powerful symbolism and the hopeful
possibilities that would be planted in hearts and minds.
But I would not want Barack Obama to win just for the sake
of the color of his skin. I would not want Hillary Clinton to win
just because she is a woman. The test, as Reverend Martin
Luther King so rightly put it, is in the content of one's
character. It's what's inside that counts.
On Ralph Nader: Ralph Nader took a lot of heat in the
aftermath of the 2000 Presidential election. He was
accused of splitting the Democratic vote, allowing George
W. Bush to walk up the middle and walk away with the
Presidency. I fundamentally disagree with this point of view.
If Ralph wants to run, let Ralph run. Let him make his case. I
want to hear his points on what he intends to do as
President and in what ways he differs from his opponents.
Ralph knows the system. Ralph has fought the system and
won. Because he won, he has been responsible for saving
countless thousands of lives in improved safety standards
for cars.
The auto industry fought him tooth and nail. They didn't want
cars to be built with actual safety in mind. That would cut
into the bottom line. In those days more often than not, in
major accidents steering wheels cut people in half.
Ralph knows how tough it is to fight and win. Yet, he fights.
What does this tell us about Ralph Nader? Ralph is tough.
He fights for what he believes is right.
Ralph believes in the power of the people to change things
for the better. He believes it, even for as long as he has
been around.
If guys like Ralph can still believe, you should, too. Vote.
Don't vote for who you think will win. Vote for who you want
to win.
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