Politicians, foremost those seeking nomination for the highest office in the land, should dwell on what they are for, rather than what they are against. Sounds simple enough, but occurs infrequently. TO PUT it all in perspective, we need far more optimists and far fewer pessimists.
Donald Trump has been guilty — with his attack on Mexicans and ill words for John McCain’s military record — but he is far from alone in playing to the negative. The overriding reason is that negativism draws attention of the national media, especially 24-hour news channels that have to find something to excite viewers when there is no national crisis or major news event — “breaking news,” whether it is or not.
Republican candidates have focused on the Affordable Care Act since it became the law of the land, and with renewed vigor as the presidential primary draws nigh, “just” a year away.
One day last week no beds were open in the three major Wichita hospitals that regularly treat heart patients. A medic on duty at Allen County Regional Hospital’s emergency room opined that might have been because of the Affordable Care Act — or Obamacare, as it’s better known. With more people having access to health insurance, they’re more likely to seek medical assistance, was his speculation.
A bad thing? Of course not, but a good many candidates on the GOP side attack the ACA and stress what they think are its negatives. They rail against it as a budget-busting program and belittle Obama, in large measure to curry favor with the more conservative members of the party.
Better approach: Accept ACA and propose ways to make it stronger, so more people have an avenue through which to deal with health problems.
Immigration and all it entails begs for reform, which will come only from more than mean-spirited lip service.
The answer isn’t building a ridiculously tall wall or rounding up and deporting those in the country illegally — 11 million or whatever the number is. Instead of taking a negative us-against-them approach, candidates of all political stripes should be willing to work in concert toward finding ways to deal with illegals — a route to citizenship is perfectly logical for a good many — as well as a safe and logical way to regulate those who want to come to this country. The lion’s share are not criminals or rapists, come here to ply an evil trade, rather are looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
To his credit, Republican Jeb Bush has proposed a strategy for border security and for overhauling immigration laws.
Candidates, who have a forum of immense proportions with traditional and social media, also should be compassionate in their views of all who live in the U.S. — and many who don’t whom it is well within our means to help.
The vast majority of poor folks aren’t poor because they want to be. For one reason or another — education is at the top of the list, please note Gov. Brownback — they have fallen through economic cracks and scratch and claw though they may, finding a way out of poverty isn’t a simple task. For some it is next to impossible to escape without much more than a one-time helping hand.
Winning an election shouldn’t be to feed one’s ego, rather an extension of what government should be all about, to do collectively what we can’t do individually and put the public good above all else.
— Bob Johnson
Positive approach should be the rule for office seekers
