Ok, so I realize that I am guilty of posting the most non-scholarly postings of them all. I guess that I am the black sheep of the blog for this, but oh well. My question to you all is hardly historical, but I think it will provoke some fun mind work. Who, in your opinion, would the Founding Fathers vote for in the presidential election of 2008? I realize that this is an impossible question to answer. The Founders never dealt with Islamic terrorism, global warming, illegal immigration, healthcare reform, and all of the other issues of the 21st century. With this in mind, PLEASE refrain from giving me your scholarly B.S. as to why this question is bogus. I KNOW that it is bogus! I just want to have some fun. Also, where do you think the Founding Fathers would stand on the major issues of our day?
Ok...let the arguing begin!
8 comments:
I can't post a question and not answer it, so here is my answer:
George Washington: I think he would vote for John McCain. Washington always loved war vets, and McCain is an undisputed war hero. I also think McCain's strong stance against terrorism and for the military would be exactly fitting of George Washington's opinion. Remember, he took a hard stance against Indian "terrorism" (or at least what he perceived to be terrorism).
Benjamin Franklin: I think he would go with Hillary Clinton because Franklin was always for reforming the health of 18th century Americans. He built hospitals, gave $$$ to doctors, etc. He was ahead of his time in this arena, and I think he would want healthcare out of the private sector.
Thomas Jefferson: Ok, this one is a stretch and I realize that, but I am going to say that Jefferson votes for Barack Obama (even though he owned hundreds of slaves). I think Jefferson understood the evils of slavery quite clear. He was just too dependant upon it to let it go. I think Jefferson would WITHOUT A DOUBT want some drastic change in America, and Obama is the candidate pushing for the most change.
James Madison: Ok, nobody can argue here...Madison would vote for Dennis Kucinich, since they are both super small and look as though they may drop dead at any minute from a terminal disease! Kucunich is also the guy that carries around a copy of the Constitution everywhere. This would, of course, flatter the hell out of Madison.
Alexander Hamilton: I am pretty sure he would vote for a strong Federalist/businessman type guy, who has a strong knowledge of economics and how to make lots of $$$. So, I think it's a no-brainer...Hamilton votes for Mitt Romney.
Patrick Henry: Our colonial evangelical preacher that could captivate any crowd! This guy is going to vote with his soul, which is why he would be a passionate supporter of Mike Huckabee!
HAHA!!! I laughed when I read this posting! VERY creative! Thanks for "spicing" things up.
Ok, so here is my opinion:
George Washington: I think that I would agree with you here, Steve. Washington would have gone to hell and back for the men under his command. McCain seems to be cut from the same cloth. They are both ardent patriots, and nobody can argue (as you stated) that they are genuine war heroes.
Thomas Jefferson: For some reason I think that Jefferson is the hardest one to decide on. I thought your pick of Obama was funny, Steve! I have no idea how true it would be. I am going to go a different direction and say that Jefferson would vote for Ron Paul. I think Paul's conservatism, combined with his anti-war stance and his anti-spending is exactly what Jefferson would agree with. Jefferson would also be pleased with Paul's desire to eliminate executive power.
Benjamin Franklin: I like your pick of Hillary Clinton, Steve, but I think Franklin would be the most likely supporter of Obama. You are right about his passionate desire to address the health concerns of 18th century people. Clinton and Obama's desire to take healthcare out of the private sector would appeal to him a lot. I think that Franklin would also like Obama's charisma and his quest for change. Franklin always favored charismatic speakers, and loved to give inexperienced people a chance to prove themselves. Franklin was also a strong supporter of abolitionism in his later life, which is why I think he would be more likely to vote for Obama. Franklin also supported all religions, so the Muslim/Christian upbringing of Obama wouldn't bug Franklin at all.
James Madison: I laughed for a while when I read your Kucinich comparison, Steve! That was hilarious! I think that Madison would probably side with Jefferson, however, and vote for Ron Paul as well. Madison and Jefferson shared a lot of the same political beliefs, and I think Paul would agree with Madison's taste as well.
Alexander Hamilton: Steve is right! There is little doubt that Hamilton would side strongly with Mitt Romney.
Patrick Henry: I think he would love Huckabee's religious stance, but I don't know about the political side. I will agree with you though.
Samuel Adams: Adams was a fire breather to say the least. I am going to say that he votes for Mike Gravell, simply because they are both shouters and doomsdayers!
