Hillary or Trump? 2016
A corrupt, "New York Liberal" type, pathological liar, who is likely guilty of many crimes with significant incriminating evidence accumulating...
Hmm, which better fits the above description? It applies to them both!
I have been voting regularly since the 80s, both locally and nationally.
I vote as an independent, though I am leaning somewhat more conservative libertarian.
I am fiscally, and government size (except military and infrastructure), very conservative, while socially moderate.
I will never vote for Trump under any circumstances.
I will never vote for Hillary under any circumstances.
They are both horribly corrupt, dishonest, and almost entirely against nearly everything I believe in.
If it is Sanders v. Trump, as much as I am FIRMLY against socialism (against Social Security, only support Welfare for the severely disabled, against national "health care" except the disabled and veterans, etc.), even Bernie's "European style" I am firmly against. However, I do believe he would be much better for our constitutional and civil rights (especially his stand against the Patriot Act), but he will only be kept in balance overall as long as there is a Republican controlled congress to keep him in check, with Democrat congress it will be disastrous. With a Republican congress I think he would work out compromises. So I would actually consider voting for Sanders v. Trump (or Hillary).
If Hillary v. Ted Cruz, even though I disagree with Cruz on a number of social issues, and I worry he would continue more hard line insanity like the "Patriot" Act, and I worry about his ability to work out deals, I do think he would be much more fiscally responsible and more compliant with the Constitution. So though it is far from ideal, I would vote for Cruz over Hillary.
If Sanders v. Cruz, I would once again have a bit of a challenge in deciding, but I would probably go with Cruz.
Except for Trump & Hillary, just about every candidate from those two parties, I could live with voting for (some more than others) them. The current Liberatarian, Independent, and other party and non-party candidates (huge number this year), are mostly unfortunately nutty, and mostly single-issue candidates. I'm slowly wading through researching all of them, to see if there are any that I could live with voting for (as I did for Bob Barr in 2008 for example).
I believe the FEDERAL government should be the minimum (and thus far less tax and law burden) to prevent anarchy and provide for the three core tenants of:
- Support and maintain the Constitution, by SERVING the People of the USA (not the other way around as it has become)!
- PROTECT (strong foreign/border military but demilitarize the police, control epidemics, riots,natural disasters, etc.) the citizens and the borders
- Maintain critical Interstate infrastructure (roads, power, etc.), foreign relations (trade, treaties, etc.).
Though there are specific details that go slightly beyond those three, anything beyond those three needs to be extremely limited in scope. Those three main areas really should be it for the FEDERAL government.
The rest should be handled by state and local governments.
If Hillary v. Trump, I will be forced once again to write in someone else, there is absolutely no way I will vote for either of them ever!