Cookie Cutter CandidatesI’m a firm believer in the power of debate. I hope that our country never loses the diverseness of population that requires a multiparty party system, with smaller groups nipping at the leaders’ heels. This presidential race may only be in its warm-up laps, but I’m afraid that it is creating the wrong divisions.
I don’t believe that Giuliani really believes that individuals need or have the unquestionable right to “bear arms.” I also question whether he really believes in stricter abortion laws? McCain once warned the country against “extreme Christian leaders,” and has spent months trying to cater to those he once disparaged. Hillary Clinton is for the war, yet she has joined the democrat efforts to establish a firm date for withdrawal.
The debate has come down to us versus them. Especially on the right. Primary season should be the time when candidates clarify their positions in contrast to their opponents, yet the three blind mice appear to be using these months to prove that they are the most “Republican” in the field. All three support the war; gun rights; the sanctity of marriage (while allowing gay couples the some rights); the limitation of abortion; Christian morals as a foundation for the country; and the need to lower government spending. These beliefs parallel my own, but their campaigns haven’t provided for debate and they haven’t shown us the foundational beliefs of the individuals vying for our vote. Instead this primary season seems to be widening the chasm between the two parties. The candidates don’t appear three dimensional, with policies that show their real beliefs and not just the party line. It won’t be until after the primary season when they start catering to the non-registered Republicans that the real positions are clarified.
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