Other than RKBA, what are your main voting issues?

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albanian

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Other than the most important issue of all (RKBA), what are the key issues you tend to vote on? They say that most voter only vote based on a few key issues that are important to them. Without the RKBA, none of the other issues mean much so lets set that one aside and see what else is important to us.

I don't consider myself a Dem or a Rep. There are things about both parties that turn my stomach but since I have to vote for someone, I often choose based on several key issues. This election I will be baseing my vote on these issues in this order.

1. Illegal aliens.
It is high time that our elected leader stand up and do something about this invasion of felons that has become a serious problem lately. I have nothing against Mexicans at all and I don't feel that wanting to enforce our current laws is somehow racist, I just want something done before it is too late.

2. Separation of church and state.
These "right wing" religious extremists are dangerous people that don't have true American values in their hearts. They are not pro-freedom, they are the other side of the coin of the Muslim extremists. I have nothing against religion, just keep it out of my life and don't force it on me. Freedom OF religion also means freedom FROM religion.

3. Balance the budget.
I really don't want to pay any more taxes than I absolutly have to so I wish both parties would cut back on spending a little and try to do a little less instead of a little more. I prefer small goverment yet Bush spends like a Democrat.

4. Guns.
I know I wasn't supposed to mention this issue but if a party doesn't trust us enough to own guns, there is no way I can trust them enough to make the right choices for me.
 
Less government ... period

Fewer taxes (which leads to less government).

As somebody said, "you should be grateful you don't get as much government as you pay for."
 
To me, RKBA is a litmus test about how a candidate thinks about personal sovereignty. It's also a reasonable indicator about many other issues, such as borders/immigration/security.

Church/state separation? The courts control, so a candidate's views are 99% immaterial. A lot of other stuff along that line, as well.

The "Anti-drug!" rhetoric and "Law'n'Order" rhetoric are just that: Window dressing for the lumpentariat.

On local issues, other factors come into play. More to do, there, with just plain stupid or good ol' boy corruption. That's all more easily dealt with via some local electioneering.

Art
 
More equitable taxation of the rich
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I trust you mean cutting taxes on upper incomes. Gov't types have a plan here. See, "rich" used to mean $50,000 or up when I was a kid. Now that's middle income, but we still have the same basically the same tax scale. So, as inflation comes into play a larger and larger percentage of us are "rich" (but interestingly enough tax scale doesn't change to match it)

Something like 5-10% of Americans pay over 50% of the taxes. The bottom 40% pay zero or virtually zero.

The simple test is abortion. If there is a pro-life segment, then there's a pro-death. Simple as that. And, don't even start that crap about "pro-choice". Look at the image of a 12 week old and tell me it's not human.
 
As a utilitarian I consider the whole range of issues in calculating potential harm or benefit, but the ones I tend to weight most heavily are:

1. Balanced budget/Debt limits. The damage done by skyrocketing deficits (let alone the consideration of to whom exactly we are in debt) is staggering - it is a huge brake on economic growth and hampers almost all monetary and fiscal policy options.

2. Macroeconomic policy, including global trade growth. If we can't buy from and sell to whomever is the most economically efficient, by definition there will be less overall benefit created by the markets. Short term and (normally protectionist) microeconomic considerations should play no part at all in sound macro policy.

3. Religious freedom. I don't care how religious you are and how strongly that makes you feel about gay marriage, abortion, Sunday trading or boobs on TV. It shouldn't give you the right to make those decisions for me or anybody else.

4. Sensible regulation of environment and commerce. Not NO regulation, where externalities would never be considered and would be almost universally negative. Not OVER regulation, where additional costs are incurred by parties irrespective of benefit and which makes allocation of resources inefficient, but regulating according to the externalities involved.

5. Privacy and personal liberty. I'm no anarcho-libertarian purist but to choose a rather nice line from the Wiccans (not that I lend any more credence to their religion than others) "An it harm none, do as you will". Can't say it better than that except perhaps to say "an it harm no OTHER" - don't give a darn if you harm yourself alone. Smoke. Drink. Inject heroin for all I care - just don't harm others doing so. No I don't think you have the freedom to dump carcinogens in water, or sell tainted meat, or make defective brakes for my car and I sure as hell don't trust to "market forces" to stop you. Those harm people by the very act. But it harms no-one if you have three (adult and consenting) wives, 500 GE-134 miniguns, or a habit of driving at 85mph in a safe and appropriate time. Guns I would include in this category. Hate to cheese off the ones who think RKBA is a shining city on the hill higher than all other rights, but to me it's the same as being able to do anything else that causes no harm.

