The Impact of the South Carolina Primary
The stunning results are in from the Primary held in South Carolina and it is a game changer in terms of who may be the GOP nominee for President. History has shown that the winner of South Carolina’s primary has gone on to be the nominee. Time will tell. The details of the results have now opened wide the possibility of three individuals who may end up being the GOP nominee for President. Three different candidates have won the primaries or caucuses which have taken place thus far with Florida the next one on the agenda January 31, 2012.
The issues facing our country and others today need to be addressed and in some respects the candidates basically agree on what issues require attention. Each candidate in the race has their own personality and their approach to the issues. Some may be controversial while others are more acceptable. The key in the upcoming primaries will be how a candidate can project themselves to be the choice for America with their approach to the issues. One thing we must remember is a President can only propose solutions but it is up to Congress to enact them in legislation. The main function of a President is to lead in such a way that he can convince others to follow his agenda. It is not an easy thing to do.
It is also the responsibility of Congress to consider the agenda of a President and make changes they feel are necessary to be in line with what is right and what their constituents will accept. This sometimes presents a problem in terms of what is right and what is acceptable. Those who represent us at various levels of government must understand the needs of the community, state and country and make the necessary tough decisions to address the tough issues facing us.
In the coming months a GOP nominee will be selected to present the approach to the voters on their plan for America in the next four years. It is important that the nominee help to create an agenda in line with public opinion. There are many issues facing our country such as big government, national debt and government involvement in private industry. In addition the duplication in the functions of government creates inefficiency. I believe there needs to be adequate checks and balances between the branches of government. Those we elect in November must be individuals of integrity as proven by their previous record in government or private industry. Congress must support the President when he is right and must work with the President on approaches to issues where they disagree. It is our responsibility to elect those who will make these kinds of decisions.
Partisan politics in all levels of government must stop. It should not make a difference which party or individual proposes actions on various issues but the merits on the approach presented. While this may be a cultural change in the way Congress operates the new influx of elected officials from the preceding election appears to be working to change this culture. The leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate are there to allow the proper evaluation of legislation being presented. It is not the job of these leaders to prevent legislation from reaching the floor of each house to be considered and voted upon. This kind of action is contrary to the principles upon which our country was found. Opinion by leaders in Congress on legislation being processed should have nothing to do with whether it gets presented for a vote. Individuals of all parties must work together and consider the opinions of others with which they work. It is something the public expects from their elected officials. Let us evaluate the candidates for election this year and support those who not only represent our views but consider the opinion of the candidates on issues if it makes sense. We may not always agree with positions taken by any elected official but we must look at the whole picture and what is good for our country
