Thoughts on Election Season
Yes that's right, it's coming around again: U.S. presidential elections. I was reminded of it today after hearing a segment of a talk radio show. Ahhh, nothing like a bit of talk radio to get your political veins popping. I used to be big into this kind of stuff. In fact back during the Dole/Kemp race of '96 I was nothing short of a fanatic. But since then I've had only a passing interest in politics, which peaks every four years.
The thinking I've done along these lines has been on the nature of our party system here in the U.S.. Basically you have two choices, R. or D., and you're guaranteed that nobody outside those parties is going to be elected. So most people just say that you need to vote for the better man of the Big Two; now, is that really a choice? I don't think so. This is why I am not registered to vote. I don't like the party system here. I refuse to just climb on board a party and let it do my thinking for me. The "straight party ticket" option on your voting card is the most anti-American thing I've ever seen (well not really, but it does emphasize my point).
Some people might wonder where my sense of patriotism is. "You have been given the freedom to vote, and you're passing it up??" Truth be told, I value the option to abstain as much as I do the option to vote. Abstaining is a much clearer statement of what you think than voting straight party ticket. In the meantime, I pray for the leaders of the country that are doing the job today, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or [insert random party name here].
The thinking I've done along these lines has been on the nature of our party system here in the U.S.. Basically you have two choices, R. or D., and you're guaranteed that nobody outside those parties is going to be elected. So most people just say that you need to vote for the better man of the Big Two; now, is that really a choice? I don't think so. This is why I am not registered to vote. I don't like the party system here. I refuse to just climb on board a party and let it do my thinking for me. The "straight party ticket" option on your voting card is the most anti-American thing I've ever seen (well not really, but it does emphasize my point).
Some people might wonder where my sense of patriotism is. "You have been given the freedom to vote, and you're passing it up??" Truth be told, I value the option to abstain as much as I do the option to vote. Abstaining is a much clearer statement of what you think than voting straight party ticket. In the meantime, I pray for the leaders of the country that are doing the job today, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or [insert random party name here].
