Debating the Debates

I was ready to write a scathing review of the CNN Republican Primary Debate.  I watched it with cell phone in hand to text Pat Schacherer my most pressing thoughts on the candidates' soundbites.  However, I can't be quite as mean as I meant to.  The Republican Primary Debate was not meant for me.  I will never vote Repub.  I agreed with so little of what was said because the candidates were not catering to me.  However, I can't let the debate go un-debated.

Congrats to Romney on his healthcare comments.  He managed to defend what he did as governor, while still opposing the 2010 Healthcare Reform Bill (I refuse to call it Obamacare for my own reasons).  Of course, I am completely disgusted with every candidates' solution: repeal Obamacare!  None of them offered up any solutions other than "let the states do it!"  The only thing that any sensible person rages against from the Health Care Reform bill is the individual mandate (and I dislike this part too, as there was no public option available in the final bill).  However, since no one READ the bill (and most STILL haven't), they don't realize that there are some really wonderful things that will come to pass should the bill be allowed to stand.

Michelle Bachmann.  I don't agree with a single thing that comes out of this woman's mouth.  However, I applaud her for her role as a foster parent.  There are so many children in need of a loving home, even if for a short period of time.  However, even the selfless act of housing 23 foster children doesn't solve the real issues facing children of poverty in the United States.  There are millions of children in poverty in the United States and we can't all be foster parents, nor does being placed with a well-meaning foster parent solve the underlying issues that abused/neglected/dependent children face.  This is incredibly related to Bachmann's stance on abortion.  I still find it hard to articulate my stance on abortion in a tactful manner which reflect both my own moral stance on abortion as well as my social awareness of unwanted/unplanned and teen pregnancy in the poor community.  I will save that discussion for another day.  However, I am also curious where she stands on abstinence-only sex education.

Rick Santorum.  I think I dislike him almost as much as I dislike Michelle Bachmann.  I am not sure he meant to call being gay "bad behavior," but I was pretty incensed by this comment, but I won't say any more about this.  Don't Ask, Don't Tell was a discriminatory policy and like any other group that was not allowed to serve in the military, this too will cease to be controversial in time.

The final issue I would like to touch on is Republican sense of American Exceptionalism.  It is an almost undeniable fact that the United States is NOT the "best country in the world."  We are an empire in decline.  We can flail against reality for as long as we like, but just shouting "we're number 1!!!" doesn't make it so.  We need new policies and new politics which recognize our new position in the world in order to best address national and international issues effectively.