Paper 2 : Vote Smart - Essay Example

Senator Jim Inhofe Like many senators, Jim Inhofe’s career began within the local and politics. As such, he was a member of his legislature during much of the 1960s and 70s. After this, he campaigned and loss the gubernatorial campaign of 1974. Undeterred, he ran for and lost the 1976 congressional election for Oklahoma’s first congressional district. Finally, in 1986, Inhofe ran for and won the Republican nomination and general election for the US Senate to represent the first District of Oklahoma; a position he is retained until the present time.

According to research done with regards to recent and past campaign finance, it is been determined that some of the largest contributors to Senator Jim Inhofe’s campaign have been the oil and gas industry as well as compliments of public utilities and industry. As such, these particular topic owners represent a powerful level of interest groups that doubtless have a disproportionate level of control over the way in which Senator Inhofe makes decisions and votes on key items of interest.. For the most part, Inhofe’s voting record can be defined as one that exhibits an extremely level of fiscal conservatism.

This is so much the case that he even voted against the 1987 budget of his own party, but for by Pres. Ronald Reagan; which called for increased defense spending as well as increase spending on many other areas of the economy. Similarly, with regards to some of the actions that I appreciate with regards to my current Senator, these can be understood with regards to the overall fiscal conservatism that he promotes. In such a way, senators such as Inhofe are able to see beyond party lines, even going against their own party, as a means of seeking to reduce the overall level of debt and financial obligation that the United States system must integrate with.

Likewise, with regards to a particular aspect of Inhofe’s leadership and political views that this student does not espouse, this is with regards to the level and extent to which he does not believe that enemy combatants should be provided the same rights and privileges that prisoners of war are obligated to have as a result of the Geneva Convention. With regards to whether or not I would vote again for Senator Jim Inhofe, the answer to this is yes. One of the most effective means by which she has represented his unyielding support of the individuals he represents is with regards the fact is willing and able to go up against his own party as a means of representing the needs of his constituents.

As a function of this, I respect the decisions and choices that Inhofe has made. 2.Senator Thomas Coburn Likewise, the junior senator from Oklahoma, Tom Coburn began his political career in a much different way than did the senior senator which is already been discussed. Graduating with a BS in accounting, Coburn set out to manage a manufacturing operation involving ophthalmic’s located in Virginia. Growing the company from a mere 13 employees to 350, the firm was soon able to capture 35% market share of the United States.

After the runaway success that Coburn experience within the business world, he set out and graduated from Oklahoma medical school with honors in the year 1983 pursuing medical practice for some time, Coburn also was active in his local church as a deacon. Coburn began his career as a House of Representatives member in 1994 when he ran against and defeated incumbent Mike Synar. As promised, Coburn only served three terms in the house before retiring. However, Coburn again into politics as he sought and won a Senate seat in 2004.

Again as promised, Coburn claims he will vacate the Senate seat in the year 2016 to honor his self-imposed two-term limit. From a brief review of some of the entities that most heavily donate to calm Coburn’s career, these include but are not limited to, Koch Industries, UBS, Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Emergent Biosolutions, and a host of others. In such a manner, it can be understood that Tom Coburn’s prior knowledge of the medical community has garnered a high degree of support among stakeholders within the insurance and medical fields.

In much the same way that the senior senator discussed above boats, Tom Coburn represents an extraordinarily conservative voting record. This is not only limited to fiscal conservatism but extends to a high degree of social conservative platforms. For instance, Tom Coburn was one of the first senators within the Senate to support and promote the use of the beach shipped within television sets, has represented a staunch resistance to any aspect of homosexual unions are homosexual marriage, and rejects any attack on the Second Amendment as tantamount to treason.

The interest groups and supporters that most integrate with Coburn’s campaign breakdown into two distinct groups. With regards to the socially conservative aspects, these interest groups necessarily represent religious affiliated aspects of the local community in which he serves. However, with regards to particular interest in the biomedical community and insurance and finance industries, these interests are concentric upon his prior experience and likely the means by which they can leverage a degree of representation within the United States Senate.

With regards to whether or not I would vote for Tom Coburn, should he decide to run for a further term, the answer to this would be a resolving no. Ultimately, although I agree with its fiscal conservative policy, the level and extent to which continues to mix social conservatism with his voting record is both ridiculous and absurd. Ultimately, it should be the purpose of the individual to determine the way in which they live their own life and government has no part in it. 3.Representative James Lankford Finally, this brief analysis will consider representative James Lankford.

Born in 1968, Lankford was the son of small business owners in Dallas Texas. Graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, he received a bachelors of science in secondary education before pursuing a degree in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Upon graduation, Lankford spent several years as a camp director for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. While in this position, Lankford became famous for criticizing many other religions outside the Baptist religion for deviating too far from the traditional style of worship.

As such, their conservative roots of representative Lankford are fully illustrated. As was the case with the other senators which have been discussed, Lankford received high level of support from energy conglomerates within the Oklahoma region that he represents. In addition to this the American bankers Association, Downing Wellhead and Equipment as well as Ernst and Young prove that powerful compliments of oil and gas as well as finance necessarily dictate many of the decisions that Lankford makes within the House of Representatives.

With regard to his voting record, Lankford displays a highly conservative focus upon fiscal policy. As a function of this, this particular author appreciates the level to which Lankford seeks to shelter and protect the Oklahoma taxpayer from the profligate spending that is oftentimes result of Washington politics. However, with regards to his voting with regards the expansion of government within the aspects of national security, eavesdropping, Homeland Security, and the overall reduction in civil rights that many of these acts necessarily engage with, I am not impressed.

With regards to whether or not I would vote for represented Lankford, the answer to this is ultimately the yes. The reason for this is not with regards to his social conservative views; but rather with regards to the fact that he focuses more energy upon seeking to shelter the taxpayer from a higher level of taxation. As such, he is ultimately effectively serving his position in the House of Representatives. Work Consulted n.a. "James Lankford: Campaign Finance/Money - Summary - Representative 2012 | OpenSecrets.

" OpenSecrets.org: Money in Politics -- See Who's Giving & Who's Getting. Open Secrets, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 5 May 2013. .