Presidential conundrums… who to vote for?

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Well, this is an age old question I used to pose to many an adult in my youth, if only to see them squirm around telling me that it is their right not to publicize that information. What was a 7th grade, pimple faced class clown going to do with that information? I may never know.

These days however, things are different. I receive dozens of emails explaining why one candidate is better than the others. I have received such information since the First George W. candidacy and will most likely receive such information for the remainder of my days. In truth, I welcome it now. I has opened my eyes. Not to what the senders hope to ‘open my eyes’ to, but to something deeper. I have realized that it bothers me when people make a claim about a president. Take for example: “Vote for (name of wonderfully inept, not and all suitably self-centered candidate) because he is a good christian man, with good christian morals. OK, just for a side note, I am a Christian. I believe in God, and read my bible and attend services (admittingly not as often as we’d like) we live our lives and raise our children in a manner we beleive is morally concrete. But, will I vote for a President because he holds the same religious beliefs as I do? Not in the least.

When someone makes a claim about a candidate I wonder, “How do they KNOW that to be truth?” Candidates make many claims, and Hitler himself claimed to be a Christian doing God’s work. I don’t understand why we pull such things into the equation. It’s confusing enough balancing the lies and slander.

The reason for this rant? Well, the emails and calls they keep coming. And, it seems more of a circus or high school class president race to me. People using popularity comparisons, grabbing a new and (improved?) gender card and of course the slander of past failures and lack of accountability. People are actually basing a vote on the fact that Palin represents hockey moms. “Hockey moms for Palin” the signs read. Really? Honestly? If the world were on the brink of utter destruction and one decision would save or destroy us all, would YOU seek the hockey moms for the answer? Sad but true. I know we all need to base our votes on something, and the candidates self contradictions and lack of ability to tell the whole truth (they train for years to learn that skill, just as the best attorneys do) make it difficult to choose that something, but her family? The fact that she has a kid who plays hockey? That makes her the best choice? Or on the other hand, DON’T vote for them because her daughter became pregnant before marriage? What, praytell, does that have to do with her ability to run this country, which, let’s face it, is not too unlikely to disregard.

Maybe the best thing to do is vote party then… yes, that seems to be a reasonable solution. Only, here’s the thing, we miss the point of our country. We have been missing the point for quite some time. It isn’t about party, and when it becomes that, NOTHING gets accomplished. We fight to have republican ideals met, or democratic ideals until the real issues build a shaky floor beneath the feet of the American people, the ones THEY are suppose to represent, and that floor collapses. Maybe a recession, or a housing crash, an economic crisis of some sort points out one major truth… Nothing has been being done to help or prevent it. If my basketball team had a problem with free throws and all I did was focus on an imaginary rebounding problem guess what? When the big game is on the line and it requires a free throw… not only will the rebounding problem not exist, we will lose.

I don’t know exactly who to vote for or how to come to that decision just yet, but I know one thing: WE have the choice. It is OUR vote, and allowing ANYONE to sway that decision is irresponsible. Educate yourself. Don’t take what others say as truth, especially much of the ads and slogans of the idio… er, candidates themselves. We have a say, allbeit a small one, we have a say, and the most we can do with that is say it.

I am really not sure where this was originally going, and less sure where it ended, but I know one thing, if you’ve read this far… well, I would vote for you any day.

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