It might not be obvious from my recent political opinion
writings as to how I’ll be voting in the presidential election this year. On one
hand, I’ve spent a lot of time and energy criticizing Republicans, including by
poking holes in a number of anti-Obama arguments. On the other hand, readers
will not find much I’ve written that’s actually pro-Obama.
At FrumForum, I and other writers would sometimes get
comments at the bottom of our posts from presumably Democratic readers sniping that
our arguments count for little because “you’re going to vote Republican anyway”
or words to that effect. Well, in my case, I can say with confidence that I
would have voted against the GOP nominee had it been Santorum, Gingrich, Perry,
Cain or Bachmann* (and there were times such an outcome seemed all too
plausible). I would’ve chosen Obama over any of the above-listed Republicans
(though perhaps not over Americans Elect in this parallel universe).
Back to reality now, and the Obama-Romney matchup. The
criticism of Obama from many Republicans is that he’s a dangerous radical, a
threat to America’s basic framework. I think that’s baloney. This president
strikes me as cautious, even plodding; not a bold visionary or ideologue and
not a particularly skilled deal-maker; someone who uses high-flown rhetoric
that vastly outpaces his achievements; someone who spent two years letting
congressional Democrats drive the agenda, the next two in defensive mode.
As for Romney, well, much of that description could apply to
him too. A common complaint about him is that he shifts with the political
winds. Conservatives worry that he won’t pursue their agenda. Progressives
worry he’ll be a captive of conservatives. My guess is both sides will find
some of those worries realized in a Romney administration. To me, that’s largely
for the good. I want a president who upsets left and right.
It’s possible, but unlikely, that I’ll change my mind between
now and November. As it stands, I intend to vote for Romney. A technocratic
manager who knows how to restructure failing organizations (read: federal
agencies, programs, and also his own party) is not a bad job description for a
successful president over the next four years. I’ll have more on specific
issues in future posts, and soon will have something on the question of who’s
going to win.
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* - Update: The exclusion of Ron Paul from this list was accidental.
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* - Update: The exclusion of Ron Paul from this list was accidental.
