With election day a bit over a month away, I feel this is an an appropriate time to urge all of my eligible readers to get out and vote for Dan Benishek for the U.S. Representative seat in Michigan's 1st Congressional District. Here's the way I look at it:
This is a purely independent viewpoint that I'm using to explain this. Yes, I'm a conservative. Yes, I agree with Dan's political views, social and economic. However, I know not everyone does, so here's how I look at it from an unbiased independent standpoint. If I'm neutral on the social views, neutral on the economic views, it means it comes down to the personality, ethics, and professionalism of the two candidates. This isn't to say that Gary McDowell is a slimeball. I'm sure he's a class act and an upstanding member of society. All that aside, it comes down to constituent service.
Gary McDowell is a career politician; a current State Rep. If things start going south, he gets concerned with re-election and making the decision that is the most popular, not necessarily what is best for the average American. He becomes concerned with party lines and keeping support on his side, no matter the consequences, because hey, it's fight or flight. He's got a family to take care of, and the survival instinct kicks in. It does with all career politicians that pass through the halls of our Congress.
Dan Benishek, on the other hand, is not a career politician. More like a concerned patriot that has the right ideas and morals to turn this country around. No special interests here, no games, no innate survival instinct. He'll tell either party to turn around and get it right if it's not satisfactory, or in the country's best interests. He'll stand up and say "enough is enough". He's not worried about reelection, because hey, he's got the medical practice to fall back on. Supporting a family is not his primary concern, his country is.
Vote Benishek for Congress in November.
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Have you looked in to Glenn Wilson running for Michigan's 1st district? http://www.wilsonforuscongress.com
ReplyDeleteHe's not a career politician, but he also looks like a man who can get things done. Check him out if you get a chance.
I'm inclined to agree with you there, but here's the issue:
ReplyDeleteAll but a very small slice of the electorate votes for the establishment candidates. They have the money, the press, and the name recognition. Maybe that's the solution to cure how out-of-touch Washington is with the rest of the country: elect citizen candidates.
Again from an independent standpoint, it makes sense to vote for an independent candidate. However, for every 50,000 votes an establishment candidate gets, an independent might get 4,000. The problem is getting enough people to break the cycle and put a candidate like Wilson into office.
Thanks so much for your input.
How is "the most popular" not what is best for "the average American?" If it is what most want it is the average.
ReplyDeleteWhat is McDowell's career outside of government? Does he have something to fall back on? If we change the word "career" to "experienced" then do we feel better about a candidate? Do you want a career doctor, or someone off the street who has something else to fall back on, and never studied the matter except as an outsider to the profession? Is McDowell a "career politician" in the sense that he milks the system with no regard for his constituents? If so what is the proof?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous poster #1 - That statement is grossly in error. What is the most popular isn't always what's best.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous poster #2 - The substitution of the word "experienced" still carries the same philosophy. We need to elect people that don't see themselves as "more qualified" than you or I because they're a political expert. That's what we're doing now, and it's clearly not working.
So you think Benishak knows what is best for America? That doesn't sound like it is from an independent's point of view.
ReplyDeleteGlenn's a strong candidate though, he's got the money, and the connections.
ReplyDeleteNowhere did I ever say that he did, I said that when it came down to the tough decisions, he would make the one he believes is best and not the one that is the popular one or the one that would get him reelected.
ReplyDeleteIsaac -
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that he is putting up a rather strong showing. I'm interested to see how that affects the election.
There you go again! "(T)he one he believes is best" means he would have the right answer. But all he would have is his answer and his answer would be conservative. He'll vote his way, not necessarily the way of the people, because he doesn't need to get re-elected.
ReplyDeleteThis is from an independent standpoint, so if the answer is a conservative way of implementing a solution, what does the independent voter care? Whether the answer is conservative or liberal, you want the one that is made by someone who has all the facts saying "This is the right way to go, and despite what 65% of my constituents think, it has the best chance of working", not "Well this way is better, but if I do this I won't get reelected, so I guess I'll vote for what they think they want."
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that liberals are going to vote for McDowell, and conservatives are going to vote for Benishek. With a few exceptions, that's how it's going to be.
ReplyDeleteAll I'm doing is making a rather compelling point as to why someone who doesn't necessarily place political ideology first, and is more centrist should vote Benishek in November (if not, like Isaac was kind enough to point out, a write-in like Wilson). Let's stop discussing any ulterior motives/conspiratorial influence and my own political views, because that's not what this is about.
What does he support that isn't conservative?
ReplyDeleteNothing. He's a down-to-earth, small-town conservative that is pro-2nd, pro-life, a supporter of small-business, and for lower taxes and secure borders.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, McDowell (with the exception of being pro-2nd) is your typical liberal. Many large contributions from labor unions have been received by his camp.
You've got two pretty polar candidates put forth by the establishments.
Then an independent shouldn't vote for either of them. Each will always vote with his party so the whole "not a career politician" means nothing. But thanks for trying to keep that bullshit phrase alive.
ReplyDeleteHey, no problem. Thanks for the opinion, no matter how severely misguided it may be.
ReplyDelete