The 2016 presidential contest is now on, and between now and November, we are going to be hearing a lot about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, our two choices for president. A choice that is a nightmare for many members of both parties.
Still, we live in a two-party democracy and voters must play the hand that is dealt. The country is facing a host of problems, and neither candidate has offered a solid way of how they might be solved.
Adding to the uncertainty of the campaign is Donald Trump’s unpredictable behavior, which is unlike anything voters have been asked to understand for decades. Will his “I will fix it” mantra be enough to produce victory in November.
Already, his off-the-cuff remarks directed toward a Gold-Star family, who lost a son in the Iraq war, his rejection of fellow Republicans John McCain and Paul Ryan for repudiating his remarks, as well as his request for a mother to take her crying baby away from a rally have raised some eyebrows and drawn some harsh criticism from members of his own party.
Persistent poverty, national defense, terrorism, equal rights … these issues and others will be topics during the months ahead. We would like to see both candidates to address these issues instead of name-calling.
This year is the 58th time we have had a presidential election. Yes, we will more than likely grow weary of the current presidential campaign before Nov. rolls around. But we must remembe that democracy is “messy.”
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the rest.” This quotation, a comment by Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in 1947 is certainly important for those of us in the United States to remember during this time when grandiose promises are made by the two candidates, the name-calling gets ridiculously mean, and tempers flare from time to time.
Also, democracy is relatively new from the perspective of history. Not until 1913 were United Senators elected by popular vote. Women suffarage dates to 1920. Our democracy remains a work in progress. We are fortunate to live in a country, where we elect our leaders, where we are economically productive, have a high standard of living, and have military power.
As provided by the United States Constitution we have a presidential election every four years, and a congressional election every two years.
In 1864, Abraham Lincoln thought he would be defeated, but the election campaign went forward and when the North enjoyed some battlefield success, he was elected for a second term. Even though the Union was at risk, no effort was made to alter the election process, even though a president could have been elected who would have supported allowing the South to leave the Union.
In 1944, this country was fully mobilized for the war against Germany and Japan. Still, an election was held. This country could have selected a new commander-in-chief in the midst of the greatest war this country has experienced.
Nothing has stopped elections from being held in the United States; this is how important they are.
In any presidential election, some people are happy with the results and others are not. All have the knowledge that in four years the process will occur again. With the adoption of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, we also know that no person can be elected president more than two times. We also know that the power of any president is limited by a variety of checks and balances that are contained in the Constitution. While our system can and does result in stalemated government, it also limits the power of a president as well as the legislators with whom the president must share power.
When candidates tell you “I can fix” the things wrong in America, don’t believe it for one minute. No man or woman has that much power. It takes the president and the Congress and individual state governments working together to fix our ills.
Yes, we need immigration reform. It is reasonable for our nation to have secure borders, but it is also in our interest to attract new people who will help create prosperity in the future. Rational laws and policies can be hammered out if all parties will avoid inflammatory slogans and seek solutions that involve even-handed compromises.
Yes, we need to address the woes of the middle class and the stagnation of incomes that has affected so many citizens who are on the middle and bottom rungs of the ladder. Passing laws that encourage the creation of good-paying jobs and economic opportunities for everyone should be our goal, and there are plenty of sensible ideas on how this could be accomplished. We don’t need leaders that wish to punish some and reward others (always the temptation of those in power), but we do need leaders who will present their proposals calmly and coherently.
Elections are important. We need them. We also need political parties and political conventions to focus and promote our viewpoints in a non-violent way. This helps preserve the many freedoms which make this a great country. We may disagree on who would make the best leader, but we need to respect each other’s opinion and be civil about it.
The world has more than 7 billion people; only 315 million have the privilege of living in the United States. Many people in other countries would love to live in the United States with its “messy democracy” and all its problems. That’s why they come illegally, any way they can. Regardless of the risks, what they are coming to is much, much better than what they are fleeing from.