It seems like every blog, politically-oriented or not, is endorsing a presidential candidate. Why not? Newspapers, which also purport to be balanced, do the same. So I thought about it from a manufacturing and enterprise excellence perspective. I weighed the major players.
Barack Obama? I like the passion, enthusiasm, obvious intelligence, and the fact that he represents a milestone for the country. But only two years in the Senate? He's never actually truly run anything and had to live with his decisions? That's scary. Raising taxes when knowledge and capital is already fleeing and our business taxes are already considerably higher than the rest of the world… then wondering why jobs are going overseas? 40% of taxpayers already have no net tax liability, the largest percentage in history, and his policies would take us to the "tipping point" that many economists are warning about, where a majority do not owe taxes. In effect a majority would have no "skin in the game"… that's incredibly dangerous. What happened to the Democratic Party of Kennedy and Truman and even Clinton, who negotiated free trade, believed in a strong military option, veto'd poor policy like Kyoto, and didn't try to squash free speech with political correctness, "fairness doctrines" and non-secret unionization ballots? The party that understood that businesses create jobs and wealth, not the government, and that even the smartest government can't outsmart the free market?
John McCain? I like the experience, courage, and obvious love of country. He has a real history of shaking things up and calling it like it is. I believe he would attack waste in government and he would stand up to his own party when he thought they were wrong. But at the same time he has changed his ways during this campaign, got sucked into current Republican dogma, and has become less of the maverick. What happened to the Republican Party of Reagan and others that truly believed in limited government, reducing spending, and reducing taxes? The current party has been on an incredibly wasteful binge of spending, capped with this ridiculous "bail out" that they agreed to in conjunction with the other party, which basically eliminates any accountability by homeowners, bankers, and the government itself. When did the party of personal responsibility, self-accountability, and liberty begin to believe it was necessary to dictate moral preferences that affect women's rights and the ability to marry who you choose? When did the party of capitalism, built on the shoulders of immigrants from Europe, Africa, and Asia, suddenly begin to believe that the latest wave of immigrants was a danger and not an opportunity?
Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader? Very little comment necessary; both basically exist to tell us where the boundaries of fringe paranoidism lie. But I guess we still need people like them. I'm sure there's some reason.
Bob Barr? He has more real experience than Barack Obama. By having the guts to abandon the current incarnation of the Republican Party he shows himself as a true maverick. He believes in the power of limited government and personal accountability. I occasionally admit to my Libertarian proclivities, so this would seem to be a natural choice. But there's something about him that just rubs me a bit wrong… maybe it's the mustache.
So who? Who truly believes that the solution to a problem doesn't necessarily require throwing money at it? Who truly believes that by improving the knowledge and condition of people you can leverage success? Who truly believes that programs and organizations are not zero-sum situations, and that there's a bunch of waste in the middle that can be eliminated instead of believing it's a choice between reducing programs or increasing taxes? A true leader who understands the power of business coupled with the power of people? Perhaps someone like Michael Bloomberg?
So Evolving Excellence endorses no one. Sorry. You're free to follow your own gut. Alas once again we don't have a choice between the best and the brightest. Maybe in four more years…
John Volk says
Beautifully said, Kevin. My thoughts exactly.
I read earlier today that third parties should not aspire to the presidency. They should aspire to a base that’s larger than the difference between the two primary party bases so they have real power.
Perhaps someday, before I die and leave this mess to my kids.
JD McErnerny says
Ha! I was wondering if you’d weigh in on this as you do spout some appropriate politics from time to time. I admire your guts to not blindly follow one party or another. I know several people, such as my folks, that have voted straight ticket for sixty years without realizing that the party had almost done a 180 in terms of policy. Which party? Both. My mom always votes Democrat, my dad Republican. I tried telling them that after 60 years the Democrat was more like the old Republican and vice versa, but they couldn’t acknowledge that.
Good luck with the next four years. We’ll all need it.
UK Pat says
If I could vote in your country, and I guess if I lived in Ohio or knew someone at ACORN I could, I would still going for Bob Barr.
What’s truly scary to me is the possibility of supermajorities in Congress and the Senate by the party of the same bloke that wins the presidency. Absolute power always corrupts, regardless of who’s in power. The best policies have come when the parties are forced to work together. And sometimes the best policy is no policy when they can’t come to an agreement.
Not a Neocon says
The supermajority is a big concern. If that happens we’ll see socialized healthcare… just as the rest of the world like Canada and the UK are moving toward privatization after already trying that experiment. Higher taxes just as the rest of the world like eastern Europe and even Sweden as pointed out last week are lowering taxes, more government “regulation” (aka social engineering) when leading economists pretty much agree that Congressional regulations incenting high risk loans and quasi government agencies like Freddie and Fannie is what led to our current mess in the first place.
However I do appreciate your viewpoint that just as the second pillar of lean manufacturing is about respect for people, we will all do better if we respect and leverage the power of people. Not just in manufacturing, but in society as a whole.
What a choice. Where’s a centrist when you need one?
Cindy Duggan says
Always a breath of fresh air to meet a true centrist who can think for himself instead of blindly drinking party kool-aid. Nice job.
I’m very interested in seeing what the political bloggers and talkers will do after the election. All of a sudden the right wing types won’t have to defend the undefendable, and the left wing types can’t complain and will have to defend their choice, especially if they get a fillibuster-proof majority. It’s a topsy-turvy world!! Maybe that conundrum will spawn more centrists!
Laura says
Kevin- Have YOU ever thought of running for office?!