What does NOT matter regarding our presidential candidates?
By Taskr36
@Taskr36 (13963)
United States
May 22, 2012 2:57pm CST
I find that people spend the most time complaining about completely meaningless garbage when talking about presidential candidates. In 2008 people kept whining about how many houses John McCain owned, how many cars were owned by his wife's business, what was spent on Sarah Palin's clothes, etc. I'm sure there was stuff about Obama and maybe Biden, but none of it comes to mind right now.
So what are we talking about this year that doesn't really matter?
Off the top of my head I see people won't stop whining about how rich Mitt Romney is. They've also whined about how much money he donates to his church. And of course his religion is being attacked. (That's right, Obama was accused of being a Muslim, so there's one thing that didn't matter).
So what other non-issues do we have this year? This stuff really doesn't matter regarding the job, but it does sway voters.
5 people like this
10 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
23 May 12
I think the reason nothing comes to mind regarding stuff about Obama was because everything was so well hidden and his people had not yet finished making up a new biography of his life. I do not see any danger to our country from Romney's faith. What worries me about the rumor that Obama is Muslim is because the The Ultimate Goal of Islam: World Domination http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandso/ultimate_goal.htm and that includes the USA.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
22 May 12
Well, the LA Times has a nifty little piece on a horse that Ann Romney sold to her physical therapist, and how the physical therapist then sued Ann Romney. They weren't successful in their investigative reporting however, having not persuaded the stable to give them information on how much Romney spent on her horse and the Romney campaign declined to send receipts for things like hay and horseshoes. We are supposed to consider her particular form of therapy - horse riding - to be too elite for the rest of the world's MS sufferers (even though horse riding is considered a therapy for MS).
I am sure there are other non-issues out there that are more petty and snarky, but the LA Times and the Washington Post haven't come out with them yet. I have heard that the WaPo is planning on an expose on Romney's kindergarten years.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
23 May 12
I think that people want to know more about what he does with his more money than how much he is worth. The fact that he is hiding money for tax purposes, he wants other to pay more in taxes. I think that is a point that needs to be brought up. I haven't hear Obama, attack Romney's religion. The only ones I have heard talk about it were other republicans. I think that talking about how candidates are going to create jobs is useless. When the government tries to create jobs it usually doesn't work out well. If you Romney gets elected and can't create jobs, he will be force to manufacture jobs, and that will be counter productive. But, that is just how I feel.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
23 May 12
Are you saying that you agree all these things don't matter, or are you claiming that it does matter which banks he chooses to put his money in overseas? I don't recall him saying he wants to raise taxes on anyone. Obviously his stance on raising or lowering taxes matters.
You're right that Obama hasn't attacked his religion. Obama has to leave religion alone because of his connection to Rev Wright. Many democrats and republicans have attacked him on religion though especially after seeing how much he donates to the church. I never imagined a charitable donation to a legitimate church would be a negative for a candidate.
I do think it matters when candidates talk about creating jobs because they are talking about actions they will actually take in office. Those actions can be good or bad.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
26 May 12
I don't think it matters what banks he uses, but the fact that he hides money to escape paying taxes on it, than wants a "fair tax" which WOULD increase taxes on many that don't pay them now DOES MATTER!!
"I don't recall him saying he wants to raise taxes on anyone. Obviously his stance on raising or lowering taxes matters."
This is from his tax policy: "In the long run, Mitt Romney will pursue a conservative overhaul of the tax system that includes lower and flatter rates on a broader tax base. The approach taken by the Bowles-Simpson Commission is a good starting point for the discussion. The goal should be a simpler, more efficient, user-friendly, and less"
Lower flatter rates on broader tax base, how is the tax base going to get broader? By taxing more people!!!
I don't care what Romney's religion is, or the amount he donates to his church. That is his business.
But, you know as well as I do that president can only create a better environment to hire, they can't make people hire. If a president says he will drop the unemployment rate like Romney says what will happen if we have another recession and US employers aren't hiring? Run the risk of becoming a one term president?
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
26 May 12
http://www.mittromney.com/sites/default/files/shared/TaxPolicy.pdf
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
23 May 12
I don't care about a candidate's religion. I don't know what religion the Canadian Prime Minister is. As long as he doesn't trample on anyone else's religious beliefs, he can worship or not worship, however he wants. All the emphasis on how Romney's a Mormon or Bachman and Santorum are very Conservative Christians, etc. I just don't get it!!!!!! The religion of a politician should NOT matter, since the constitution guarentees freedom of religion.
@mzz663 (2772)
• United States
23 May 12
As far as I'm concerned, race, religion or how much money someone has isn't important.
What is important are what they stand for, are they honest? dependable?
Petty issues don't make a good president or a good friend.
I look at it that way. What I would look for in a friend is kind of the same things I look for when I vote.
Will they be doing things for themselves or for the good of everyone? Would I trust them? Are they loyal to their family & friends? (that would tell a lot about them)
To an extent, personal lives (like Clinton lying about Lewinsky) told a lot about him at that point. He could get up in front of everyone, even on camera and lie without hesitation and that made me think, he was not a man at that point, that I would trust to even let him walk my dog or drive my car......
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
23 May 12
What doesn't matter is social issues and the personal wealth of the candidates. Religion doesn't matter, either, as far as I'm concerned. I don't care how many houses someone owns or how they spend their money--I'm only concerned that they have a concrete, viable plan for saving this country's economy and preserving our constitution.
What does matter to me, along with that, is character. I want someone with a good character and good morals in the WH. They will do what is right, hopefully, without thinking of what they could get out of it.
@amoran3 (32)
• Canada
23 May 12
The President's birth certificate. Mitt Romney's wealth. I don't like either, but both issues are moot at best. Barack Obama was not born in Kenya and he is not a CIA agent. The presumptive GOP nominee was successful in life. So what? How about if they will audit the Federal Reserve, permit competing currencies, end perpetual warfare, cut spending drastically and address the $15 trillion national debt ($200 trillion future expenditures).