John Adams: This is a hard one. I think Adams would vote for Mike Huckabee, simply because he is mostly conservative, but not exclusively. Adams (in his day) was mostly Federalist, but not exclusively. Though Adams was hardly a devout Christian, I don't think he would care that Huckabee is. After all, Adams was the one that recommended the "no religious test" in the Constitution.
John Hancock: I think Hancock would go along with a lot of what the Democrats are saying, but I have no idea who he would vote for. I'm going to say Clinton, because she has the ties to political "hierarchy," and as we all know, there was nobody more devoted to hierarchy than Hancock.
Ok, so here is where the Founders would stand on the issues:
Global Warming:
I think Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and most of the other southern founders would support protecting the environment. As a surveyor, Washington wrote often about how he loved the outdoors, and even supported some 18th century versions of conservation (at least what they understood in the 18th century to be conservation). Franklin would also be an ardent supporter of protecting the environment.
Adams, Hamilton and John Jay would be completely against it.
The Iraq War:
This is hard to say. Washington was a strong supporter of having a powerful army, but was against using that army in foreign affairs. He was the epitome of isolationism.
Hamilton would be all for the war! He would be excited about the opportunities it would provide to benefit from the oil and introduction of private corporations.
Franklin, Jefferson, Madison would all be against it. They were almost always anti-war, and preached that the U.S. must never enter into war unless our liberty was threatened. In this case, I don's see any scenario where they would be for the war.
Fun question! I'm excited to see what everyone else has to say.
Assuming the Founders had long life spans and could appreciate and understand all the changes that have taken place....
Washington would support a strong national defense, a stable and vibrant economy, and a sense of moral order and patriotism in society. He would also want to make sure veterans were taken care of and (I think) would be pretty supportive of education. This probably makes him a Republican.
Jefferson would be really hard to place. In some respects, he remains a Democrat (the Democratic-Republican Party of the founding era), but the Democratic Party has largely abandoned the states' rights mantra that he championed. I see him as a Democrat-leaning, southern Independent.
Let me add to my last post. Jefferson leans Democrat, because I think he would be very pro-labor and pro-middle class and pro-lower class (provided he of course didn't have to LIVE in the lower and middle classes :-) ).
I think MOST of the Founders would have, over time, adjusted to society's changing attitudes on women, race relations, Indian relations, etc. I actually think some of them would have fully embraced those changes.
Thomas Paine would probably be for Ron Paul.
Steve, I'm sorry, but I don't see Ben Franklin voting for Hillary Clinton. In fact, I'm not sure WHO he would vote for. I think Franklin would relish the role of wise, elder statesman - and would try to float above the whole fray, handing down pithy sayings, humorous anecdotes, and what-not.
Hamilton probably goes with Romney. MAYBE with Guiliani, a fellow New Yorker. That said, don't forget that Hamilton tried to start a forerunner of the Christian Coalition in the latter years of his life. There's a little Huckabee in him too. But he probably goes with Romney when all is said and done.
As for Washington...he would probably refuse to publicly endorse any of them, and would instead welcome them all privately to Mount Vernon for advice and consultation. :)
Brian!
Come on man! Take a stand and tell me who they would vote for man! =) You are porbably right about Franklin not voting. He'd probably bet the main editor to a major political newspaper and blog and would rip on them all.
Steve, there is no way that I am going to justify my picks, that limb is far too long and thin, but i will give a few stabs at it.
Washington for McCain. Military men do stick together...for example Hamilton and Washington. Did you notice that the first political parties collasced around.... the Federalists around the vets.....the Republicans (theoriginal DRs) around those that did not...Jefferson and Madison. And the Deomcratic-Republicans had the nerve to accuse them of betraying the "spirit of '76"!!! Whoops, preaching.
Jefferson - Ron Paul, it is about small government.
Madison - would stick with his mentor and suppoer Paul, strict constitutionalism is what it is about.
Hamilton - McCain, it is about good, strong, responsible government, what, is that not what they all are saying?
Franklin - simply would rip everyone and keep his own counsel. Franklin on his liberal compromising side, gut feeling for the newcomer, Obama. I think that Franklin could have a feeling for Romney too.
There it is, my halfpenny thought.
Well, this is some good speculation. I would have to say that I don't believe any of these founding fathers would vote democratic. Overall, I agree with Steve. HE brings very valid support to why they would be chosen. Personally, I pray Clinton doesn't win. I was born in 1988 and have yet to see anyone but Bush or Clinton in the White House. I want change, America wants change, and hell, WE NEED CHANGE. So although I didn't quite answer the question the way you guys did (Which I really enjoyed reading), I gave my opinion on this 2008 election.
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