My #1 litmus test is the debt ceiling, above all else. The time to nibble around the edges with meaningless budget efforts that will take 10,20, or more years to produce any results is long over.
I would vote for any candidate of any party that pledges to VETO any bill that extends the debt ceiling. But I already know we won’t ever see a candidate that will do this, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be sitting out the 2012 elections. It doesn’t really matter if Obama gets reelected if we have Congress willing to extend the debt ceiling to infinity and beyond.
You're right! That's my number one also, I just didn't think of it.