What's your biggest issue that would cause you to vote for someone?

COL Eric Holmes — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:09:23 -0400

I'm curious what veterans view as their top issue. Jobs? Economy? VA? Border? Foreign policy? Healthcare? anything else?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 10:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:11:47 -0400

Fiscal responsibility. Balanced budget.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 10:39 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:39:02 -0400

Honesty.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jul 16 at 2014 10:45 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:45:50 -0400

Not a single issue person. Whoevers Values most closely alligned with mine is who I always vote for. Sometimes that is a case of the Lesser of 2 Evils that is just that way of it though.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 10:59 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:59:49 -0400

Sir, I have to agree with LTC Private RallyPoint Member on honesty although I would put respect above everything else for it is the foundation of all other values. I liken it to what we have in the Army with the 7 Army Values. It's been really hard to pinpoint which one is the top one but I figured out respect has to be number one. Without it, you cannot be loyal, you cannot do your duty, you cannot maintain selfless service, you cannot have honor, you cannot have integrity, you cannot have personal courage. I do look for all of these in a candidate but it is extremely hard since many are self-serving. I ask this simple question of a candidate: does the individual have a respect for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Jul 17 at 2014 7:24 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 07:24:08 -0400

I have to agree with SFC Private RallyPoint Member , fiscal responsibility is probably the top priority at this point in time, but by no means the ONLY issue (although I believe this alone would make a marked difference in the job situation in the private sector in a short period of time). We also need a drastic revision in foreign policy and border security (a tie for second at this point in time). You mentioned Healthcare, the current ACA is, in my personal opinion, unsustainable and needs a revamp; but it may just implode on it's own forcing a revamp. As for the VA; I am of the mindset that the VHA (Veterans Health Administration) would be better off being privatized. I don't necessarily feel the same about the VBA (Veterans Benefits Administration) or the NCA (National Cemetery Administration).
The current situation, to me, is that there are so many issues out there; and if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority; making this decision all the more difficult.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Jul 17 at 2014 10:13 AM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 10:13:41 -0400

Integrity.
If I were to find someone with an articulate philosophy towards government who consistently advanced same, I would vote for them - unless it was killing people named "Stoneking."

I am only slightly tongue in check here. I believe the #1 problem with government by far is lack of integrity. It shows up in many ways, but the biggest are
1) People who say whatever they need to say to get elected
2) People who do whatever they need to do to stay elected

Neither of the above things serves the county well, in my opinion.

At this point, I would (semi-)happily vote for someone I disagreed with on 10 out of 10 issues, as long as I though that they were sincere in their positions and would act in accordance with their beliefs. You can at least plan for them.

And fiscal accountability. I have no hope at this point, however, as everybody wants "free" stuff and nobody want THIER ox gored.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 17 at 2014 11:05 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:05:00 -0400

My personal top issues that would sway my vote are first and foremost:

Leadership with purpose - a vision that can be translated into action by a person who will take responsibility for all (the good, bad, ugly), has the integrity and fortitude to see it through, and can bring defferent people together for the good of all.

After that the top issues for me are:
- A realistic and strategically sound foreign policy
- Budget management and fiscal responsibility
- Economic growth
- Second Ammendment rights and protection

Response by LCpl Steve Wininger made Jul 17 at 2014 12:10 PM

LCpl Steve Wininger — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 12:10:40 -0400

Honesty sir. Politicians need to quit sugarcoating things and trying to speak to their constituents, who are mostly selfish. It is my dream to see a president to give a state of the union and say the state of the union is not good. At least it would be an honest answer.

Politicians have an answer for everything, and they think there way will cause little to no pain for the American people. I am sorry but this country is in a mess and there is no easy and painless solution. It is going to hurt like mad for everyone to fix the mess past presidents have created.

Response by SFC Jeff L. made Jul 17 at 2014 12:42 PM

SFC Jeff L. — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 12:42:59 -0400

Getting another Ronald (Ronaldus Maximus) Reagan in my lifetime is looking pretty bleak. As complex an issue as this is, my answer is that I'll vote for the person whose belief system, values, ideas are the most closely aligned with my own. But to answer the question with my "biggest" issue: The Constitution. I want the guy who will protect and defend the Constitution for real. Not just lip service. I believe that an original intent point of view needs to be taken in order to preserve our liberties. If you do that, then everything else is likely to fall into place. He'll want to enforce the laws, preserve our borders, be a leader and example for all Americans.

Response by CPT Richard Riley made Jul 17 at 2014 1:46 PM

CPT Richard Riley — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:46:23 -0400

I see honesty here as a reoccurring theme, but I have to agree with COL Vincent Stoneking if integrity is not present, then honesty will be difficult to follow through. In our current society I think an individual can be politically honest but lack the integrity to stay true to his/her moral compass. I am more inclined to vote for an individual who shows a track record of upholding his/her integrity than I am for an individual who chooses to be politically expedient.

Response by COL Eric Holmes made Jul 18 at 2014 12:05 AM

COL Eric Holmes — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:05:10 -0400

I truly appreciate your comments. I like the idea of saying what's right even if not everyone will agree. I think the tendency is for one to get nervous about offending someone so he will start to stammer. Some issues you can't tap dance around.

