Tag: national candidates

David Koch

Post author By David
Post date May 29, 2007
No Comments on David Koch

Warning: Undefined array key "adf" in /home4/hpvcxhmy/public_html/wp-content/plugins/similarity/similarity.php on line 69

Warning: Undefined array key "sim_pages" in /home4/hpvcxhmy/public_html/wp-content/plugins/similarity/similarity.php on line 70

I discoverd David Koch I immediately went to look at his campaign sight because I was curious about this unknown candidate from my home state. One way that he has set himself apart from other candidates is that he has already chosen a vice-presidential candidate. I like the way that he made his choice – he selected someone he knew and trusted who had a very different political outlook than he did. This is only functional because they know that they can work together, but I think this has the potential to add depth to a campaign.

In spite of this, David Koch suffers from the same problem that many unknown candidates from outside the mainstream of politics suffer. Like it or not, we have a system in place which we must work with. If our goal is to reform the system, we still need a certain amount of leverage to do that. This leverage is not to be found in David Koch.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

Jim Gilmore

Post author By David
Post date May 23, 2007
1 Comment on Jim Gilmore

As a former Governor of Virginia and former head of the Republican National Committee, Jim Gilmore certainly has the experience and connections to make a credible President. His positions are reasonably vague so that he does not stand out from the crowded field, but he does not disqualify himself either.

I can endorse Gilmore For President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

John Bowles

Post author By David
Post date May 21, 2007
No Comments on John Bowles

This took less than 10 seconds to decide. In fact, I never left the first page of the campaign site. John Bowles openly identifies with the values of the KKK. Endorsement is out of the question.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

Steve Adams

Post author By David
Post date May 21, 2007
No Comments on Steve Adams

As I looked at Steve Adams I got thinking about some of the first things that a president has to do when they are elected. They have to choose a large number of people to fill high offices including cabinet positions. One of the things I have never addressed with some of the small, idealistic, independent campaigns is that many of these idealists, no matter how serious they are, would have no chance of picking a cabinet of people they knew anything about. They might be able to pick one or two somewhat qualified people, but otherwise they would have to rely on people they knew nothing about or else people who were utterly unqualified for this kind of responsibility. In either case they would be hampered in the confirmation process which would still go through the Senate (which would undoubtedly be controlled by established politicians). Though I trust myself implicitly, I would have to admit that I could not expect to succeed at that first process which every President must undertake. That is one of the major, almost universal, problems with these independent, unknown candidates.

There is a general explanation leading to why I cannot endorse Steve Adams specifically.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson is an understated candidate. He does not enjoy the camera presence that would be very beneficial to his campaign but he seems to be a very capable leader and has a record of making things happen. He has a long record of political service in various capacities which would give him some beneficial perspective on the office he is seeking. I was tempted to give him extra credit for being the Secretary of Health and Human Services because of the insight that would give him on the issue of healthcare, but I realized my mistake. No president should be elected based on one issue or a narrow agenda. Besides, that would be a disservice to all of Governor Thompson’s other accomplishments.

I endorse Tommy Thompson because he is not a single issue candidate.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Tom Tancredo

Post author By David
Post date May 17, 2007
5 Comments on Tom Tancredo

Tom Tancredo is best known (where he is known) for his position on immigration. That led me to expect very little from him as a candidate. I was pleasantly surprised to find a candidate who seems to have a very down-to-earth perspective. From my perspective he would be a capable president who would tackle the issues in a straightforward manner. I would expect him to work with others while standing for his principles.

~~I am happy to endorse Tom Tancredo for President.~~

UPDATE 5/21/2007: Based on further information resulting from comments below, I have concluded that I cannot endorse Tom Tancredo. I am not convinced that he is committed to many of the positions that he claims to hold – with the exception of his position on immigration. I fear that he is doing nothing more in this presidential run than muddying the waters of the Republican primary.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

Ron Paul

Post author By David
Post date May 15, 2007
1 Comment on Ron Paul

Outside of the three leading candidates from each of the two major parties I have heard more about Ron Paul in political discussions online than any other candidate. I have heard members of three distinct political parties interested in his candidacy. For that reason I have been very eager to learn more about him. Honestly, from all the discussion I only had a vague idea of what to expect.

I found a politician who is exceptionally principled with a long track record of sticking to his principles. Unfortunately I did not come away convinced that he would be willing/able to work with people who have varied viewpoints. Generally speaking I like the principles that he stands for, but if good principles stand in the way of actual progress then they are a stumbling block to the country. We have already seen for years the results of a president who does not feel the need to compromise. I don’t mean to suggest that Ron Paul would be like George W. Bush – they’re quite different – but he very well might be as insulated from outside influence as the current administration has been.

I struggled to come to grips with Congressman Paul but then I recognized what I was struggling with (lack of evidence that he could work effectively with the opposition) and realized that I could not endorse Ron Paul in 2008.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

James McCall

James McCall has the desire, but not the preparation to be President. Many of the issues he identifies are not centrol, and sometimes not even on the radar of the average voter. He recognizes the discontent of the citizenry, but seems to lack the ability to inspire others to make the changes that our country must make. I also notice that his priorities do not appear to focus on the most important issues.

I can’t endorse James McCall.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed

General

John McCain

Post author By David
Post date May 9, 2007
2 Comments on John McCain

As with all of the major candidates, my evaluation of John McCain simmered in the back of my mind for a long time. The roller-coaster of my feelings about his candidacy was hardly unusual. I have long liked the fact that McCain seems to be functionally independent of his party affiliation. As the campaign season matured I was disappointed to see more positions which seemed calculated to appeal to the base rather than driven by independent common sense. I have come to the conclusion now that my disappointment was driven by personal disagreement with the positions.

I believe that McCain chooses his positions based on personal conviction even when they are unpopular. There is a consistency in his message between those things that appear to be party-driven and those things that appear more independent. I think that it is his party that has walked a crooked line while McCain was holding fast to his personal convictions.

Seeing that, it became easy for me to endorse John McCain for President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Mike Jingozian

Although he is running for President, Mike Jingozian is more focused on the idea that we should remake our political machine. While the core values expressed have some merit, he fails to recognize that the vast majority of those who have the skills necessary to successfully operate our government are those who believe in, or more often have learned to work in conjunction with, our current political system. Calling exclusively for candidates outside that sphere will not result in better government, it will result in even more confusion and more room for exploitation by businesses and political professionals (like lobbyists and lawyers). It would be foolish to endorse this approach.

Tags national candidates, not endorsed