I had an interesting experience today while discussing the 2008 Presidential election with a gentleman at work. I had always assumed he was a devout Republican and fathomed his leanings were more to the Far Right than the middle. So, I made some criticisms off-the-cuff of both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama and I was suprised at his reaction. I didn’t say what I said because I have any objective hatred for either candidate; I was just trying to find common ground. But I was surprised when he said to me, “What’s your reasoning behind that?” I couldn’t answer. Why? Because, whether I was right or wrong, I didn’t know. Truth be told, I was kind of ashamed that I hadn’t done my own independent homework, instead relying upon Late Night comedians and tv/radio pundits’ opinions on the candidates. I walked away and looked at the last four elections and honestly couldn’t truthfully say I went to the polls knowing why I was voting the way I was. I know my reasoning, but it certainly wasn’t out of doing my homework.
I decided today on a few things that I wanted to share with you, because I think we can all benefit.
First, I decided that I will not use emotional and “angry” language when discussing politics with friends and family. Those discussions should be on the issues and the politicians, not the fringe elements that make people feel dumb and bring contention into the conversation. If I make a statement as to who I’m leaning towards or voting for, I better be able to back it up with why. I don’t think I’ve been able to do that in the last four elections.
Second, I will make a list of things that are important to me, to my family and what I think our country’s priorities should be and then start reasearching which candidate’s abilities and plan match what I’m looking for as a United States citizen.
Third, when I find the candidate, I will vote for them. That sounds kind of like a “well, duh” statement, but it’s easy to get sidetracked and worry about what people will think if you don’t vote the way they did. If you are swayed by those emotions, then, like me, you probably haven’t done your homework and feel insecure in your reasoning. You can get the “well, that’s a wasted vote” logic come November, but I think no vote is wasted if you are voting for what you believe in. Period.
That’s my two cents. But in the end, I want to be able to say, “Well, I voted for Ron Paul because he doesn’t support the War in Iraq and wants to withdrawal the troops ASAP,” or “I’m voting for Obama because he supports tax incentives for US companies that keep jobs in the United States,” or “I like John McCain because he supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, while at the same time tightening the border,” or “Hilary Clinton is my choice because she supports universal health care.”
Those are just examples and I’m not sold on any candidate at this point. If you’ve made it this far without saying any swear words in your mind about me, check out this link that compares all the candidates. There’s also another good link from the New York Times.