As usual, I’ve written up my research notes for the coming election so you can all crib from my work. I’ve given my conclusions, and invite everyone to come to their own. Even if we disagree on everything, I’m still happy if this collection of links saved you a headache.
- Offices
- President and Vice President of the United States.
SmartVoter.
Vote Smart on Obama and Romney.
- Health Care:
There are only three ways to get health care costs under control while
covering all your citizens:
socialized medicine like in the UK; socialized health insurance, like
in Canada; and an individual mandate, like in Switzerland and
Massachusetts. The individual mandate used to be a sensible
conservative policy, but since Obama implemented it, it has become
anathema to the GOP, and Romney has pledged to repeal it; he has no
workable plan. I would have preferred a public option, but we’ll have
to fight to get more of Congress out of the clutch of the insurance
industry before we can get them to pass a Medicare buy-in.
- Civil Rights:
On ACLU Liberty Watch,
Obama looks a lot better than
Romney.
Obama has backslid from his 2008 rhetoric on civil liberties, and has killed at least three American citizens without a judge getting involved, and prefers to prosecute whistleblowers rather than torturers.
Romney’s national security advisers want him to rescind the executive order against torture.
- Reproductive choice:
Obama is endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Romney has stated that he would happily sign legislation banning all abortions,
and Ryan has co-sponsored legislation that would let women die on hospital floors and give fertilized eggs the same legal status as adult humans.
- Science and Technology:
ScienceDebate results.
Obama has been endorsed by 68 Nobel Laureates from science fields.
- Environment:
Obama is endorsed by the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters.
Romney opposes any measures to put a price on carbon emissions, supports
subsidizing our highly profitable oil industry, and wants to cut investments
in clean technology.
- Economy:
Since Obama took office, the S&P 500 is up 75%, NASDAQ up 105%, and
Dow Jones up 65%. Unemployment at the time was rapidly increasing, and
the stimulus prevented it from going over 10%; it would be another percentage
point lower if the government weren’t shrinking.
If the government had followed Romney’s lead when he penned his “Let
Detroit Go Bankrupt” editorial, since there were no private funds
available at the time, the Big Three automakers would have been
liquidated, the supply chains feeding them would have gone belly-up,
and we would’ve lost another 1.3 million jobs.
- Taxes and the budget:
Forbes
notes Obama
is the smallest government spender since Eisenhower.
Romney has avoided giving details (aptly satirized
at RomneyTaxPlan.com), and what he
gives never
adds up.
- Supreme Court:
Obama replaced David Souter with Sonia Sotomayor and John Paul Stevens with
Elena Kagan. Romney has stated that he would nominate justices in the
mold of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, and is advised by Robert Bork.
Five SCOTUS Cases That Could Be Overruled In A Romney Court, And Five That Could Be Overruled Under Obama.
- Foreign Policy:
Yes, Obama is tough on Iran, took down Qaddafi with minimal force, and signed a new START treaty with Russia; he’s still using drones to kill children overseas.
Romney seems
inept at foreign policy— between himself and Ryan, they have a
combined total of zero formal foreign policy experience— and the wonks are worried that if he
follows through on his campaign pledges, he’ll start a trade war with
China. Romney still seems to be stuck in the Cold War; he called Russia
our “#1 geopolitical foe” and opposed the new START treaty.
- LGBT Issues:
Obama has conveniently “evolved” his position and has now repealed
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Human Rights Campaign calls Romney-Ryan a “devastating leap backwards”.
- Spin control:
FactCheck.org on
Obama and
Romney.
Politifact on Obama (and the Obameter) and Romney.
Snopes tracks myths about Obama and Romney.
- Follow the money:
Open Secrets on Obama and Romney.
- Single serving sites:
There are (vulgarly named) single serving sites for Obama’s
accomplishments
and failures.
Many make hay of Romney’s flip-flops: Mitt Romney Flip-Flops;
Etch-a-Sketch Mitt Romney;
Multiple Choice Mitt goes
into more detail, and RoboRomney is the
most damning.
Andrew Sullivan calls
Obama a de
facto moderate Republican; Kevin Drum notes
while
Obama seems to despise the progressive base, he has gotten more done
for the progressive cause than Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, JFK, or
Harry Truman.
Bottom line: We’ve had four years of Obama and know what we’re
getting: a guy who has done a lot of good and some noteworthy evil.
Between his numerous changes of position and refusal to provide
specifics of his policies, it’s impossible to know what Mitt Romney would
actually do if elected, but all indications are that he would be far, far worse
than his opponent.
I’m voting for
Barack Obama.
- United States Senator.
SmartVoter.
- United States Representative; District 17.
SmartVoter.
- State Senator; District 13.
SmartVoter.
The California League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club California endorse both, and the
Planned Parenthood Action Fund gives them both a 100% rating.
- Member of the State Assembly; District 24.
SmartVoter.
- Member; Santa Clara County Board of Education; Trustee Area 1.
SmartVoter.
- Board Member; Foothill-De Anza Community College District.
SmartVoter.
Vote for 3.
Coverage in
Los Altos Town Crier, La Voz Weekly.
- Board Member; Fremont Union High School District.
SmartVoter.
Vote for 2.
- Nancy A. Newton. Incumbent.
- Joseph Antonelli Rosas
- Jeff Moe. Refused to
state in the League of Women Voters forum what his position was on
Propositions 30 and 38, which affect school funding, which smells fishy, but I’m getting more personal recommendations for him than against him from my contacts.
- Director; Santa Clara Valley Water District; Division 5.
SmartVoter.
- Nai Hsueh. SmartVoter.
Endorsed by the San Jose Mercury.
Took the time
to come out to the Democratic Club of Sunnyvale; I got the impression of
an apolitical engineer who feels the need to step up.
- Patrick S. Kwok:
Endorsed by the Democratic Party of Silicon Valley. Took the time to come out to the Democratic Club
of Sunnyvale; he is clearly experienced, though spent more time underlining
his credentials as a longtime Democrat for my taste.
- Mary Amanda McChesney
- Director; El Camino Hospital District.
SmartVoter.
Vote for 3.
Coverage in the Mountain View Voice.
- Local Measures
- Measure A: Sales Tax -- County of Santa Clara
SmartVoter.
I’m not impressed by the argument-against folks at the Silicon Valley
Taxpayers Association, who can’t be bothered to make sure the URL they
supplied in the ballot books stays live until the election. (Even the
link provided from their home page is dead.) Yes.
- Measure B: Special Tax -- Santa Clara Valley Water District
SmartVoter.
Yes.
- Measure M: Compensation -- El Camino Hospital District
SmartVoter.
Coverage in the Mountain View Voice.
I’m really not impressed by the people pushing Measure M, given that
the URL they gave in the arguments leads to a domain squatter.
I can’t find any endorsements for it. No.
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mithriltabby
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-25 05:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-25 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-04 11:47 pm (UTC)I'd say I even rather depend on them, actually.
Thank you thank you thank you again.
--Ember--
no subject
Date: 2012-11-05 05:39 am (UTC)Though I completely disagree with you on Measure B. The current tax doesn't have anything in it that's stopped the current Water Board from wasting the money on frivolous projects. I'm going to work on voting in someone new on the board, and see if the Water District can earn some trust. Then I'll vote for a new special tax. It doesn't expire until 2016; there's time to see if the Water District can start learning to use money wisely first.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 06:17 am (UTC)