“No one ever teaches well who wants to teach, or governs well who wants to govern.” Plato
I found today’s topic in The Wall Street Journal, in which my article of choice discusses “Rick Perry and Mitt Romney’s clash from the opening bell of Republican presidential candidates’ debate Wednesday … signaling their burgeoning rivalry is likely to dominate the contest in the months ahead.” As I have shared in previous posts, my “political stance” has varied over the years but was first developed in a small conservative town. What I hesitate to share is my indecisiveness in which candidate I favor. Although a common hesitancy when any big election draws near, I tend to have difficulty distinguishing between overanalyzing and not analyzing enough.
In previous years I have elected Governor Perry into office, believing either he was showing substantial progress in our state’s welfare; or that among the other candidates, I generally favored his policies best. But electing someone as Commander-in-Chief takes a lot more thought; for his decisions would then affect more than one state (even as large as it is), but the lives of millions. Every four years I create a sort of packet, including all the candidates’ vital information. Then I spend weeks studying, weighing, and discussing each person and how I feel they would affect our great nation.
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” Plato
But this year I’m a bit ahead of the game, and that is perhaps because I have a “feeling” that the GOP might perhaps take over office once again. I shall never elect a candidate based solely on their political party, nor the media’s interpretation of him. There are some specific things I am in fact looking for: low taxation, abolition of abortion, support of Israel, proven experience in creating jobs, grace with opponents, fresh vision, and the audacity to stand up for what they believe to be right, just to name a few.
With that being said, I understand that no candidate will perfectly meet my own personal expectations. For instance, I agree with Perry’s ambition for strong job growth and his commitment to low taxation and regulation; but disagree with his mandate for the vaccination of girls for a sexually transmitted virus (a mandate that was later overturned by the state legislature). I do however love Perry’s stance in addressing the reality of our poor Social Security system, calling it “a monstrous lie” and a “Ponzi scheme,” which I regrettably believe to be true.
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.” Plato
This topic of Social Security, however, is exactly why I find myself favoring our governor more and more. Although his opinions are viewed as a “liability for the party,” I’m glad he has the guts to stand up for what he thinks is true, rather than just accepting someone else’s interpretation. That is exactly the kind of “moderate conservatism” I tend to favor. I shall confess that I have yet done little research into the specifics of other candidates, but I look forward to learning about them, both democratic and republican, and witnessing their future debates.
In closing I will state: I am not against war, but I think it should be our uttermost ambition to create peace and promote unity.
“Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.” Plato
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