Conservatives are aching for a good GOP primary ?candidate
Dear reader, if you’re already fed up with coverage of the 2016 presidential election — if so I’m sorry for you — please bear with me, because what I’m about to say is important regardless of your political position. The slate of candidates for the Republican nomination next year is downright awful.
If — like most college students — you’re liberal, you might be tempted to think this doesn’t affect you, but you’d be wrong.
A democracy is only as strong as its ballot. If I lived in a nation where the only options for president were a fundamentalist and a cheese sandwich, then it’s not much of a democracy. None of these options would represent my opinions.
Something terribly similar seems to be happening with those who lean conservative nowadays. Clarification: when I say conservative, I don’t mean the political stance which gives “Saturday Night Live” writers consistent parody material. I’m referring to the principles believing government is best when limited and government should only provide for basic necessities and human rights.
Some, not all, Republican primary candidates agree with this. But among those who do, there are plenty who are still terrible.
For instance, philanthropist and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina are in the primary despite having little to no political experience. I’m sure they are qualified leaders, but presidents don’t just lead, they compromise, and these two don’t seem keen on reaching across the aisle.
Next, we have the candidates who’ve based their ?campaign on Christian or television credentials.
No thank you. If I want a sermon, I know many good churches, and if I want to watch an interesting person on TV, there’s John Oliver. This allows me to cross out Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindaal and Mike Huckabee.
Lastly, there are those I dislike for ulterior reasons.
I’d be hard-pressed to support Jeb Bush regardless of policies because of the dynastic feel. Chris Christie’s recent flirtation with corruption charges make me shudder to think how he’d use federal executive power.
Lastly, the four best-qualified candidates are Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, John Kasich and Lindsey Graham, but even they come with their own problems.
These men are moderate or willing to compromise on most issues but still appeal to core Republicans.
John Kasich and Lindsey Graham are accommodating, but John Kasich is about as interesting as vanilla paste, and Lindsey Graham feels like a John McCain clone without the war hero angle.
Either way, it’s unlikely either of them will win the nomination, unlike Rand Paul or Marco Rubio. But Rand Paul is actually a liberatarian in disguise, so it hardly feels right to call him Republican. As for Rubio, well, there’s nothing too objectionable about him.
But what is objectionable is the vibrant debates Democrats are able to have about the merits of various luminary candidates like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, while I can only manage to produce a single name.
I may support small government, but I’ll need a bigger list to choose from.
awurdema@indiana.edu
