Clinton, Obama or Paul: a Trilemma

As a free-market liberal (i.e., I’m fiscally conservative yet socially liberal &mdash find out where you are on a short, two-dimensional political quiz) I’m having trouble deciding whom to support in the upcoming presidential election. I’ve already jotted down a to-do list for potential leaders of the free world:

• Avoid getting involved in land wars in Asia
• Balance the budget (by reducing overall government spending, not increasing taxes)
• Educate the children, with especial emphasis on engineering and science, in order to remain globally competitive
• Forge stronger diplomacy and trade links, even with “bad” countries: democracy flourishes where citizens have access to goods and ideas
• Prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons
• Reduce oil dependency
• Restore international credibility
• Reverse environmental damage
• Stop spying on Americans
• Turn over the security of Iraq to the Iraqis

So how do my three favourite candidates compare?

Ron Paul is the long-shot Republican candidate with surprising (to some) support in non-traditional media (namely Comedy Central and Facebook). Since he previously ran as a Libertarian (and presumably still holds the same policy positions) I agree with part of his platform: get out of Iraq; reduce taxes, the debt, the size of government, etc.; and overturn the Patriot Act (and other violations of civil liberties). I’m not sure he has a sensible health care or immigration plan, however, and I disagree with his stance on international organizations and his unwillingness to support net neutrality.

Hilary Clinton has the most comprehensive policies for the widest variety of issues. She is smart and driven. And a bit scary. I fear that she will probably continue some of the current administration’s failures (the war, excessive executive power, meddling in citizen’s lives). And despite her support of net neutrality, she receives a significant amount of funding from the opposition National Cable & Telecommunications Association (see also Prof. Lessig’s thoughts on Mrs. Clinton). Would she improve the current situation? Yes, but that’s not a challenge.

And then there’s Barack Obama, the agent of change (or as some say, inexperience). Having read his 2006 promotional tome, I’m more impressed by the variety than the depth of his ideas. Will he be able to surround himself with smart and experienced advisors in order to gain the credibility required to win the primary, and possibly the presidency? His momentum seems contingent on his positive attitude and apparent authenticity; I hope he can bolster these with more substantial policies.