|
By Marla Dalrymple
Contributing Writer With 2008 being a big election year, it is time to start narrowing down the differences between the many presidential candidates. A recent informal survey of Macon County citizens reveals that most residents have already put much thought into the issues surrounding this election.The war in Iraq was mentioned several times as a big issue in considering a candidate for president, although one person expressed concern that “most candidates are not even talking about it.” Business owner Larry Phillips said, “bring our men home and let them work out their own problem.” George Armor, parent of a high school sophomore, agreed that the Iraq War was a deciding issue. “Now we’re in there, we have to leave them with some kind of government so that the Iraqi people can get on with their lives,” he said.“I don’t think we should force democracy on them,” said Armor about Iraq. “We should give them some options to work out themselves.” Leah Kennedy feels that the war is not an invasion, but “really a holy war whether people want to admit it or not,” she said. “Our troops are there to help people, but we can’t keep them there. It is affecting everything all around.” When it comes to terrorism, Doris Hunter said she favors the thinking of Republican John McCain, citing her concern that “an ongoing attack will upset the economic structure.” Larry Phillips said that he feels Homeland Security has too much power and needs to be reformed.Armor’s number one concern is downsizing the government. “With 35,000 lobbyists in Washington to pressure senators and representatives, I believe in smaller government,” said Armor. “The War on Drugs is chewing up federal money,” said Armor, “and prisons built by companies like GTE pay lobbyists to keep them full.” Immigration was repeatedly mentioned as a big concern. Ricky Plumb says he would like to see more money go to border control. Larry Manning, who listed immigration as the issue he considers most important, agreed that there needs to be more “help at the border” and said that the government should send illegal immigrants home. “If you come the right way, it’s okay,” said Manning.Regarding immigration, Armor thinks “it is not possible to round everybody up and get rid of them.” “We need to secure the border, but I believe in bridges versus walls,” said Armor. “We have to create a better legal process” for those who are going to “get here sooner or later anyway,” he said. Hunter said that she liked John McCain as a presidential candidate until she heard his policy on immigration, which called for illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship after so much time in U.S. residency. “I like Mitt Romney’s take on immigration,” she said, “if you come here illegally, you should get no perks. Today we need to work on immigration.”Healthcare continues to be a big issue locally. Phillips would like to see healthcare reform. Armor said he believes in privatization of healthcare. “People who can should have to pay for it,” he said, “but people should not be turned away when they do not have the money.” “Surgery and medical [care] should be available to everyone on a sliding fee scale,” said Armor, who claims to not support a national health plan per se. Those interviewed spoke of the need to reinvigorate the economy. Kennedy expressed concern over the issue of the sub prime and how it has been affecting the housing market. “People are losing their homes and struggling to pay their taxes, but it is an issue that keeps getting avoided,” said Kennedy. Hunter said she is also concerned about the economy and the everincreasing cost of living. “I know the housing crunch is on everyone’s mind,” she said. “We need to increase jobs,” said Lucille Cocke.Manning would like to see “more support for the middle class worker who does not qualify for government assistance.” “There is not enough help with childcare, especially for single parents,” said Manning. Ricky Plumb and Melissa Seymour both advocate lower taxes. Education was also mentioned as a topic that needs more attention. The general feeling seems to be that better programs should be offered. “We need to put more money into education,” said Jan Stough. “We need to raise the standards of teachers and students,” said Armor. Interestingly, the environment was not mentioned as an issue to polled Macon County residents. Lee Perry cited abortion as an issue of primary concern to her. Being against abortion, she said that “Mike Huckabee is looking pretty good.” Although one person interviewed said there was no choice and he was unhappy with the quality of candidates, most people seem to already have a pretty good idea of which candidates they like. “It’s time for a change in party,” said Phillips. “I think it’s a good time for a woman president.” Another individual said she thought Hillary Clinton would ultimately “win out in the end because of her experience.” Armor said “Hillary wants to talk about change, but after 35 years in Washington, what has she really done?” Currently, Armor claims to favor Democrat Barack Obama, although he would like to see a third party represented. “Maybe he really wants to change things,” said Armor about Obama. Hunter said that while she is looking at all of the presidential candidates, she is concerned that “Obama will lead us into a socialist state.” Despite the full menu of presidential candidates, of the polled Macon County locals who knew who they might vote for, only four candidate names were mentioned. Democrats John Edwards and Hillary Clinton were mentioned the most as candidates people anticipate voting for. Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama follow closely behind, but no other candidates were named as Macon County favorites. Hunter said “I hope the people get invigorated, become aware of the topics, and vote from their conscience.” |
