The Patriot Post® · The Wall Street Question Plagues Candidates

There’s not much Republicans and Democrats can agree on these days. Gun control? Climate change? Good luck trying to agree on a basic set of facts on which to base the conversation. But there is one issue on which the Left and Right find common ground — somewhat — and that’s the issue of Wall Street. From the socialist rallies put on by Bernie Sanders to Tea Party gatherings, the grassroots are angry at the large financial institutions.

Tea Party activist Sarah Pawlikowski told The Washington Post, “If we go someplace and order dinner for $15, and we don’t pay, we get a criminal record. Why is Wall Street treated any different?”

Like with any political issue, the Left proposes a different solution than the limited-government, Liberty-minded conservatives. Talk to a Sanders supporter, and he or she will likely say the 2008 meltdown was caused by too little regulation, and as a result, government needs to toughen up, to fight Wall Street’s greed, as the socialist himself might say. Conservatives, on the other hand, point to the cronyism or the bailout of the banks after the crisis to demonstrate big government’s apathy when it comes to its friends on Wall Street bending the rules.

This has several presidential candidates treading a delicate line. Ted Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, is husband to a wife who worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. In May 2015, Wall Street money was interested in Cruz but the cash didn’t flow because of concerns that he might not be winning material. Donald Trump, the New York businessman that he is, has his full share of Wall Street connections. But let’s not forget Hillary Clinton, who is also running a campaign with Wall Street money. This leaves a question: If this is a concern on both sides of the aisle, then are the front-running candidates able to fix Wall Street if they are being funded by the institution?