We elect a President, not a King

It's amazing how candidates, pundits, and assorted 'experts' seem to have forgotten the basics of how the US Government functions.

Places like the Tax Policy Center and innumerable articles have examined the tax proposals of both candidates, as if the winner will be crowned king.

I've only come across one article (out of probably 50 that I've read on the topic) that acknowledges the fact that the new President will have to get Congress to agree to his tax and spending proposals (as well as any other legislation).

Yet McCain happily stands up in front of voters and lists a bunch of tax cuts he is for; realize that none of those aimed at the upper income earners stand a chance of being passed. In fact, given the temporary nature of the Bush tax cuts, they will expire, and are their expiration isn't up for presidential veto.

Of course, McCain knows this, and the Democrats know this; however, both are ignoring the elephant in the room. The Democrats don't want to point this out, because it will take away their ammunition against portraying McCain planning to give big business and the rich tax cuts. The Republicans don't want to point this out; because they're trying to make the pitch that they'll stimulate the Economy with more tax cuts.

The likeliest outcome of a McCain presidency, is the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, with perhaps some relief for the middle class (as McCain wouldn't veto this proposal from a Democratic Congress ... after all, some tax cuts are better than none), but the Democrats are unlikely to pass any legislation that would reduce taxes on the rich. On the spending side, McCain will be far more likely to veto new spending bills from a Democratic Congress than Obama would be. Net it out, and a McCain presidency gets you higher taxes for high wage earners, marginally lower rates for middle & lower wage earners, and less spending, leading to a smaller budget deficit.

In the same vein; people happily forget that the president needs the approval of the Senate for a Supreme Court justice appointment. As such, a Democratic Senate can (and will) simply not approve a pro-life justice replacing a pro-choice justice today. All the alarm around McCain rolling back Roe v. Wade totally ignores the fact that (1) the Senate will be Democratically controlled and (2) the Senate can vote down any presidential supreme court appointment.

The voter needs to take it upon themselves to analyze all the proposed policies of both candidates in light of the fact that congress has to vote to approve laws and Supreme Court justice appointments.