With the upcoming 2008 Presidential Campaigns well underway, I’ve grown concerned with the number of people who are ready to support candidates who favor increasing the size and role of the federal government. I find this very interesting since every voter in thise country has had to live in an era that has significant problems with regards to the follow through on campaing promises and honesty of our elected officials. Some have experienced this much more than others, depending on your age. Lets start with the Johnson Administration. The “Great Society” programs were very noble in their aims, but Johnson wasn’t able to follow through on his campaign promises because he also tried to fight a very costly and what now seems like a silly and pointless war in Vietnam. He’s not a complete failure, but trying to fight a war and increasing domestic spending is not a recipe for success, and will only work if you deficit spend. The Nixon Administration had problems all over. VP Spiro Agnew didn’t want to pay his taxes and Nixon himself, of course, will always be remembered for Watergate. The Reagan Administration seems to be a love it or hate it case. People who disagree with Reagan will say that the national debt he left, 3 trillion, wasn’t a good thing. The Iran-Contra Scandal certainly wasn’t a bright spot for Reagan, nor were the other scandals his administration brought with it, which included more than 200 people in the Reagan Administration resigning. When the elder Bush said “Read my lips, no new taxes,” he was elected. But then he raised taxes, and Bill Clinton came along. As President, Clinton learned the hard way that there is no such thing as privacy for the President, especially whne your true colors come out. Clinton lied to the American people, and although some would say that his crime wasn’t a big deal, I’d argue differently. Do we want a man as President who has no loyalty to his family? What does that say about him as a person? Clinton didn’t deserve to be impeached, but the American people deserve better for a honesty and President. Thats brings us finally to Bush junior, who told us that Iraw had weapons of mass distruction, and over 5 years later there doesn’t appear to be any WMDs, only a great lose of human life and treasure for a country whos only product we care about is its oil, nots its people.
So that leaves me to wonder, with all the lies and bs that we’ve had to deal with over the past 40 years, why I, or anyone, would want to support a candidate who favors increasing the role of the federal government. Thats a tremedous risk that is being taken. Who knows, mabye their is a savior among the current crop of candidates? Maybe their is someone who is honest, and will be as noble as the programs they claim to stand for. But given the track record of the government in Washington, I think I’d rather take my chances at the casino before I voted to give more power to people who I don’t trust. Giving more power to a group of people, most of whom have been proven to be cheats and swindlers, sounds like a bad idea.
Cory Nagel
