Should there be a program in place that holds candidates accountable for their promises, should they get elected?

ENS Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:13:15 -0400

There have been a lot of promises tossed around this election year. What is there to prevent a candidate from lying? "I promise free education for everyone" - then, upon election, not deliver.

Should candidates be held responsible and accountable for these promises? Should there be something in place that impeaches them should they not deliver? What are your thoughts?

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Oct 20 at 2016 4:16 PM

Sgt Wayne Wood — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:16:54 -0400

Hell YEAH!

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Oct 20 at 2016 4:18 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:18:38 -0400

Basically, it's supposed to be corrected the next election, but never is due America's short attention span. What I would like to see is a recall process for those that stray too far from promises not fulfilled.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Oct 20 at 2016 4:21 PM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:21:49 -0400

That's a great concept and I wish it would work. However, instead of candidates standing on a platform saying, "If elected, I promise to......"; we would end up with the same candidate now standing on the same platform saying, "If elected, I promise to TRY to......". The end results, I fear, will be the same.

Response by Maj John Bell made Oct 20 at 2016 4:21 PM

Maj John Bell — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:21:51 -0400

Sure, just don't expect any actual accountability, not even by the voters.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Oct 20 at 2016 4:22 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:22:41 -0400

ENS Private RallyPoint Member it is called informed voters who do not vote as sheep. If we the people actually held our politicians accountable for their campaign promises, and voted out those who failed to follow through, then there would be incentive for politicians to either not make outlandish promises, or to keep the promises they make regardless of how far fetched they seem. The problem is that we have been conditioned to vote R for conservative thinking and D for liberal thinking, and nothing exists in the middle. The problem is that while people are voting R and D, most people's values fall more in the middle of the road. We don't have candidates that represent the middle of the road. In other cases politicians run unopposed for their seats. They don't need to make any promises, or do anything. They are the only name on the ballot so they win by default (mostly in state or local elections). So the structure is in place already, it is just up to us as voting citizens to hold our politicians to task for the promises that are made on the campaign trail.

Response by CW2 Ernest Krutzsch made Oct 20 at 2016 4:25 PM

CW2 Ernest Krutzsch — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:25:14 -0400

No, because they make promises on the information they have, it becomes a very different story when they are elected and get briefings.. For instance, I am sure that President Obama meant that he was going to shut down Guantanamo Bay, but when he learned the specifics he found out his promise was not possible..However, when someone promises that something will not add one dime to the deficit, that needs accountability, because they know that is not true

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 20 at 2016 4:30 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:30:03 -0400

You want candidates held responsible and accountable for the promises they break? We already have such a system. It's called an election. You want term limits? We have term limits. It's called an election. You want a system to removing politicians who break their promises? We have that system. It's called an election. So, who's fault is it that we keep electing and reelecting the same scoundrels time and time again?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 4:31 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:31:37 -0400

Kind of hard with the whole separation of powers thing.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Oct 20 at 2016 4:37 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:37:31 -0400

Should there be a program, Yes. Will there be a program, No. Like all things in life, there is a cost for what we want and the American people are not interested in paying the cost of what your question is asking.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 4:46 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:46:21 -0400

If the candidate promises to lower (or not raise ) taxes and still provide broader benefits, and you still vote for them, just accept that they will not meet that promise.

And apologize for voting for them.

Response by Alan K. made Oct 20 at 2016 4:48 PM

Alan K. — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:48:18 -0400

A couple of years ago when I was young, If you were hired to do a job you either performed well and did the job you were hired for or you were held accountable. Given coaching to make sure you understood your job requirements, you either understood and attained those required goals or you were terminated. First year could be probationary.....BUT...You have to have the cooperation of both houses of Congress.....Could you imagine, A government that ran like a Rolex...? I just woke up, what were we saying...?

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 20 at 2016 4:50 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:50:24 -0400

How would you enforce it when you have opposing parties with their own agendas, then individuals within the parties with their personal agendas? If I promise everyone in the States one gold brick, and someone in congress thinks that is wrong, they'll get enough folks to agree, and there goes your gold brick. Who is wrong? Me for offering, or them for denying? Then the blame game begins. Where does it stop?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 5:25 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 17:25:23 -0400

All any presidential candidate can do is describe their plans and goals. But the fact is that the POTUS has very little ability to unilaterally fund and implement anything. So what we always end up with is a watered down, pale version of the goal program, usually neutered and stuffed with pork that it has little chance of accomplishing the ambitious change initially envisioned. And that's best case, if we can get congress to agree to pass anything at all.

So in a way each candidate describes the America they want to see, and then the other party immediately tries to do everything they can to stop that vision from being accomplished.

