I came across an interesting gallery at CBS.com the other day and thought I would share it. However, since it was a gallery, it was cumbersome to get through. So I have put the content here in an easy to read format, but be sure to follow the link at the end to the original post so you can see the sources for the information.
The real purpose of putting it here (besides ease of readability) is to encourage anyone who reads this to research the candidates and vote. Don’t vote out of frustration. Don’t vote out of emotion. Pray. Research. Ask God who he would have you vote for. The last thing we need is a president who was elected out of fear and frustration. We need a godly president in office who seeks God’s will and does what is best for the people of this nation.
Research sites that back your preferred candidate. Research sites that are against your preferred candidate. Get both sides and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you decide on the right candidate. If you don’t seek God in your choice of candidate, then you need to re-evaluate your selection process.
Here are the active (and possible) candidates to this point in alphabetical order, Republicans first, Democrats second. You will find beneath each candidate’s name their job, what they are known for, their key positions, and a notable quote. Again, check the website at the end for the original post and to see the sources for each statement below.
Vote your heart. Vote your conscience. Not from fear, not from frustration. If we are to live by the Spirit, we need to vote by the Spirit as well.
Ben Carson
Job: Retired neurosurgeon
Best known for: Criticizing President Obama on healthcare in person. Political neophyte. First physician to successfully separate conjoined twins who also developed a new technique for treating brain seizures. Saying the unexpected. Scrutiny over his memoir.
Key positions: Running as outsider, religious conservative. Flat tax based on tithing system. Cut the federal budget: Cut every agency budget by 10 percent annually. Immigration: Seal the border; punish employers hiring undocumented immigrants; national guest worker plan. Climate change is cyclical, not a problem. Oppose Common Core, support school vouchers. Oppose most gun control, but has said mentally ill, violent offenders shouldn’t have guns.
Notable quote: “If I’m successful in this endeavor to become president of the United States, it’s very likely I would be a one-term president, because there are some tough things we have to attack.”
Ted Cruz
Job: U.S. senator (Texas), former Texas solicitor general
Best known for: Face of the tea party. Closest competitor to Trump. Champion of the tea party. Disliked by mainstream Republicans. Being born in Canada.
Key positions: Religious conservative who opposes same-sex marriage. Postcard-sized tax form for Americans. Abolish the IRS. Secure the border, green cards for skilled workers. No path to legal status. Abolish Common Core. Advocate for school vouchers. Defend Second Amendment rights. Repeal Obamacare. Stop accepting Syrian refugees, except Christians. Arm and support Kurds to help fight ISIS, increase air strikes.
Notable quote: “We will utterly destroy ISIS….We will carpet bomb them into oblivion. I don’t know if sand can glow in the dark, but we’re going to find out.”
John Kasich
Job: Ohio governor, former congressman. Hosted show on Fox News. Managing director at Lehman Brothers in years leading up to and until Lehman’s bankruptcy, the largest U.S. bankruptcy to date.
Best known for: Conservative as a congressman, but as governor, able to compromise. Expanding Medicaid under Obamacare, unlike many GOP governors.
Key positions: Balanced budget amendment. Support Common Core, school vouchers. Repeal Obamacare. Reduce the corporate tax rate. Criminal justice reform: Less prison time for nonviolent offenders. Put troops on the ground to fight ISIS. Immigration: Open to path to legal status for undocumented immigrants. Acknowledges climate change, but does not have plan to address it. Register mentally ill to keep them from buying guns.
Notable quote: “My elections are really not about campaigns. I tell my people that these are about a movement. And a movement to do what? To restore common sense. A movement to do things like provide economic growth. And a movement not to let anybody be behind.”
Marco Rubio
Job: U.S. senator (Florida), former speaker of Florida state legislature
Best known for: Cuban-American pitching himself as candidate for a new generation. Supporting bipartisan “Gang of 8” immigration reform, which he now rejects.
Key positions: Repeal Obamacare. Defense hawk. Permanent troop presence in Iraq. Cut spending for everything except military. Oppose Common Core. Support school vouchers. Cut corporate taxes and simplify individual tax brackets. Doesn’t think humans affect climate change. Protect Second Amendment rights. Border security is the top immigration priority. Oppose a pathway to citizenship for those in the U.S. illegally.