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Jul 18 at 2014 1:31 AM

SSgt Gregory Guina — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 01:31:33 -0400

Sir
My top priority is the United States of America. I hate that politicians are so hell bent on their parties agenda that they are unwilling to compromise which puts are nation at a standstill. Also it often seems that they are afraid to make a decision because of how their contingency may or may not receive it. I feel that if they could get past things compromise and get something done anything done. The decisions they make are not going to please everyone but not making s decision does not please anyone either. They need to be willing to compromise.

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Jul 18 at 2014 7:48 AM

SSG Gerhard S. — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 07:48:46 -0400

My biggest issue is a vocal and demonstrative desire and track-record of adhering to our Constitutional principles of limited government. When a Candidate tells me the things he/she believes Government should NOT be doing to, or for us, ... That is the candidate I am more likely to vote for. That is the candidate that has read and understands our Constitution, and the enumerated powers granted to the Federal government.

Response by LCDR Mike Roshaven made Jul 18 at 2014 11:37 AM

LCDR Mike Roshaven — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:37:33 -0400

I see all the current issues as mere symptoms of a larger disease, yet there is no one name, cause or outright panacea for this. However, I think that if someone ran on a platform that included a call for amending the Constitution so that term limits are imposed across the board, we might see the day of the career politician go away, and perhaps improvements in our laws and systems that attempt to keep our system of Capitalism from consuming ourselves. Until we can get a majority of politicians that like the vast majority of our military- put service before self, we are going to see things continue to get worse.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2014 12:31 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 12:31:50 -0400

COL Holmes,

The single largest issue I would address would be the ever increasing size and scope of the United States Government, counter to what the Founding Fathers of the United States envisioned. While we need a strong, effective government, it needs to be limited in size and scope.

Instead of having this bureaucracy thousands of miles away writing literally thousands of pages regulations, Congress and the Executive need to grant power back to the states. There is no "one size fits all" model that works for everyone in America, with the PHACA as a good example, as well as national gun control laws.

There needs to be a review of laws that limit constitutional rights. The US Government, no state government, or any entity, should be given lawful power to circumvent these rights under any circumstances. Simply because 535 men and women on a power trip in DC decided they wanted to do something, doesn't necessary make it Constitutionally legal (See: Justin Amash and how he explains his votes as well as whether or not they are Constitutional).

As an example, The War Powers Act of 1973 essentially gave away Congress's power to declare war away to the Presidency. People argue they can cut funding, but it is immoral to suggest that Congress should only be able to prevent the President from going to war by taking body armor and proper PPE away from service members. It also does not work (See: Libya 2011).

Tax reform. Our nation has the highest corporate tax burden in the globe. Japan lost that title when they cut their rates (slightly) a few years ago. Having a 35% corporate tax rate, where the government gets to pick winners and losers with certain tax "credits" and exemptions needs to be reviewed (See: General Electric's $14 billion in profits in 2010). When other businesses that don't curry the favor of the US Government and/or have the money to avoid ex-IRS employees to decrease taxes get to pay the full price is morally and ethically improper.

I'd suggest Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan, because it leveled the playing field and truly gives more people the chance to succeed, or fail, on their own instead of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars a year to comply with the stacked tax systems.

Secure the border. Reform immigration policy. Remove quotas. Let people come here and only prevent criminals, terrorists and high risk infections from entering the nation. Immigration made America, but open borders is not the way. Especially with my home state of Arizona experiencing a significant amount of drug related violence due to the drug war in Mexico.

End the war on drugs. End minimum sentencing. If someone wants to ingest a plant, spending billions of dollars to detain and incarcerate them is a waste of funding and effort when the "nation of the free" has the single largest prison population in the world, per capita and by total numbers. With that said, legalize marijuana, but not meth, heroin or cocaine. Treat them as medical issues and reinvest money used to send drug addicts to rehabilitation instead of prison.

The war on drugs has had a disproportional impact on minority communities, specifically African Americans. In effect, it's institutional slavery. Young men with fewer opportunities due to their circumstance and the media image pressed upon these communities have lead to higher rates of incarceration compared to any other demographic, creating a system where opportunity (for employment) is lost due to criminal backgrounds, perpetuating dependence on the Federal government to survive in unsustainable fiscal environments. I'd look at what Rand Paul has been saying on the matter, he hit the nail on the head.

A return to Teddy Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan foreign policy. We need to walk lightly, but carry a big stick, because while Americans wish we could just talk things through, the rest of the world is a violent place, where force and naked violence have solved more problems in our history than anything else. MAD sounded insane, but it worked. Our disengagement from the world and using the military as our primary tool instead of a force multiplier has damaged our national prestige and resulted in a loss of confidence in America abroad.

When President Obama blinked to Assad, Russia took note. As did China. And ISIS. And the rest of our adversaries. Even if conclusive evidence came out indicating that Russian back separatists did in fact shoot down an airliner with 23 Americans on board, we won't go to war with them. Why? It would spark a larger conflict with Russia that POTUS's national security team would seek to avoid when world wide security is already plummeting (See: South America, Boko Harem, Al Shabbab, etc in Africa, ISIS, Israel-Palestine, eastern Europe, etc).

Appoint someone to run the VA who knows what they're doing. Like Ron Paul, but younger. A veteran and a doctor who isn't a politician or a bureaucrat.

V/R
SGT Mullet

PS - I'm sure I missed something, but I'm only running on three cups of coffee right now.

Response by MSgt Phillip D'Amour made Jul 23 at 2014 1:39 PM

MSgt Phillip D'Amour — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 13:39:32 -0400

1st, Pro Life
2nd, 2nd Amendment
3rd, 1st Amendment