We’re already hearing from judge candidates at all of our
Tea Party meetings. We live in a decidedly conservative area of red-state
Texas. Nobody’s going to get elected around here by announcing they’re influenced
by liberal/progressive ideology. And it is an unfortunate characteristic of
politicians that they seek approval, which is likely to translate to votes,
which is what gives them power. So, while we do indeed see a number of
sincerely principled, effective candidates, we also encounter some who just try
to convince us they’re one of us.
So, well ahead of decision time, I thought I’d list a few
questions that might reveal what a candidate truly believes, so you can be a
better informed voter.
We’ll start with judges. They talk about their experience
(often impressive), their families and character. And they assure us they’ve
been active in local GOP politics for a long time. But among these are a number
we haven’t seen at district or state GOP conventions, or at our Tea Party
meetings, until they became a candidate. This doesn’t necessarily mean they
haven’t been active and long-time principled. But how do we know?
A friend, active in party politics, suggested asking about
their voting record, so I think I’m going to start asking this: Who did you
vote for in the past two presidential and governor races—both primaries and
November elections? What was your reasoning for those votes? And how do you
feel about those votes now?
A vote for Obama in 2008 might not be a deal breaker,
depending on the reasoning—even though those of us paying attention knew what a
disaster he would be and were not taken in by the ridiculous hope-and-change
blather. But they’d better be able to explain articulately what they were
hoping to accomplish with that vote (“It was historic” is simply racist; preventing
John McCain from being president might be an acceptable answer). And they had
better be very clear at this point what a mistake an Obama vote was.
A vote for Obama in 2010 would absolutely be a deal breaker.
Unawareness of just how conservative and effective Romney was might be
understandable, considering the negative lying press in the pocket of the Obama
campaign, but that sure wouldn’t be a plus for someone who’s trying to convince
us of their discernment and wise judgment.
I would ask about primaries for governor because (besides
verifying that the candidate voted in the GOP primary) it gives an idea of
ideology. Not everyone loves Governor Perry, but he has done a great deal of
good. If the candidate supported a Perry opponent, for example, we’d need to
have an explanation much deeper than, “I just thought he/she would make a good
governor.”
When we’re looking at legislative and executive offices—governor,
state representatives and senators and other state offices, as well as US
representatives and senators, we can probably ask some questions provided by
the Spherical Model concepts on politics (limited to the
proper role of government), economics (free enterprise), and civilization (support
for religious freedom and strong families).
Political Sphere
· What do you believe is the proper role of
government, and what are the limits?
· Do you have favorite portions of the US
Constitution, and/or any portions that you think ought to be changed,
clarified, or improved?
· When the US Supreme Court makes a ruling that
you believe is at odds with the Constitution, what do you think the executive
and/or legislative branches should do in response to the ruling?
· What do you believe is the proper balance
between public safety and individual freedom, and what do you believe
government needs to do to reach that balance?
·
Who are your favorite examples of a good
president—since 1900—and what about them do you admire?
· How do you define extremists, and what views do
you think are examples of extreme?
Economic Sphere
· What do you believe is the optimum percentage of
GNP that should be taken in taxes?
· What do you believe is the government’s role in contributing
to economic health? For example, if there is a sudden recession (as we were hit
with in 2008), how should government react?
· What do you believe is government’s role in the
distribution of income discrepancy between the poor and the wealthy?
· What do you believe should be government’s role
in charitable help to the poor and suffering?
· What do you believe are the purposes and limits
of the commerce clause of the Constitution?
·
What do you believe is the role of the Federal
Reserve, and how/whether it is benefiting the economy?
Civilization Sphere
· What do you believe about the connection between
moral values and the law?
· Which institution is most responsible for
raising a generation that will benefit society, and why: schools, government,
churches, nonprofit organizations, sports teams, families?
· Which constituency’s desires is public education
best accountable to, and why: US government, state government, local
government, teachers, students, parents/taxpayers?
· What do you believe should be government’s role
in homeschooling, private schools, charter schools, and school choice?
· What do you think is government’s role in
defining marriage, and why?
Additionally, asking about a few specific issues might be
helpful:
· What are your feelings concerning Obamacare, and
what do you think should be done?
· What do you believe are the motivations of
people who support traditional (man/woman) marriage and family?
· What are your beliefs about border security and
immigration?
· What do you believe is the proper role of
government concerning climate?
· What do you see as the US role in the world, and
what is your view of the UN?
· What are your opinions on national debt,
national deficit, tax increases and/or cuts, and national budget?
I’m sure this list isn’t exhaustive. But it’s a start. Good
luck getting a candidate to answer even a few. Maybe if we divide up the list,
and each ask a question or two to every candidate, we’ll be able to share
responses. Because, truly, we need the best
candidates we can possibly get, before any more damage is done.
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