Voters Should Insist That Candidates Touch the Third Rails
There are certain topics, often referred to as "third rails", that political candidates and leaders will never divulge into.
Yet in many cases these topics are extremely important to voters and most political polls suggest that people want to know the candidates' views on them.
These ideas should be debated openly and honestly, and the voting public should insist that this be the case, as opposed to being subjected to billions of dollars worth of campaign ads that avoid these topics in order to navigate a safer path or just attack the other candidate or political party.
If political truth serum was given to the candidates, both liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, we might actually hear these third rail topics openly discussed and we'd all be better off for it.
Here are some examples of the topics that political polling would suggest we want to hear about, but are being aggressively avoided: - Back when social security was introduced as an entitlement people did not live as long or stay as healthy as they do now.
Is it fair to suggest that moving the age at which one begins to collect social security makes sense? - On a similar note, should social security benefits be related to income? - Is it possible that both sides of the Global Warming argument could be right - that people are responsible for the fact that the globe is actually warming, and that there is truly no financially viable solution as yet? - Is it completely rational and acceptable that we only provide large amounts of aid to countries that can provide some sort of benefit to us, financially or with regard to security? - Can raising taxes be a good idea in some instances, even on the middle class? These are just five examples, and we are not here to take any stand one way or another as far as the correct answer to any of them.
We need an honest debate.
When these and other difficult topics are avoided during campaign seasons, they are perpetually put off because campaigns truly never end! The answer is more debates, more open town meetings, and more press conferences...
and perhaps the reward should be that the educated voter should choose the candidate with the courage to touch some third wheels in the process.
Right now, the candidate and political party with the most money for political ads has an advantage, but in this age that is driven by powerful traditional and social media forces, a candidate willing to take on the issues openly might be able to capture the attention of voters who overwhelmingly in political polling want to hear more open and rational debate.
Yet in many cases these topics are extremely important to voters and most political polls suggest that people want to know the candidates' views on them.
These ideas should be debated openly and honestly, and the voting public should insist that this be the case, as opposed to being subjected to billions of dollars worth of campaign ads that avoid these topics in order to navigate a safer path or just attack the other candidate or political party.
If political truth serum was given to the candidates, both liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, we might actually hear these third rail topics openly discussed and we'd all be better off for it.
Here are some examples of the topics that political polling would suggest we want to hear about, but are being aggressively avoided: - Back when social security was introduced as an entitlement people did not live as long or stay as healthy as they do now.
Is it fair to suggest that moving the age at which one begins to collect social security makes sense? - On a similar note, should social security benefits be related to income? - Is it possible that both sides of the Global Warming argument could be right - that people are responsible for the fact that the globe is actually warming, and that there is truly no financially viable solution as yet? - Is it completely rational and acceptable that we only provide large amounts of aid to countries that can provide some sort of benefit to us, financially or with regard to security? - Can raising taxes be a good idea in some instances, even on the middle class? These are just five examples, and we are not here to take any stand one way or another as far as the correct answer to any of them.
We need an honest debate.
When these and other difficult topics are avoided during campaign seasons, they are perpetually put off because campaigns truly never end! The answer is more debates, more open town meetings, and more press conferences...
and perhaps the reward should be that the educated voter should choose the candidate with the courage to touch some third wheels in the process.
Right now, the candidate and political party with the most money for political ads has an advantage, but in this age that is driven by powerful traditional and social media forces, a candidate willing to take on the issues openly might be able to capture the attention of voters who overwhelmingly in political polling want to hear more open and rational debate.
Source...