Jackie asked:

If asked the following question: How do we elect, concerning values in America? would you consider
this a question that should be answered in terms of the moral depravity of America i.e. Clinton's affair
with Lewinski, or rather a question as to how we make our choices in life. I am currently studying
philosophical ethics and am unsure how to answer this question.

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I am not sure just what you are asking. Are you asking on what basis we do elect our leaders? Or on
what basis we ought to elect our leaders? And is the choice between their personal behavior, on the
one hand, and what you call "how we make our choices in life?"

I must begin by saying that calling the affair between Clinton and Lewinski "depraved" seems to me
rather overwrought. Unless you have some special animus against that sex act (called "fellatio") itself.
it is something that is done by millions of people every day without the sky having fallen down.

But to get to your question: It seems to me that we have to consider the personal behavior of those
we are thinking of electing and , also, the values on which we make our own choices in life. When we
consider the personal behavior of candidates running for office, we ought to consider how much we
actually know about how they behave (which, except in a few headline instances, is not very much)
and especially, to what extent their personal behavior is likely to affect and spill over to their public
behavior where it counts so far as we are concerned. Now, so far as our own values are concerned,
we have to think clearly about how the candidate is apt to further the aims and goals we would like
our country or out county or our city to pursue. If, for instance, we think strongly that the minimum
wage should be raised (or lowered) we should inquire closely into what the prospective candidates
say about that matter.

We should vote intelligently. You already know that. But it never hurts to repeat it.

Ken Stern

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