By Kelly Stewart
Opinions Editor
Although strange to consider, many of the seniors at CHS have indeed reached the age so they can vote in the next republican primary and election. But how much do these students really know about the candidates? Are they thinking about voting for a certain candidate based on merit, or because they have heard their friends say they were a good person to vote for?
With Herman Cain gone, there are now fifteen people in the running for the Republican nomination, six of whom are featured prominently in the news for their serious campaigning and debating: Michelle Bachman, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich. But not all students have the time to catch debates on TV, not to mention to use that information to decide whom to vote for. The following are background profiles on the six candidates, as well as the general opinion of their platform.
Rick Perry:
Current Governor of Texas, Rick Perry has served in the office for three full elected terms (12 years), and according to his official website, wants to “get America working again.” He has received a lot of negative press for his slip up at one debate, forgetting what the third of three agencies he was planning to cut from the budget. He wants to fix the economy by returning to the principles that are outlined in the Bible.
“I do not think Rick Perry knows much about the people,” senior Brianna Dyson said. “He is too busy worrying about himself.”
Michelle Bachmann:
The U.S. Representative from Minnesota hails from the Tea Party Caucus, believing we can close the budget deficit not by raising taxes or raising the debt ceiling, but by making huge cuts to spending. She is heavily against President Obama’s plans for the economy, saying his programs will add millions to the national debt, and in the words from her website, will “[sentence] our children and grandchildren to a future of indentured servitude to foreign leaders.”
When asked about Michelle Bachmann, senior Christina Wagner only had this.
“Michelle Bachmann is the crazy train,” Wagner said.
Newt Gingrich:
Former speaker of the house, and Time magazine’s Man of the Year for 1995, Gingrich believes in fixing the immigration visa process to make it easier for immigrants to move to the U.S. legally. As for healthcare, Gingrich wants to create a high-risk pool that will allow the government to “cover the uninsured who have become too sick to buy health care.” He is currently highest in the polls.
Mitt Romney:
Seemingly, the only person who has managed to stay out of the spotlight in the media, Romney wants to allow the individual states to have the resources to decide which health care solutions work well for them. The former Governor of Massachusetts believes the government should maintain current tax rates and eliminate other taxes, such as the Death Tax, and taxes on the interest dividends and capital gains of people with an AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) below $200,000.
“Even though I do not really identify as a conservative, I kind of like Mitt Romney,” Wagner said. “He seems like he knows what he is talking about.”
Ron Paul:
According to his official website, Ron Paul’s plan for restoring the economy includes “fighting to fully audit (and then end) the Federal Reserve System,” as well as to stop raising the debt ceiling, and end the “stranglehold” companies have on the White House. As for healthcare, he wants to allow the purchase of healthcare across state lines, and give a payroll deduction to any person who is the primary caregiver for a family member.
John Huntsman:
The former Governor of Utah and Ambassador to China believes in free trade and wants to “simplify the personal income tax code and lower rates.” With our energy dependence, he thinks we should search for more domestic energy reserves so we can create jobs and end our dependence on foreign oil.
Herman Cain:
Though his campaign has, as of now, been suspended because of the sexual harassment allegations, he has not announced that he will be completely pulling out just yet. With the economy, Cain stands behind his 9-9-9 plan, say on his website that “our tax code is the 21st century version of slavery.” This plan includes a sales tax raise to 9%, a rate slightly higher than the 8.25% students have in Coppell.
There is general negativity going around for the next presidential race, whether it was the Republican nomination or President Obama being mentioned.
“They just do not understand that most people are not really interested in what they are talking about,” senior Jacob Gatewood said. “They just need to think of the people more than themselves.”
