Amid all the campaign ads
and pundits’ talk it can be difficult
to focus on what’s really
important about this election
– the issues.
So what are these issues?
According to Bucks professors,
issues are anything from
the economy to Iraq.
“Anyone approaching
retirement. anyone with
money in a 401K needs to be
concerned about the effect
that the economy is having on
the working class,” said
Professor Robert Welsh, of
the math, science and technology
department.
“Terrorism is a major problem
as well,” he added. “We
are reasonably well-protected
now, but that doesn’t mean
that we can let our guard
down.”
Dr. Doug Rosentrater of
the social and behavior science
department said, “There
are obviously three issues
that concerned citizens need
to examine in this upcoming
election. The first is the economy.
The second is the war
in the Middle East. And the
third is the fact that the
national healthcare system is
approaching bankruptcy.”
Rosentrater urged,
“Everybody should look at
the background and previous
actions of their chosen candidates
before making a decision.”
Dr. Mitch Bunkin teaches
political science and history.
He recommends that students
with questions about
the validity of statistics visit
factcheck.org. The website is
published by the School of
Communications at the
University of Pennsylvania
and is considered to be an upto-
date, unbiased resource.
Bunkin offered a simple
formula for addressing election
confusion.
“First realize that in every
election there is going to be
one candidate who is in support
of power and money
being regulated at a statelevel
and a second who wants
the federal government’s
power to remain at status quo
or increase.”
For anyone who is new to
politics, the Democratic party
is in favor of federal government
regulation and spending
while the Republican
party is in favor of awarding
power to individual states.
Bunkin asserted that once a
voter decides if they want tax
money regulated at the federal
or state level, it is easier to
address the important electoral
issues. Professor
Bunkin listed his top five
most-important political
issues.
“When people lose lives for
controversial reasons, it’s
impossible for me to believe
that the war isn’t the no. 1
issue in this upcoming election,”
said Bunkin. The economic
disaster comes in at a
close second on his list.
Next, Bunkin posed the
question, “What type of federal
judges do you
want? The federal
judge appointments
are life-long. That
is longer than the
president himself
even has in office.”
These judges will be
responsible for
interpreting the
Constitution during
our lifetime.
Completing his
“top-five issues”
list, Bunkin said the
environment and
foreign policy tie.
“Clean air and water regulations
have dramatically
dropped in the past eight
years, and we need more
businesslike communications
with the world,” he said.
“We can’t survive without
close and meaningful relationships
with other countries-
whether we admire
them or not.”
Asking Bucks students
about the most important
issues resulted in a mixed
response.
“The economy is the most
important issue facing the
incumbent president. It looks
pretty bad right now. And
the war,” said 20-year-old liberal
arts major Kevin
Tamasitis.
Dan Riesenberger, 26,
works in intelligence for the
U.S. Army in Arizona. “The
Iraq debacle is significant
because it’s driving a lot of
other things. I would also
look at how the candidates
are looking at the economic
crisis we are in and what their
take on foreign policy is, in
general.”
Steve Crow, 28, said, “I
would say that the crumbling
financial system is the most
important issue that the
future president has to deal
with.”