6. No politician I know of makes a big deal of this yet much to my chagrin but if they ever do I will weigh it heavily because it's a pet peeve of mine. Euthaniasia. Why we allow dogs more dignity and comfort in their frailty and terminal pain than we do humans I'll never know. I love dogs, always have. But the best thing I did for my last dog was let her go and save her from intense, incurable and agonizing illness. Why my wife is not legally allowed to do that for me I will never understand. If there IS a natural law right that is higher than any other, surely it is the control over our own life itself.
 
The Environment. If someone supports the ludicrous Kyoto protocol or buys into the Global Warming hype and wants to tear down our modern world in the name of this bizarre false religion, voting for them is out of the question for me. That includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, now, apparently. Willing to build enough nuke plants to power the US without fossil fuels? You've got my vote.

Jihadism. If someone appears to be willing to do whatever it takes to win this war decisively, that's a big plus. If someone thinks we can or should appease these nutballs, or is hesitant to use overwhelming force, they're out.

Pork. I'd vote for Tom Coburn for President.

The border. I don't really care that much about the wetbacks. Sorry. They can stay or go for all I care -- I'm not gung-ho to see them all deported, but if they are, I figure they knew the risks when they came here. I do, however, care about our national sovereignty. No one should have the right to claim my state or my country for their race, culture, or country, and I don't much care what it takes to send them packing. And I support the Border Patrol in being able to do their jobs of keeping the REAL scumbags out as much as possible, not chasing thousands of illiterate laborers around the desert. A rational solution (serious employer enforcement and raids, Constitutional amendment to deny citizenship to those born of parents not in the country legally and to deny anything tax-funded to illegal aliens, and a rational reform of our immigration and migrant worker laws) would go a long way towards getting my vote.

Character. For example, John Kerry is a douchebag. I came around from a common Libertarian position of supporting gridlock by voting Democrat and ousting Bush, to an Anybody But Kerry position, by November 2004. I just couldn't vote for the guy in good conscience, no matter what. A freedom-loving, pro-American, decent human being would be nice. A blame-America-first weenie is right out (that goes for Libertarians, too, BTW).

Militant free trade. That doesn't mean unilateral free trade. I support free trade, but I also favor using our trade clout as a diplomatic and pseudo-military tool. Any free trade agreement must work both ways, and no US sovereignty will be surrendered.

Secular government. I don't want anyone, of any religion, forcing their beliefs on with American guns. Theocracy has led to torture, terror and murder, and the oppression of women, throughout Western history. It doesn't matter which religion is in power. The Taliban should serve to remind us that Christians did the same crap when they ruled Europe. All power corrupts, and claiming God's will doesn't change that one iota. That said, I don't think there's a genuine threat of theocracy in America in 2006, except from the Dhimmicrats who don't believe in being truthful about the threat of Jihadism.
 
WRT pro-life vs. pro-choice...

I can really see both sides.

Like the majority of Americans (if we believe polls), I have no problem with banning late-term abortions for non-health reasons. Of course a fetus in the 8th month is really a baby. I used to work neo-natal transport, mostly premies, and I know what they are like.

Like a similar majority, I don't want to see things like the "morning-after pill" banned by people who think it incentivizes casual sex. I don't CARE about someone else's sex life, and I sure don't think it's the government's business. I was a biology major, and I know too much about the messy process by which an egg becomes a fetus to think a fertilized egg is a baby.

So... What would I like to see in a politician? Someone who has the testicular fortitude to stand up to BOTH the brutal pro-abortion absolutists AND the theocratic anti-abortion absolutists. Someone who might suggest that stopping an egg from implanting is very different from partial-birth abortion.

Is there a politician in the land who would have the balls? I DON'T THINK SO! That's why such a person would get my utmost respect.
 
1. Liberties. A politician who wants my vote should always place the rights and liberties of people first. The right to put whatever you want into your body. The right to go shooting whatever I want. The right to end my life whenever I so choose. Protect those liberties for all. Basically, go right down the bill of rights and work to keep government away from those.

2. Environment. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about protecting our resources. Endangered Species Act has really got to be reigned in and possibly removed. Good idea at first, but its been taken to the extreme. Federal drinking water standards are a good idea and they have shown to be a benefit to citizens. I'd like to see more ethanol and biodiesel development. These fuels will put more farmers to work and fuel agricultural growth. Brazil has made giant steps towards ethanol production and use. They've gone from nearly 80% dependency on foreign oil to less than 15%.

