How to choose our president this year is a decision that some voters are still struggling with. In an effort to narrow some of the debate, we offer a review of the key policy approaches that could characterize either a Trump or Harris administration. It’s your decision. Rather than pretend an endorsement from The Blade will make a difference in a state where the vote is expected to go solidly for the GOP candidate, we have opted to stay neutral. Our endorsement is that you vote. Whether you’re acting on a gut instinct or a deep dive into the policy details, exercise your right to weigh in on the presidency.
A bedrock necessity in the next president is sound economic policies that protect and promote industry that fuels our prosperity, in northwest Ohio and nationwide. The United States needs to continue “reshoring” industry and rebuilding our manufacturing power, and deserves to have a foreign trade policy that has reasonable protections for U.S. manufacturers and modulates them based on whether our trade “partners” provide the same access to their markets as we do to theirs.
Former President Donald Trump’s solution is tariffs on China and other trade competitors that will provide revenue to the federal government and level the playing field to encourage U.S. producers of consumer goods. Vice President Kamala Harris backs a lower-level tariff policy, pledging an Opportunity Economy that provides subsidies to help businesses get started and survive. Trump says he would cut the cost of gasoline by freeing up production and exploration to ensure long-time supplies. Harris supporters say more oil and gas has been pumped during their administration than ever before.
The heart of the issue is how serious the United States wants to be about reining in climate change. Even as the Biden Administration has promoted efforts to transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles, we are in the midst of an artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency boom that is putting an unprecedented burden on our production of electrical energy.
Foreign policy is arguably the president’s most important job. Both candidates say they support Ukraine, though Trump has been far less willing to accept an open-ended flow of arms to Ukraine than has Ms. Harris. Trump’s friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin suggest there will be thaw in our relations with Russia, even if that comes at the expense of Ukraine. Trump is likely to be more hawkish than Ms. Harris when it comes to Israel. Ms. Harris is likely to emulate Mr. Biden’s dependence on alliances such as NATO. Trump will end alliances if our partners don’t raise their financial contribution and trusts his negotiating skills to solve international issues.
The border has dominated the campaign. Trump has been harshly critical of the Biden-Harris Administration’s handling of the issue, highlighting the costs of housing illegal immigrants and the harm done by criminals who have entered the country in the last four years. Yet, Trump shot down a good plan to protect the border that was endorsed by GOP senators. Ms. Harris has pledged a hardening of the border but has not backed the mass deportation Trump envisions.
The economy, the climate, and the threat of world wars confront us even as we find ourselves more indebted for the cost of government. The federal debt is $36 trillion, and in 2024 our government authorized spending that is $1.8 trillion more than it has the revenue for. This impending crisis will have consequences for Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare, and defense spending. Neither candidate has a serious plan to pay down the debt. There are other issues that are more important to some voters. No election can solve every problem. Whatever our worries about the beliefs and temperaments of our candidates, we must trust in our constitutional system to sort them out.
First Published November 2, 2024, 11:19 p.m.
