2008-10-30

This article belongs to Theme: US elections 2008 theme.


The 2008 presidential election is going to be the most important election of my life, but I really don't care who you vote for. I only care that you vote. I don't necessarily want you to vote for the same person that I do. That would mean that I think I know what I am doing. If there's one thing I am certain of, it's that I don't.

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If you are afraid to vote because you might pick the wrong candidate, that's good.
The issues this country is facing are the most complex in our nation's history. More complex than I could ever figure out. I have no idea how to fix all that is wrong, let alone all the stuff that will probably go wrong while the upcoming president is in office. I have no idea if the candidate I'm voting for will make the right decisions. They both seem intelligent and well informed but that's no guarantee. I am convinced, however, that as a nation, we know what's right. That's why it's important that everyone get out and vote. That's the only way democracy works. If everyone participates, then collectively we always make the best choice.

If you are afraid to vote because you might pick the wrong candidate, that's good. You should be afraid. But not nearly as afraid as you should be of not voting at all and letting someone else pick the wrong candidate. No one has a crystal ball.
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The majority always knows what is best because it's the majority.
There's no way to see into the future. We have to step up to the table, roll the dice, and accept whatever happens. But if we all participate, it doesn't have to be a crap shoot. The more people rolling, the better the odds. Actually it's not as risky as a dice game. In Vegas, the house always controls the odds. You know you're going to lose. In politics, special interest groups and lobbyists control the odds but only if we let them. The odds can easily shift in our favour if we all participate. So on November 4th, get into the game and place your bet.

The majority always knows what is best because it's the majority. If the majority of people are convinced they're right, they make it right by definition. Voter turnout for the last 20 presidential elections has averaged only 55% participation by eligible voters. There is a saying: "The only bad decision is no decision at all." With barely half of the eligible voters going to the polls, that means only half of the citizens made a decision. I want our next president to know he was put there by the majority of the citizens not just by the majority of those who voted. I want our president to know that we are all counting on him. I want him to feel the pressure.

Voting is more than standing in line for a few minutes and pulling a lever or almost poking the chad out of a piece of cardboard. It is an investment. You wouldn't put your life savings into the stock market and then just walk away. What if someone invested it in home mortgages? Ok! My point is that voting is just the beginning. We as citizens need to stay in touch with our elected officials. Let them know we are watching. Hold them accountable. As I stated earlier, I don't really think they have all the answers. I am voting for the ones who I think will work hard to find the answers. And whoever is elected, I want him to know that I care and that I want to be part of whatever happens. This is a democracy. The hole might be in the Republicans end of the boat today but the water is pouring in on us all.