Response by SPC Kevin Ford made Oct 20 at 2016 7:09 PM

SPC Kevin Ford — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 19:09:04 -0400

No, heck no. It sounds great but sometimes the reason why they don't do what they promise is because they get in, get more information and suddenly realize it may not be such a good idea (or even possible).

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Oct 20 at 2016 8:38 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 20:38:40 -0400

California held governor Grey Davis accountable and threw his ass out. Shortly after election. The process is called a RECALL. Barely eight months after election, I believe. So the same tools used to get rid of a governor are the same that can be used to get rid of a president, I would think.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 8:44 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 20:44:15 -0400

A candidate can promise all they want however it's up to Congress and other government officials to vote yes or no. Trump wants to create taxes and punish companies that go overseas. Can he do that? No he can't cause congress controls trade regulation. Hillary is also promisisng stuff that she can't deliever more then likely she will face the same situation Obama faces a congress that will veto everything you say.

Response by MSgt John McGowan made Oct 20 at 2016 8:51 PM

MSgt John McGowan — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 20:51:25 -0400

PO2. No, they lie to much now. You do know there is a program in Congress called Lying 101. Most have to go to the program:)

Response by SSgt David Tedrow made Oct 21 at 2016 5:46 AM

SSgt David Tedrow — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 05:46:15 -0400

There already a program in place, it's called the re-election process. Unfortunately, it seems most voters just forget what the promises were when it comes time to vote again.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Oct 21 at 2016 8:25 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 08:25:44 -0400

There is a system that does this, its called free elections. It your candidates don't do what they are supposed to do, or what you want them to do, then vote them out of office. If the political system doesn't work the way you want it to work, then change it. If enough people agree with you, that shouldn't be very hard to do. You are about to watch a great many politicians getting voted out of office for exactly this reason.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2016 9:27 AM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:27:21 -0400

There is only so much the President can do without congress backing them up

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Oct 21 at 2016 9:34 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:34:46 -0400

Well yes they should be held accountable... that's why it's up to the public to not re-elect them. But do I think they should be held criminally liable, of course not.

Here's the big thing. All of us have these big ideas of what we'd like to accomplish if we were this person for a day. The problem becomes a lot of us don't actually know how to accomplish these things once we're behind the desk.

So I can make promises all I want because these are the plans I have set in motion. But once I get behind the desk and someone says... no sir, you don't have the authority to do that... or no sir, things don't work that way. That's when I have to come up with a plan to try and deliver something else to the people or explain to them why I can't deliver.

I'm not going to fault someone for making a promise if they've never held the position before. It's the people who have held the position and know how things work and still lie to you. Those are the ones I'd be angry about... but like I said, it's our job to make sure they don't get re-elected.

Response by SGT Richard DeVoe made Oct 21 at 2016 10:23 AM

SGT Richard DeVoe — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 10:23:07 -0400

Okay, here is my take on this. There is a system in place for this sort of behavior. It is called impeachment/recall (depending on level) and re-election. A lot of the responses have been about a re-election, well it is difficult to get people to vote in the first election let alone a re-election. As for impeachment or recall, now we are starting to get into the Judiciary system. Is a promise a binding contract? In legal terms NO. so just because a candidate says "I promise free education for everyone" , this is not a binding contract so it is not illegal. On the other hand, if a candidate where to sign a contract with an organization that said "If elected I will do....." then that organization could file charges of breach of contract.

So really the system is there, but like any other goverment system, it has been modified in a way that puts the politician in the drivers seat. We as the American Citizen have to consider what a candidate is promising and decide if we really think they can deliver.

Response by MGySgt James Forward made Oct 21 at 2016 3:23 PM

MGySgt James Forward — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:23:54 -0400

No, because in order to deliver the Senate and Congress would have to approve of the change first. We all know that is not going to happen. Semper Fi.

Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Oct 21 at 2016 3:31 PM

CDR Michael Goldschmidt — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:31:11 -0400

It used to be called recall, at least for Senators, who were appointed by their states and expected to vote in their states' best interests. 1913 changed all that. Now, there's no REAL accountability, especially between elections. Maybe there should be "none of the above votes", where a candidate would needs some minimum percentage of the eligible vote even to be elected.

Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Oct 21 at 2016 3:31 PM

CDR Michael Goldschmidt — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:31:41 -0400

Sometimes, they have no intention of doing what they promise. That's called fraud.

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Oct 21 at 2016 4:00 PM

SFC Joseph Weber — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 16:00:52 -0400

You mean punish them for lying or failing to make good on promises? Time honored part of our democracy to lie at every turn. Judge Dredd would have to drive around all day every day passing judgement and throwing them in holes.