Decision 2008: Casting Your Vote... FOR SOMETHING

I'm amazed and saddened by the number of people who are planning on staying home from the polls this year on Election Day.  While I can understand their rationale (neither candidate is all that great), we do have an obligation, a duty, and a responsibility to cast our vote.  It's a right which I cherish, even when neither choice is all that cherishable.

Today I'm going to the local library to cast my absentee ballot, since I will be on an airplane the better part of Election Day.  I would encourage everybody to get out and vote, and here's a little incentive.  If you don't like either candidate, don't think of the election as voting FOR either of them; vote AGAINST the one you least like.  Sometimes decisions are about selecting the lesser of evils (rather than just voting "present").  There has been considerable rhetoric from both parties that voting for their candidate is more patriotic.  Really, the only patriotic thing is the act of voting itself.

On another note, it's been interesting to see how many people are looking to the President to bail us out of the economic mess.  It's not the President's job (namely because the President really has very little control over the economy).  I look to the President to facilitate helping "Joe Six Pack" (Palin really needs to get a new phrase) to figure out a way out of his own economic mess without burdening him more.  Looking to the government (or your employer or your mommy) to solve YOUR problems is a dangerous mindset to take.  We founded and developed this country on the principles of personal accountability, and it concerns me to see how many people (from both parties) want their leader to solve it for them.  I'm voting for a leader who will let me solve it for me and those in my circle of influence; not solve it for me.

Finally, Kevin Eikenberry is running a remarkable survey about the presidential candidates.  I encourage you to take it.  Kevin is a remarkable guy, and I'm sure the survey will be very telling!

Remember:  You can't really "seize the accomplishment" if you don't make a decision to do so first.

Comments

[Jenny]

Great post (as always) Timothy...

We've fought for the right to vote - many times - hopefully we all will see it as a responsibility/privilege instead of a hassle.

[Eric Peterson]

Great post Tim!! Your second point needs to be taken to heart by many! It's really up to us to determine where our money goes. Yes, there are things the government can help with, but we need to take some ownership as well.

I also think you are right in looking at "voting" as a responsibility! I've only been of voting age now for 3 elections, and (although i hate to admit this) it was only now in this current election year where I really decided that it was my duty to vote!

-Eight years ago I voted for the current president, not because I felt he was better, but more because I was influenced by others. See, I use to avoid all politics, because I felt it only caused arguing and fighting among people. I hated it.
-Four years ago, I abstained from voting because I didn't like either candidate. Now, I realize that the underlying reason for my dislike of either candidate, was my lack of knowledge about each party. I didn't really pay attention to either platform (again I was avoiding all things politics). Basically, I felt I was uneducated about each candidate, and felt it wouldn't be right to vote.

As I've gotten older (and I like to think wiser), I've realized that the administration that we vote into office, can indeed have a profound effect on our society. I've made it my mission to become educated and to take part in political discussions. I've focused on making sure that I can make an informed decision come this November. Finally, I have realized that my right to vote came at the suffering of many of my fellow Americans, and it is in fact, my duty, to cast a vote this November.

And......you're right....sometimes we must vote for the lesser of two evils. Although in this case, I really do feel there is a better candidate for the job!

[Timothy Johnson]

Jenny - even when the alternatives aren't all that stellar, as leaders we're called up on to make decisions. It's both a right and a responsibility. Thanks for the comment.

Eric - glad you're joining the fray... and what a year to be paying attention to politics. This has been the most enjoyable year since I started voting.

[Julie Hagg]

Tim - I voted Monday and left the satellite voting station feeling worse than when I entered. This election is supposed to be the most important in recent years, yet I do not feel passionate about either candidate. I voted for the lesser of two evils. It's hard to swallow being a hard core political junkie! I just wish my candidate of choice was on the ballot. I have no doubt SHE will be back! I almost wrote her name on the ballot.