When discussing where Bachmann stands on social issues, it should be no surprise to American's that she stays conservative on most any issue. ever. Whether it be "moral" or "social", Bachmann's conservative politics are deeply rooted in her devout religious life, which is historically rooted in conservative Republican ideals.
When talking about education, Bachmann tends to stay more focused on quantity and not quality. While she voted for the reauthorization of the DC opportunity scholarship program, she voted no in 2007 for an additional $10.2 billion dollars to go towards federal education & HHS projects (Link 1). She also stands against propositions that support making schools 'greener', showing her priorities with environment. In 2008, Bachmann voted no on grants in environmental education that would promote outdoor activities. Clearly Bachmann believes that education is not a priority in terms of helping the economy.
Rather, Bachmann tends to focus on things that will help improve corporate companies income in markets such as oil and gas. In June, 2009, Bachmann voted no on implementing any type of limit on the amount of CO2 global warming pollution. This type of legislation, deemed cap and trade, has always been favored by conservative Republicans and Bachmann is no different. Instead of improving technologies now, Bachmann favors improving technologies in the future.
One of Bachmann's beliefs, however, is more omnipresent in society, giving her a demographic she can reach out to as a voting bloc. In favor of traditional family life, Bachmann does have a strong sense of family and community and it shows not only in her words but her actions as well. As a moth of 5 and a foster parent to 23, Bachmann shows she is for the idea of the 'family unit'. It is not wonder she is against gay marriage then as she stands behind defining what marriage, in her idea, should be in an amendment to the constitution.
Either way, Bachmann continues to be a conservative force to be reckoned with as she continues running.
I think the motivations for Bachmann in her policy decisions are guided by economics as much as by religion. Her religious piety influences her decisions on social or moral issues, but when faced with a decision about the environment or businesses, she will favor the larger corporations and their economic gains. In turn, she hopes come election time they will "return the favor" and make a sizable donation for Bachmann's campaign.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your comment, the Republican Party in general is focusing on what they know will be the center of the upcoming election which is how to fix the economy. They'll use the argument that without a solid economy, it would be impossible to provide financial help to needy students or homeowners or employees. The only problem is that the needy students, homeowners, and employees are the majority of people who will be voting, so it'll be interesting to see which camp wins them over.
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