3. Economy. Stay out of it please. Well, not totally, but do only what you must to preserve economic freedom by preventing monopolies, ensure safe working conditions and working against blatant profiteering. Making lots of money is fine, but not when people can't afford the things they need. The steps towards this economic freedom will help lower taxes required to run the government.

4. Taxes. Either flat tax or federal sales tax. The tax codes are too complex and rob Americans blind. Citizens of other nations pay similar levels to Americans and have better education and fund healthcare systems. Social Security should be privatized or better yet, eliminated. Let people make their own investments and don't prop it up. I doubt I'll be able to collect on SS when I'm old enough.

5. Election and Campaign finance reform. Electoral college has got to go. Go to a preferential voting method (Condorcet method would be better) and give other parties a real chance to get people elected. The monopoly on government power must end. Also, campaign finance must be privately run and limits on expenditure should be set. Each viable candidate (will have to set standards for viability) will get free airtime on the airwaves owned by the people. FCC gets the axe.

6. Criminal Justice. Violent offenders don't get out of prison for a LONG time. Death penalty is abolished as its not shown to be a deterrent nor can you be 100% sure of guilt. Violent or forcible rape is a life sentence. Corporal punishment returns. Gulags set up and prisoners must fend for themselves. Sentences for non-violent offenders can be shortened through public service. Each month of public service gets 2 weeks removed from sentence for example.

I'll think of more later.
 
Endangered Species Act was NEVER a good idea, because it is a deceptive violation of the 4th Amendment.

If you want to force someone to use THEIR property as a PUBLIC resource (e.g. a nature preserve), then PAY them for it, don't force them to pay for it themselves.

I favor conservation. I just don't favor theft.
 
Other than guns:

1. The 1st Amendment. Seperation of church and state. Support of more regulation of the radio, tv, internet, or less.

2. Surveillance, police powers, abilities of the police under the 4th Amendment. I take a very restrictive view of police power concerning the 4th and 5th Amendment limits.

3. Drug war. Needs to stop. Needs to stop now. (Obviously, I have to let this one ride almost all the time).

4. Limits on the US intervention in foreign affairs. The US Military exists to defend us. Not others.

5. Illegal immigration I post 5th. Mainly b/c I think the issue will come to a head, and be solved (meaning mass deportations, and legislation which hurts employers who hurt the USA). Should it either be ignored, or big business or Democratic voting interests encourage and pass an amnesty, this issue will become much more important for me. Hopefully, it will be transient. (What I know is that American wages are hurt by two things: off shoring service sector jobs, and illegals taking industry, construction, etc. jobs.)
 
3. Drug war. Needs to stop. Needs to stop now. (Obviously, I have to let this one ride almost all the time).
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Sadly, I didn't even list it, since it seems like the issue no politician will touch, either.

What's funny is that I've talked to several habitual pot smokers who think that the world will go to hell in a handbasket if people can get pot easily. But they seem to have plenty, and so do all their friends, and the world hasn't gone to hell yet. Politics and reality just don't mix for some people, I guess.
 
A lot of great ideas here.

I only vote two issues though.

1.) Lower taxes / cut spending / shrink government. Unfortunately I've never seen any progress on this front. I think the only solution is line item veto combined with term limits for congressmen. I just don't see a balanced budget amendment doing any good.

2.) Defense. This actually includes RKBA (our last defense against enemies foreign and domestic) and a coherent immigration policy, among other things. This used to be, and should be, my number one concern. Our bloated, inefficient, and invasive government though needs to be fixed more at the moment.
 
1. Religious Freedom, everyone has the right to follow their own religion, and express it. Despite my views, I cannot force them on someone else, only try to convince them. Beyond that, it's their choice.

2. Pro-Life- I believe in the sanctity of every human life, from conception. There are many places of scripture that point to God forming a human from the mother's womb.

3. Anti-Gay Marriage- Marriage was created as an institution of God between one man and one woman from the beginning of creation. This is only my view, I'm sorry if this offends you, but if others have the right to express their reasons for supporting gay marriage, I have the right to express my reasons for not supporting gay marriage. Any union otherwise is a different issue, if done by the state and only the state. I've heard of nations forcing Christian pastors to marry gays, no matter if it is against their religion, and if they didn't, they would be arrested and stripped of their ordination.

4. Less Government- I also believe in less government, the federal government, that is. I believe the founders wanted it to be more state control with very little federal control.

