The Implications of November the 6th – Aronberg & Aronberg

The Implications of November the 6th – Aronberg & Aronberg

Listen up, everybody; Florida in particular!

If you’ve been awake at all over the last six or seven months, you know that the Presidential election on November 6th will be a contest between President Barack Obama, the incumbent, and challenger Republican (Fmr.) Governor Mitt Romney.

What are the implications of re-electing President Obama? We can expect that he will continue to implement the policies he supports, just as he has over the last four years. The real question is, what will a Romney presidency look like? While nobody can tell for sure (and if they could they’d be a very wealthy campaign consultant), it’s possible to speculate on how someone will govern based on their espoused policies and their political affiliation.

While there are many things to consider when deciding who to vote for, in this blog were going to outline some very important and relevant issues. Consider these as you head to the polls. If you’re voting in Florida, you may very well decide this election.

In a Romney presidency, Tort Reform may finally have the support it needs to become major, national policy. Tort Reform efforts (that’s a nice way of putting it) attempt to put a government-imposed limit on the damages that one can receive, often times in relation to medical malpractice suits. These limits disregard the unique components and facts of each case and toss a broad net over a very diverse range of cases. In April, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives proposed the HEALTH Act, a Tort Reform bill that would cap non-economic damages at $250,000 in medical malpractice suits, regardless of how heinous and damaging the malpractice was. (What’s “small government” about that?)

The bill never went anywhere, however, because it was sure to be struck down in the Democrat-controlled Senate and, if it got that far, vetoed by Democratic President Obama. If Republican Mitt Romney is elected, however, and Republicans manage to take control of the Senate and remain in control of the House, Tort Reform is a real issue that victims will be further victimized by. Tort Reform policies like those proposed by Republicans on Capitol Hill threaten to undermine the legal system by haphazardly imposing punitive limits on cases that may warrant higher punitive damages than would be allowed under such a law. Punitive damages serve to deter further malpractice and doing away with such punitive damages would fail to discourage negligent practices.

In addition to tort reform, a Romney presidency (like an Obama presidency) would almost certainly allow the Commander in Chief the ability—and responsibility—to appoint a number of Supreme Court Justices (given that a few of them are getting close to retirement, by almost all accounts). One of the most lasting impressions that a President makes on their country is the legacy they leave behind in the form of like-minded Justices on the Supreme Court. Romney has stated that, if elected, he would nominate Justices that take away a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion or not to the bench, and with a Republican Congress, their nomination and confirmation would be even easier. With pro-life Justices added to the bench (to fill the seats of pro-choice Justices), the balance would tilt to the pro-life end, paving the way for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Such a ruling would infringe on women’s rights to make-up their own minds concerning their bodies in relation to abortions.

While they aren’t the only issues to consider, among the most important are Tort Reform and Supreme Court nominations. Don’t forget to exercise your right as a U.S. citizen to partake in choosing our next leader on November 6th.

Again, Floridians, your vote might just be the one that decides this election!

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