Presidential Elections - Part One

I haven’t written for a while because of illness. Today is the day that I start my blogging again.

The topic is the upcoming presidential election. This blog will be in six parts detailing the presidential candidates of the USA to this point.

I am not sure how many are aware of those people who are seeking the seat and the actual process behind the election of the president of the USA.It is the same as it was more than 200 years ago. A general election is held by popular vote but that doesn’t make the popular electee a winner. Members of the electoral college (an alleged representation of the people), which is based on the population of a state, vote on the president; they also don’t always vote the way you want them to either. When this process was set up, it was done because the average man couldn’t comprehend and or did not have the intellect to choose a president.

It is a much outdated system.

Up until the general election, we have primaries voting to choose a candidate for each political party -- generally established as Republican and Democrat. Of course there are independents who can make the general election ballot but very seldom do they get more than a very small percentage of votes in the long run. As a result the people do and do not actual vote for the President. My concern(s) have been if the people actually do not vote for the president, how can the president uphold the Constitution of the United States. After all, he is in the employ of the people and the constitution was written up as “We the people…” 

Now for the introduction of the Presidential hopefuls:
Democratic Party: 
Hillary Clinton - wife of former President Bill Clinton, mother, and grandmother. 
Qualifications:
Former Secretary of State under President Obama
former US Senator for the state of New York
practicing lawyer and law professor
graduated from Wellesley College Yale Law School

Prior to running for presidency, she championed for children’s healthcare, human rights, women’s rights, and education.

Issues:
Alzheimer’s disease, campaign finance reform, campus sexual assault, change and energy, college education costs, criminal justice reform, disability rights, economy, gun violence prevention, health care, immigration reform, infrastructure, k-12 education, labor, LGBT equality, national security, paid leave, racial justice, small businesses, social security/medicare, substance use disorder and addiction, veterans, armed forces and their families, voting rights, Wall Street and corporate America, women’s rights, workforce and skills, and rural communities. (1)

The only real question that I had was under campaign finance reform. What is Citizens United? It is a political action committee of what seems like the “filthy rich” ultra conservatives.(2)

”In the 2008 election season, Citizens United the PAC sought to broadcast TV ads for a video-on-demand film criticizing presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, but doing so would violate the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (known also as the McCain–Feingold Act), which barred corporations and unions from paying for media that mentioned any candidate in periods immediately preceding elections. Citizens United challenged the law, suing the Federal Election Commission (which sets campaign finance laws and election rules), and the case made its way through lower courts until an appeal was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling, the Justices declared unconstitutional the government restriction on “independent” political spending by corporations and unions, and determined the anti-Clinton broadcast should have been allowed. The decision overturned century-old precedent allowing the government to regulate such spending. As a result, Citizens United has greatly affected the way corporations and unions can spend on elections (more on that below).” (3)

I have sort of already made up my mind as to who I will vote for. I am a mid-line conservative but will hold my opinion until I finish detailing all the presidential candidates.

At this time I want to change lanes to something interesting: GOD.

God made different languages for a reason. With those languages come different cultures. It was for our own good and to save humanity. Too many of the same anything can promote gluttony and it does bring out the worse in the human behavior. Too much of anything can lesson the good of humanity, increase the possibility of criminal behavior, social ills, and tragedy. We need to preserve patience and work on our humility as well as self worth. Different languages promotes diversity and increases learning. It also increases humanitarianism for all people. Since the population of the earth is vastly growing, we all can use the comprehension of other cultures to realize that not everyone is like the American people, but the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) are the same.

Peace be with all. God bless each and everyone.

Footnotes: (1) https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/ (accessed 3.5.2016)
(2) http://www.cupvf.org/ (accessed 3.5.2016)
(3) Bently, Nick Reclaim Democracy. (accessed 3.5.2016) http://reclaimdemocracy.org/who-are-citizens-united/