Quote:
Originally Posted by tiger
The whole thing is fucking stupid to begin with. Only shows how fucked our system is that these kind of stupid arguments get all the air time and issues get next to none.
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there's been plenty of coverage of the policy issues of both candidates. this election process has been dragging on for over a year now, that is well more than ample time to familiarize oneself with the issues of interest.
however what is of equal importance to formal, legal issues are also matters of character & personal habits. does the candidate have a tendency to waiver on issues? all politicians do so to some extent or another, but what is the reason for doing so? making the correct decision based on newly available information, or flip-flopping purely for the sake of political gain (popularity)?
do they have a long established track record of standing by their own decisions and stated goals, or do they vote almost exclusively along party lines and display no ability or willingness to compromise?
who else are we letting into the white house by electing them? what are their friends and (close) associates like that may be in a position to influence them? does their spouse give any significant indications of resentment, hostility, or disloyalty to the country?
these matters can all have a much more profound impact than mere stated policies, and as such should be discussed in equal measure as the policies of the candidates.
discussing these issues is not a mere extension of senseless mud-slinging and gossiping as the public might do toward a hollywood celebrity, it is an important and integral part of the political process, and we do ourselves a disservice by ignoring them.