Below are three of the general areas I think the President has the most direct influence on and how I see the candidates coming down on each.1) FOREIGN POLICY -- Presidents arguably have their greatest influence on foreign policy. This is in large part due to both political and Constitutional constraints on the exercise of presidential power domestically.
a) HAWK - If you want a president who is comparatively more prone to favor using military solutions to settle international disputes, you should probably vote for McCain.2) SUPREME COURT - It is highly probable that the next president will nominate several Supreme Court Justices to the bench.
b) DOVE - If you want a president who is comparatively more likely to value world opinion and rely on diplomatic solutions to settle international disputes, you should probably vote for Obama.
a) FEDERALISM/STATE'S RIGHTS - Republicans tend to nominate Justices that favor stronger state's rights (more decentralized government) and more narrowly construed Congressional power. McCain is probably a better choice is you hold this view.3) INTERBRANCH TENSION - Part of the design of the American political system is to balance the power of the president against that of Congress. The greater the tension between the two branches, the more inhibited both of them will be in their actions.
b) STRONGER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - Democrats tend to nominate Justices that favor stronger federal power (more centralized government) and more broadly interpreted Congressional power. Obama is probably a better choice if you favor strengthening the federal government.
a) LOW TENSION - If you believe Congress and the president should be free to quickly implement many new pieces of legislation and have little impediment to crafting new policies, then you should probably vote for Obama.
b) HIGH TENSION - If you believe that "a government that governs best is one that governs least", this result is more likely to occur when the majority in Congress and the President are from opposing parties. If this is your perspective, you should probably vote for McCain.
1 comment:
I think this voter's guide is part of the problem with the past ways of thinking: it divides everything neatly into 2 camps, in a very stereotypical fashion. This does not often match reality, nor match what is needed.
Take the issue of the Supreme Court. The Republicans on the court have voted to uphold many of the expansions of executive power that have occurred due to the Bush/Cheney administration. Indeed, this is what Cheney really cared about...it wasn't about abortion...he wanted justices who would approve of his expansion of executive power.
McCain shows every inclination of wanting to continue this vast usurpation of power by the executive branch. So if want more intrusive, powerful federal govt, vote for McCain.
In fact, I'd say that the Republicans will spend more, claim more executive power, and engage in more international adventurism than the Democrats.
In the classical sense, the Democrats are more conservative than the Republicans.
So again, if you want higher deficits, more executive power, and the likelihood of more war, then vote McCain. Oh yeah, throw in more divisive politics.
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