5. Taxes- Less of 'em.

6. Workplace Enforcement- I believe that more times that not, that big businesses care very little about their employees. We can see this throughout history, especially in the coal mines. Therefore, I believe we do need to keep workplace rules for safety and benefit of the employee.
 
This thread has restored my faith in..

our ability to see eye to eye. Petty differences aside (and there are a few) I agree with the vast majority of the posts so far.
Edited to add:
I was typing while others were posting. The last post I read before I started typing was post#10, so that is all I will go on record as supporting. Not that I can not or do not agree with any subsequent posts, but will not Carte Blanche subsequent posts...
My list:

Borders, Language, Culture--self evident..
Pork/Spending. Way overdue---Control this NOW.
Fair Tax-no exemptions. Start with 10% from everyone, businesses, individuals, CEOs. Take it (shudder) from there.
Enforce EXISTING laws instead of passing additional "Feel-Good" legislation.
Uphold the Constitution as written (don't think I saw that one listed yet)

I could go on (term limits and lobbyists), but let's start with the obvious....
 
SolaScriptura139 said:
1. Religious Freedom, everyone has the right to follow their own religion, and express it. Despite my views, I cannot force them on someone else, only try to convince them. Beyond that, it's their choice.

2. Pro-Life- I believe in the sanctity of every human life, from conception. There are many places of scripture that point to God forming a human from the mother's womb.

3. Anti-Gay Marriage- Marriage was created as an institution of God between one man and one woman from the beginning of creation. This is only my view, I'm sorry if this offends you, but if others have the right to express their reasons for supporting gay marriage, I have the right to express my reasons for not supporting gay marriage. Any union otherwise is a different issue, if done by the state and only the state. I've heard of nations forcing Christian pastors to marry gays, no matter if it is against their religion, and if they didn't, they would be arrested and stripped of their ordination.
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Wouldn't 2 & 3 be contradictory to 1?
Citing a biblical basis for them and voting for this reason is a bit hypocritical no?
 
1- 2nd amendment.
2- the rest of the bill of rights.
3- illegal immigration.

i guess that about covers every concern i have. this is the longest list i've ever had. previous record stopped at #2.
 
No, because marriage (as we know it and apply today) is a Judeo-Christian institution. As I said, any other union is a different issue, so long as you're not forcing Christian Pastors to perform it. I should have clarified it a little better. And religious freedom is not so interconnected with whether a fetus is a human or not. I just used that as one example as to why I support pro-life. There's the old addage, the only people who can choose abortion are those who didn't get aborted. I don't know about you, but I'm glad I was carried through to term. And having a child of my own, I don't understand how anyone can destroy such a wonderful life.
 
In no particular order.

1- Less taxes, spending and government

2- National Defense, the border is included in this. We need to shut down illegal crossings and set up some type of guest worker program.

3-Pro Life, abortion law needs to reflect the scientific realities of what a human is.

4-RKBA
 
No, because marriage (as we know it and apply today) is a Judeo-Christian institution.
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No it's not. Aristophenes referred to marriages that resemble ours quite exactly, and he was a heathen Greek, living hundreds of years BC.

As I said, any other union is a different issue, so long as you're not forcing Christian Pastors to perform it.
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I'm with you there. Forcing someone to violate their own beliefs is one of the most gross violations of individual freedom I can imagine, and I'd be fighting right along side someone for someone's right to refuse to perform a marriage that violated his/her religious or even arbitrary personal beliefs.

And religious freedom is not so interconnected with whether a fetus is a human or not.
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It is when you talk about "conception," which is a tad hard to define. A zygote is not a fetus. Some of these absolute beliefs are based on nothing but religion -- just as the absolute beliefs of the abortion-rights people are based on nothing but their own form of "religion."
 
Marriage as we know it today is a social contract. Why not remove government from it altogether? I'd be all for the guy who abolished marriage and issued retro-active certificates of civil union.
However, it is everyone's right to get married in our country. To deny a group of people said right because of the sex of their partner is bigotry at its best.

That would really depend on which definition of life you want to use. The legal definition is a lot more concrete than the biological definition. I think that a woman should have every right to choose what she does with her own eggs, fertilized or not.

Voting for someone who opposes gay marriage and abortion on religious grounds while claiming to believe in the freedom of religion and separation of church and state is a bit hypocritical.
If these things aren't right for you, then don't do them, but don't try to pass laws that prevent others from doing what makes them happy.
 
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