Notable quote: “The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer; it’s by making poor people richer.”
Donald Trump
Job: Real estate mogul, television personality
Best known for: “The Apprentice” TV franchise. Real estate holdings and Trump brand. Upending the presidential race, often with controversial statements.
Key positions: Run as outsider. Temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. Repeal Obamacare. Build a wall at the southern border to keep Mexicans and Central Americans from illegally crossing and deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Allow a path to legal status for foreign students completing degree at U.S. university. Global warming is not real. End corporate taxes, lower individual taxes. Uphold Second Amendment rights. “Pro-life,” but used to be “pro-choice.” Engage in tougher negotiations with China and Russia.
Notable quote: “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.”
Hillary Clinton
Job: Former secretary of state, former U.S. senator (New York)
Best known for: Secretary of state for Obama, married to Bill Clinton. Running for president. Her private email server. Facing criticism over 2012 Benghazi attacks.
Key positions: Middle-class champion. Expand Obamacare and repeal the Cadillac tax. Immigration reform with path to citizenship. Debt-free college. Reduce gun violence by increasing background checks, closing loopholes and holding dealers and manufacturers accountable. Close the pay gap. Increase the minimum wage. Support the Iran deal. No U.S. combat troops in Iraq. Oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Notable quote: “I’m the granddaughter of a factory worker and the grandmother of the most beautiful little girl in the world. And Bill and I will do everything we can to ensure she has every opportunity to succeed in life. But I don’t think you should have to be the granddaughter of a former president to share in the promise of America.”
Bernie Sanders
Job: U.S. senator (Vermont), former congressman
Best known for: Outspoken democratic Socialism. Fighting to end income inequality.
Key positions: Single-payer national health care. Break up any banks that are “too big to fail,” and reinstitute Glass-Steagall. Campaign finance reform: Overturn Citizens United, Buckley v. Valeo and require big money donors to disclose donations. Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Raise taxes on the wealthy. Expand Social Security, lift income caps. Free college tuition for all. Ban assault weapons, expand background checks. Voted for gun manufacturer legal protections but now wants a repeal. Combat climate change.
Notable quote: “You’ve got the top 400 Americans owning more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans. Most folks do not think that is right.”
Possible candidate: Michael Bloomberg
Job: Former mayor of New York, founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P.
Best known for: Considering independent presidential run. Forming gun control group to take on NRA. Banning big sodas, requiring food labeling with nutrition information, enacting smoking ban in public places while he was mayor.
Key positions: Reduce carbon emissions to slow climate change. Improve gun safety measures. Permanent status for undocumented immigrants. Reduce the deficit and reform entitlements. Support abortion rights. Back free-trade deals. Has supported tax breaks for large corporations.
Notable quote: “Mayors, businesses, and citizens are acting on climate change. World leaders need to do the same.”
*Note: This ends the CBS article found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/a-crash-course-to-the-presidential-candidates-2016-101/
My Personal Take on Each Candidate
Carson – I think he is a great guy who loves God, but he has no chance of winning the nomination. He should back out to stop splitting the evangelical vote.
Cruz – I really like Cruz, however, he sometimes comes across as disingenuous, and constant allegations of him lying are hurting his “TrusTed” campaign. So far, this is my guy.
Kasich – This is another candidate that has no chance. I think he should throw in the towel as well. There are a few political points I disagree on with this guy.
Rubio – Rubio is another guy I like, however, there are two flags with me: he has little to no accomplishments as a politician and I feel he can be a little liberal at times in his approach. I do like his charisma and his speeches make you want to charge to take the hill. Very inspirational.
Trump – Trump is an angry, arrogant, Democrat who is parading as a Republican, and the only reason he is in the running is because he is feeding of conservative frustrations. He is a more conservative Hillary, in my opinion.
Clinton – Hillary will do more damage than Obama ever did. She will do anything to win, and I mean anything. President Hillary Clinton is the worst case scenario for America.
Sanders – I honestly can’t believe a self-proclaimed socialist is even a consideration in this race. Research Bernie’s past and you will find a societal leech. No wonder he’s a socialist.
Bloomberg – The only good thing about a Bloomberg campaign is the potential to split the Democratic vote. I’m down with that.
*Note: These are my personal opinions.
J