Election ‘08

When we came up with the concept of this blog, we decided it would be used for good news only. We wanted to exclude religion and politics from the subject matter because of the vast difference in opinions and the passion those opinions hold. The discussion usually turns heated and takes on a negative note for all those involved. I really do not want to stray from the original concept, but lately I have been hearing a little too much about which way one should cast their vote. So I am going to stray from the concept this one time.

We seem to get pulled one way or another when it comes to our opinions on politics and the people we choose to run our government. Who is the best person for the job. That depends on the person doing the voting. We all hear from friends, neighbors and family members about who we should be voting for. Who is right and who is wrong? Really no one is right or wrong, it's all a matter of who you consider to be the best candidate for you. I believe we should vote for the person who best represents what we care about in our government. Vote for the people whose values reflect your values, candidates who you believe would do the best job. The candidates you believe would best serve the U.S. citizens. Be they Democrat, Republican, Green, U.S. Taxpayers, Libertarian or Natural Law.

We all feel strongly about our political convictions, and when we voice our opinions we are looking for validation of those opinions. If the response we receive does not mirror our own, we sometimes feel the need to express to the other party the error of their ways. How in the world can you vote for that candidate He is a complete moron, he is going to ruin this country. Could they be right, is my candidate going to take the lot of us down the toilet? No way, he has our best interest at heart, he cares deeply about us and the country.

In reality, there is no way to tell. We have indicators that tell us of past performances and how well a certain individual will perform in the office they hold. The best thing we can do as voters is research. Get a voter guide, go out and look up the records of people running for office. Check out what their beliefs and policies are. Are their values closely aligned with your values? If they have held public office before, did their record stand in contradiction to what they promised they would do. Or did they perform their service with honesty and dignity. Get all the information you can about the candidates you will be casting a ballot for. Beware of chain emails with negative views of candidates, these are usually incorrect or outright lies.

The most important thing we can do is, get out there and vote. If you don’t like the way things are the best way to change them is to cast a ballot. Will you make the right decision on your candidates? Only history will tell, but you will never know unless you show up at your voting precinct November fourth. So in the end, I believe we all are making the right choice if we get out and vote for the candidates we believe in.