We do not hold our politicians to the same moral standards as children

1. "I would hardly think that adultery is a moral wrong doing we forbid children to do. This is because children are not generally committing these acts. Bringing up adultery is an irrelevant point made by Con."No, parents do not teach young children this moral - but they do teach older children, such as teens. Parents do not approve of adultery, and neither does the political world. Many politicians have been ousted of office because of political sex scandals and such. You mention Bill Clinton. Although what he did is immoral, and although he did not get ousted of office (he was impeached, however) it did have consequences later on down the road. "Bill Clinton's impeachment and the sex scandal that led up to it cast a shadow on the campaign, particularly on his vice president's run to replace him. Republicans strongly denounced the Clinton scandals, particularly Bush, who made his repeated promise to restore "honor and dignity" to the White House a centerpiece of his campaign. Gore studiously avoided the Clinton scandals, as did Lieberman, even though Lieberman had been the first Democratic senator to denounce Clinton's misbehavior. In fact, some media observers theorized that Gore actually chose Lieberman in an attempt to separate himself from Clinton's past misdeeds, and help blunt the GOP's attempts to link him to his boss.[40] Others pointed to the passionate kiss Gore gave his wife during the Democratic Convention, as a signal that despite the allegations against Clinton, Gore himself was a faithful husband.[41] Gore avoided appearing with Clinton, who was shunted to low visibility appearances in areas where he was popular. Experts have argued that this cost Gore votes from some of Clinton's core supporters.[42][43][44]" This was pulled from an article about the presidential election of 2000: http://en.wikipedia.org.... Obviously, it did have a consequence; it cost Gore votes from some of Clinton's previous supporters. This is an example of America voting morally. "As he was leaving office, a CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup poll...68% thought he'd be remembered for his "involvement in personal scandal", and 58% answered "No" to the question "Do you generally think Bill Clinton is honest and trustworthy?".This was pulled from http://en.wikipedia.org.... Obviously, the Clinton scandal was quite fresh in the voters' minds. Why? Because it broke a moral boundary, and caused Gore to lose later on in the 2000 election. 2. "We do not vote in politicians because of how they present themselves in their personal lives. We elect representatives to come up with economic and social policy that will become the guidelines for running a country."Yes, we do elect politicians to come up with economic and social policy that will better the country. I am not denying this. I am simply trying to get across that morals do play a role in the way people vote and whether or not politicians are elected. In 1976, President Ford lost in part due to his involvement in the Watergate Scandal. In 2000, Gore lost in part due to his involvement in the Clinton sex scandals. In 2004, both candidates were attacked based on their service in the military. Bush was said to have not served adequately when he was in the military. Kerry was said to have not worked as hard for his Purple Hearts. This caused the formation of the Swift Boats for Truth - an organization that wanted to Bush to win based on the fact that he appeared more honest. This is a morally-founded organization. The list goes on and on. What I am pointing out is that morals still play a key role in our political system. 3. "And when you speak about having a good reason, I have never heard a parent say , "Don't hit, unless you have a good reason." 1. Stand up for yourself; I have never heard a parent say, "Let him/her beat you up." 2. Stand up for those who are being bullied; I have never heard a parent say, "Be a bystander and do nothing." 3. Stand up for what you believe in; I have never heard a parent say, "Let them brainwash your morals and change your ideals."What I am trying to say is that fights should only be initiated with strong reason; war should only initiated with strong reason as well. If some outside force is directly hurting America or democracy, we have a right to step in and say, "Enough."The wars America get involved in are not wars to start something, but rather to stand up for ourselves and our morals. 4. "First of all you cannot claim that Americans are well represented. It takes 50% plus 1 to get a majority and have your politician voted into office. How can a population of 49% republicans and 51% democrats getting one democrat representative be accurate or appropriate representation?"It is simply fair representation. This nation is gridlocked, and making the majority means a larger number of people support you.5. "Aside from that, just because its the law, it doesn't change the definition of theft or what it means for my point."The reason of the establishment of the supreme court is to ensure that Americans rights are protected and that our morals are secure. If the people elect a president, and that president appoints a judge, than it is a representation of what the people want. And since the supreme court has not outlawed taxation, that is a representation of the people. You cannot consider taxation theft. 6. "Democracy isn't "fair", that's why we have laws to protect people who may otherwise be exploited. Children, minorities, women etc. Would it be fair if 51% of the population voted to re institute slavery? Would it be fair to the slaves? Was it fair back when it was legal and when it was by the consent of the people?"In democracy, not everybody gets what they want. It is a fair representation of the people - but not everyone is going to get what they want. Also, we have the bill of rights to ensure that our civil liberties aren't exploited. Slavery wasn't constitutional, and a majority of people realized that - that is why it was outlawed. Segregation wasn't constitutional - that is why it was outlawed. Gay rights are becoming an issue, and the previous laws for gays are being considered unconstitutional - and is gradually becoming more accepted. We have a bill of rights and a constitution to protect our basic rights and civil liberties. Slavery will not become legal because it is not considered constitutional. I want to state my opinion to the voters. Although I do not deny that politicians do commit immoral acts, voters elect them because of their efforts to appear morally-sound. Morals are still in place today in the American political system, and still play a role in who gets put into office. We do hold our politicians to some moral standard - they spend millions trying to prove this, and we ultimately make the decision. We elect politicians not only on their ability to guide the nation but also on their moral standards as well. I wish my opponent luck. May the better debater win.