With Wisconsin’s presidential primary fast approaching on Tuesday, April 5, it is important that everyone voting makes an educated and informed decision. I cannot stress this enough. Educating and informing yourself about the potential candidates is an absolutely necessary precursor to voting. Too many people simply vote for a candidate because of the letter “D” or “R” next to his or her name. I understand that some people have strong loyalties to a party, but I encourage everyone to research the candidates in every election before voting. You just might learn something.
To help guide people’s thinking about who to vote for in the April 5 election, here are four questions I consider when deciding: Is this person trying to scare me, and thus get me to act irrationally when voting? Do I think this person will improve U.S. foreign relations? Do I think this person will improve domestic situations? Do I trust this person with nuclear weapons?
The first question refers to the way many candidates use scare tactics. I believe that the use of fear in American politics is at an absurd level, and the vast majority of politicians are using some type of fearmongering. Politicians tell us to be afraid of taxes, terrorists, our $19 trillion debt, income inequality, big banks, racism, guns, the regulation of guns and much more. Some even tell us to be afraid of the government, which is extremely ironic to me because politicians (if elected) are a part of the government. These candidates are pretty much telling us to be afraid of them, but to still vote for them.
If I only listened to politicians, I would probably think the world is going to end. The point I’m trying to make is that although there are a lot of things we should be aware of and some things that are frighteningly true, politicians almost always exaggerate the facts to scare us. They then offer a solution to these problems and hope that they are compelling enough for us to vote for them. The problem is that we don’t act rationally when afraid, so it is important to look past the fearmongering and decide what issues are important.
The second question refers to how people outside of our country view us, and how we interact with foreign countries. I know it might be hard for many Americans to believe, but there are many other important countries on the planet. Although our military is immensely powerful, we cannot take on the entire world alone. The U.S. is a part of numerous defense alliances like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and individual arrangements with countries such as Japan and Australia. Additionally, we are a part of numerous trade agreements with many countries, and have some well-known multinational deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement. Whether you like these pacts or not, our relations with foreign countries are extremely important and we need a president who will make sure that we don’t turn the entire world against us.
The third question addresses things like our economy, racial tensions, infrastructure, border control, taxes and programs like Obamacare. If the country is doing well, incumbents are likely to win re-election. If the economy is going down the drain, then they are likely to lose regardless if it is their fault or not. Whether you consider yourself a Democrat or Republican, Independent or political Martian, a candidate’s domestic policies are arguably the most important issues on your mind.
The fourth question extends beyond our nuclear arsenal (4,500 warheads) to our entire military. Our military is the strongest in the entire world, and is arguably the most terrifying thing on the planet. Even when taking our nuclear weapons out of the equation (which could completely obliterate the entire moon or our own country four times over), our military has the ability to be massively destructive.
According to the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war, but the president has the power to direct the military after a declaration of war. Despite the need for a congressional declaration, the U.S. has fought many wars without one. In response to some of these conflicts, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 that required the president to notify Congress of the committal of troops within 48 hours, and forced a removal of troops in 60 days without an extension. However, after 9/11, Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force against Terrorists, which further strengthened the president. The president has a lot of unchecked control over the military, and it is extremely important that we can trust him or her wielding so much power.
So there you have it. Those are my four questions for evaluating presidential candidates. Whether you like them and use them to guide your thinking or you consider them complete rubbish, I at least hope that I got you thinking about the upcoming election. I also hope that you see the importance of being an informed voter.
Thomas is a junior majoring in history and psychology. What do you think of his four questions for evaluating candidates? Let us know at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
