Focus on the Issues

December 14, 2007 10:32 AM

What are the major issues for the 2008 presidential race, and what are the best links that support your view of those issues?

My family has been having some fun debating some issues over email. Most recently we have been discussing issues related to global warming and methane emissions of animals.

What I would like to do is send out an email with all of the major issues of this presidential race, along with my view on those issues in order to spark further discussion and debate. I would also love to provide links that support some of my views. For instance, I like this recent editorial in the NYTimes about how the government should not be involved in legitimizing marriages.

posted by bove to law & government (21 comments total)

Asking what the important issues of next years election and what positions to take on them seems like half-chatfilter, half-powder keg.

bove could probably be better served by visiting the websites of all the current front-runner candidates and seeing what THEY say the issues are, and judging from there what he agrees with.
posted by hermitosis at 10:52 AM on December 14, 2007

Immigration
China/Trade issues
Iraq / Security
Healthcare
Environment/Energy
Education
posted by smackfu at 10:55 AM on December 14, 2007

How is identifying the major issues chatfilter? I wasn't asking for long editorials about your views, I am asking for people to link to different positions on the issues.

For instance, here are some sites that appear to list the major issues.

selectsmart.com
2decide.com/table

My question then is really, are these the relevant issues? And, what are resources on the web that describe various positions on these issues?
posted by bove at 10:58 AM on December 14, 2007

Bove: a request for clarification. When you ask what the issues will be for the 2008 election, are you asking what we feel are important issues? Or are you asking our opinion or observation as to what the nation will consider the most important issues? They are two different answers.
posted by WCityMike at 11:14 AM on December 14, 2007

2008 election will define court's future. All of the liberal Supreme Court justices are over retirement age, and Justice Stevens has Death on speed dial.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:17 AM on December 14, 2007 [1 favorite]

I am thinking of what the general perception of the major issues will be. So yes, your observation as to what the nation will consider. In other words, the issues that the candidates will be talking about and links to sources about those issues. The reason I asked people to support "their" views was that I figured pro-life people wouldn't know great sources for the pro-choice argument, so I was hoping to get the best resources that people had.
posted by bove at 11:20 AM on December 14, 2007

My perception of what the nation will consider:

• Iran (although less so in wake of recent nuke report)
  
• General circumstances of military committal
  
• Economy, specifically:
  
  • National debt and deficit
  • Possible depression/recession
  • Tax reform (I think flat taxes are being considered, as well as closure of the IRS)
  
  
• Supreme Court
  
• How we handle terrorists
  • Habeas corpus
  • Methods of interrogation
    • Geneva and Hague Conventions
  • Military tribunal v. court system
  
  
• Candidate's support of green projects (hybrids, alternative energy, etc.)

posted by WCityMike at 11:32 AM on December 14, 2007

Also, if you want to educate yourself on various issues — or help a relative to educate themselves — listen to NPR's Intelligence Squared. It's a 90-minute show, available as a podcast, weekly I think, where a topic is debated using Oxford debating styles. I recently heard of it and started listening to it, and I'm really impressed. And the issues are ones current to our country, and the debates are usually as good as you wish our presidential debates would be — a flow and exchange of ideas bumping against each other.
posted by WCityMike at 11:35 AM on December 14, 2007

Whoops, linkage. And, forgot to be clear about it: as an Oxford-style debate, both sides lay out their case on the issue very clearly, and you learn a lot — even if you totally disagree with them. A definite new fave.
posted by WCityMike at 11:37 AM on December 14, 2007

Oh, and re: the issues, DUHHHHH:

• Duration of military stay in Iraq

posted by WCityMike at 11:38 AM on December 14, 2007

Bove, if your question isn't chat filter then what is the point?

I think we all agree that the race is going to be based upon people's feelings about the war in Iraq, heath care, questions of security, the economy, immigration, environment, etc. If you want links to those subjects, you should have saved your question and just googled them yourself.

As it is what you're asking is a chatty request for our feelings on issues with supporting links. This is bad question notably because many of the issues that are piling up around the 2008 elections are based on "feelings" or "home spun wisdom" rather than something which can be distilled into, "This is my view on what is important, here is a link supporting my view from an objective source."

In other words do you really want the Ron Paul supporters showing up linking to their concerns about Nazi UFOs and secret Antarctic bases?

Flagged.
posted by wfrgms at 11:41 AM on December 14, 2007

[A few comments removed; an extended argument about chatfilter belongs in Metatalk, not here. Let's see if we can keep this to the actual answers and resources bove asked for.]
posted by cortex at 11:43 AM on December 14, 2007

Be sure to check out this recent AskMe thread : "Are there any good sites/articles offering summaries, breakdowns and/or analyses of the candidates' views/opinions on key issues?"

Suggest familiy members take the online quiz at GlassBooth to see where they stand on the issues relative to others and the candidates.
posted by ericb at 12:15 PM on December 14, 2007

The Supreme Court won't be an issue until and unless they do something horrifically bad (or, I suppose, shockingly good) that the press dutifully supports and everyone notices. I don't see this happening. They won't make a grandstanding, rallying-point decision (in any direction), because they don't need to do that.

It the composition and changing wind of the Court important? Yes. Should it be an election issue? Of course. Will it be? I cannot imagine it. I bet most voters don't even know how many chairs there are, let alone who's in 'em.
posted by rokusan at 12:44 PM on December 14, 2007

The issues are whatever you say they are.

For example, i don't have much of an opinion on immigration. I think both sides make some valid points and both sides have some terrible overstatements. Thus, immigration isn't an issue that will affect who I support, and I'm not terribly interested in debating it.

Sticking to hot-button issues is just letting the media and candiates frame the contests. If you think drug legalization should be an issue (just an example), then bring it up often, and make it an issue.
posted by chrisamiller at 1:55 PM on December 14, 2007

Security
Economy

Those are the major issues in every US presidential election.
posted by klangklangston at 1:56 PM on December 14, 2007

Hmm, I'm guessing they have to do with money, food, sex, religion, safety and power. Or any combination of those 6 things.

I don't know how we're supposed to know what your positions are in order to provide you links to them.
posted by sondrialiac at 3:06 PM on December 14, 2007

Issues for the average American?

There's just one, I'm afraid, and that's the price of gas.

Seriously, judging from the Democratic talking points, Iraq and health care. On the Republican side, what else? Taxes and immigration.
posted by Camofrog at 3:31 PM on December 14, 2007

The composition of the Supreme Court was an issue in the 2004 election.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:39 PM on December 14, 2007

Elections 2008.
posted by MLIS at 5:21 PM on December 14, 2007

This poll lists what people are saying the most important issues are.

This is an important question because peripheral issues are getting a lot of attention. Also, Republicans and pro-war people are trying to pretend that Iraq isn't really all that big a deal-- and the media is at least in some respects trying to act that way too. But it is a big deal.

Here's an imperfect summary of what the candidates think on the issues.
posted by ibmcginty at 5:58 AM on December 15, 2007