Visitors to the Wellness Center and especially to Don’s Blog have a special interest in a candidate's positions on matters that affect their philosophy and lifestyle passions. They want to help elect a president, for instance, who will work for a society that makes it more likely that they and other citizens can pursue and sustain high quality lifestyles. REAL wellness enthusiasts all value freedom, reason, science and respect for and cultivation of clean, safe environments that promote sustainability of resources. Like most progressive Americans, wellness seekers favor fiscal responsibility, common decencies, separation of church and state, support for fairness and opportunities  for all.

REAL wellness supporters are not organized enough to sponsor presidential debates or to send interviewers to probe the views of presidential contenders. There is not a single REAL wellness PAC, unless you suspect that Stephen Colbert might be a secret agent or Trojan Horse for Wellness Nation. Thus, it is not so easy to see how candidates measure up relative to each other on vital matters of concern.

However, sometimes we get lucky. And guess what? We just got lucky.

Actually, it’s not so much luck as it is common cause that has given REAL wellness enthusiasts a golden opportunity to discover just how the 2012 presidential candidates rate on a good number of vital concerns shared by REAL wellness advocates.

The Secular Coalition for America has unveiled its 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard. The scorecard is also a valuable guide for REAL wellness-oriented citizens to understand where those who seek to lead the nation stand on key issues. 

The scorecard assesses the Republican Party candidates for president and Democratic president Barack Obama on nine issues. All were assigned grades of "A", "B", "C" or "F" based on their public statements and actions on these nine subjects, which are as follows:

• Attitude toward non-theists.
• Church and state separation.
• Taxpayer funding of religion.
• God, faith and governance.
• Endorsements and associations.
• Acceptance of evolution.
• Scientifically-based regulations and legislation.
• Religious discrimination and civil rights.
• Religious refusal laws.

Not surprisingly, U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann and Texas Governor Rick Perry were rated “F” in every category; U.S. Senator Rick Santorum also received “F” grades in all categories save one. (On attitude toward non-theists, he got a “C.”) Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Representative Ron Paul received mostly negative scores, while former U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich received “F” grades in almost every category. Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and President Barack Obama received mixed positives.

To read a wide variety of comments that earned the candidates these ratings, visit the Center for Free Inquiry’s Presidential Scorecard.

God may or may not save the Queen but only reason and an informed electorate holds out much hope for the leadership of the not-so-united United States of America after the next presidential elections in 2012.