When candidates say they are going to use the Constitution as their guide, does that sway you?

Question

Everyone says it. Don't you think each of them interprets the Constitution in his own way? It is vague in some areas.

TyranusX, The "necessary and proper clause" is vague. It's subjective. Also, the legislature is supposed to provide the "defense and general welfare of the United States."

Answer 1

What they say doesn't affect my opinion much.
I pay attention to their votes, their past actions, and their past and current affiliations.

Answer 2

The Constitution is the final law of the land. The Founding Fathers ruled their country quite well while they played by the rules of the Constitution. Then when we started voting for politicians instead of statesmen we started getting away from the Constitution's original meaning. After doing a lot of research on the candidates, I decided to place my vote for Ron Paul because he is the only candidate I could find that wants to truly go back to the Constitution. Ron Paul also has the voting record and speeches to Congress to prove to me that he actually practices what he preaches. That makes me think there is hope for America. Especially when I see how many of the grassroots people are supporting Ron Paul. The national news media polls don't do him justice because they only call people with land lines which rules out lots of people like me that only have a cell phone number. Since lots of his supporters are younger people they most likely are like me in only owning a cell phone and not having a land line. This changes the polls some right there. Also Ron Paul has won a large majority of the straw polls across the country. He also is raising his money(over $10.7 million in the fourth quarter alone) from people that are giving average donations of $100. That's a lot of people that are supporting him with their money!

Answer 3

No. Mostly, it's just meaningless words.

Someone truly using the Constitution as their guide would sincerely have to question all entitlement programs the government currently runs, the involvement of government in education, the arts and the sciences, as well as questioning the constitutionality of programs like FEMA, FannieMae, FDIC, etc, etc.

They would also be vehemently against corporate and agricultural subsidies, angry about earmarks, and consider Campaign Finance Reform as an attack on the peoples' right to free speech.

So when a candidate says they believe in the Constitution, but wants to give people prescription drug benefits or pay for their health care, they are clearly NOT in agreement with the Constitution.

Answer 4

The Constitution is not really vague at all. The vast vast majority of it is really clear. It has only "become vague" because modern Politicians want to pretty much ignore it so they claim its "vague"

Answer 5

No it doesn't sway me. Show me a politician who has ever done anything they said they were going to do.

The day after inauguration, the President is called into a meeting which goes something like this:

"Congratulations Mr President. Great Campaign. Now, here's the way things are..........."

One person doesn't have the power to change anything.

Answer 6

I think all of the candidates are saying this. Can you imagine a candidate saying "I'm just going to make sh*t up as I go along?" That candidate would get laughed out of the White House.

Answer 7

No. I look at how they have dealt with Constitutional issues in their past.

Answer 8

Absolutely not. The constitution isn't perfect. That's why it has been amended, and could still be in the future... Politicians who claim to be so single-minded (from ANY source) should be feared.

Answer 9

Actions speak much louder than words.

Answer 10

Only if their voting record proves it! R.P. is the only one I know of! Ron Paul 2008