What Attracts Me

Voters are attracted to candidates with some distinct personal virtues, and some sort of theme. I despise everything John McCain stands for, but understand why people admire him personally for his Vietnam ordeal and for his crusades against corruption and pork. There was likewise much to admire about Jesse Helms's hard-line approach and advocacy for unfashionable causes, and if we don't admire everything, or anything, he stood for, I do wish there were more like him today. Politicians who come across like used-car salesmen can and do win office, but the ones we remember are bigger people fighting for causes greater than re-election. Even their opponents respect them.

Such individuals are few and far between. And those worthy of my actual support rarer still. I think of Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), and that's about it. That's because the candidate's stand on the issues, and if not that, at least the general theme and vision, has to inspire me first. I'd rather support a mediocre candidate with whom I agreed than a larger-than-life figure with whom I disagreed. The ideal is a larger-than-life figure with whom I agreed.

Here are the themes that would attract me to a candidate:

1. Opposition to Roe v. Wade. The irony is that I'm pro-choice, but I also recognize that the Supreme Court completely lacked jurisdiction in the case. It wasn't just a poor and poorly reasoned decision, it was an unethical abuse of power. From Congressional restrictions on the federal judiciary's power, to selecting "strict constructionist" judges, to possibly even amending the Constitution, I support measures that would prevent the federal courts from overturning duly enacted state laws and local ordinances. Put me down as hardline "conservative" when it comes to the courts. Judges who read into the Constitution what isn't there, are just as likely to ignore what is in the Constitution. And that's the real threat to liberty.

2. An immigration policy based on national security and economic interests, not political correctness. We all know that you don't need a gun to commit a crime. Likewise, you don't need a gun and wear a military uniform to be an invader. When economic refugees flee one country for another, their presence increases rents and lowers wages in the new country. It's a supply-and-demand thing. The USA has a right to protect itself from such invasions. And it need not be so accommodating to people from countries known to produce anti-American terrorism. Again, the USA has a right to protect itself.

Many may scream and howl at the "racism" behind an "Americans First" immigration policy. A candidate who can talk tough against such guilt manipulators will earn my respect and probably my vote.

3. An "America First" foreign policy. National security shouldn't be in the hands of loyalists to another country such as Israel, nor in the hands of religious fanatics working for Armageddon, nor in the hands of oil companies, nor in the hands of liberal or neo-conservative ideologues who believe America's mission is to save the world through foreign aid and deployment of troops. We have succeeded, instead, only in bankrupting ourselves and provoking resentment and backlash across the world. John Quincy Adams said that America prays and hopes for liberty for everyone in the world, but defends only her own. This policy served us well for the first 100 years of the republic. It is worth revisiting.

4. Defend the Bill of Rights. No federal law should be enforced in such a way that would violate any provision of the Bill of Rights. Period. From campaign finance laws that restrict speech and the press, to the War on Drugs's searches and seizures, to the Patriot Act's wiretapping, to federal gun laws. None of them are worth it if they violate the Bill of Rights.

5. Business-friendly environment. This doesn't mean subsidizing or protecting American business; it means maintaining a sound dollar and then having the government get out of the way. Inflation hurts the poor and must be conquered through balanced budgets and economic growth. Aspiring business owners must not be sabotaged by licensing, red tape, and regulations which prevent them from competing with larger corporations. Reduce the welfare rolls with employment opportunities.

6. Shift taxes away from work, consumption, and investment, and toward natural resource use. The more you pollute, the more you pay. The more valuable land you own and don't use or develop, the more you pay.

Can anyone with running on these themes win? I don't know, but I do know that each position, by itself, resonates with many tens of millions of Americans. A candidate who can forcefully articulate this theme and vision will likely attract me, even if there are specific proposals or aspects of his character that I might doubt. If I think he's pointing in the right direction, I'd support him.