The Easy Choice May Not be the Best

I am finding, the older I get, the election process is pretty well set in stone.  American voters are single-mindedly focused and prefer to make a choice, early on, and stick with it. The undecided voters are the only ones that hedge.

Americans tend to rally around a candidate and then only seek out information that supports and validates the candidate of their choosing. Anything that contradicts their preferred choice, they chose to ignore. None of the media articles are read that pose alternative views of their candidate whether it be contradictory information on their stance on issues, ways of accomplishing mission statements or their record.  Even on simple things such as if what they have been projected to have done in the past, if proven wrong, voters refuse to listen.

Once decided, a voter is close-minded, in general to any swaying. Thus, in this election, on the GOP side, we have seen many GOP candidates struggle to try to topple Trump to no avail. Each trying in their own way to unseat him, point out his fallacies and then wondering why his supporters have not fallen from his fold.  At the core, his actions, statements and history appears to be of no consequence.

Donald is not alone either. Other GOP candidates had supporters that did much the same. Regardless of their histories, policies, statements, etc. their supporters backed them right up till they dropped out of the race. Anyone the candidate attacked, they attacked, refusing to bend.

On the Democratic side, we have both Bernie supporters and Hillary supporters aggressively attacking each other. Bernie fans are so adamantly opposed to her that they are siding with the Republicans in saying she is not worthy to be considered as a Presidential candidate.  This is giving further fodder to the Republican side for President. They condemn her actions as Secretary of State even though many of his voters are too young to remember her actions. Many of his supporters are going off the media reports and not delving into the court proceedings wanting to believe the worst of her as it’s easier.

On the flipside, Hillary supporters are quick to rise to her defense and not consider Bernie’s suggested platform ideas as plausible.  They feel as if he is not a true Democratic as he was always liberal so his ideas are no good and financial not feasible without looking at them critically with an open-mind.   Without looking at the financial impact to the economy,  they remain steadfast in their devotion to their Presidential pick.

What this all means, voters taking a stance towards their first choice and sticking with it through thick and thin, is making the choice easy.   It is far harder and more challenging to seriously consider all candidates and weigh all factors evenly when evaluating this office. We have a campaign running for the highest position in the land. This position is our vocal point for our nation, representing all of our unified states to all the other nations across the globe.

We are blessed to have the freedom and the luxury of examining all the facts on every candidate. So many women and men died for our freedom and still put their lives on the line for our freedoms.  Too many have fallen out of the race already and may not have if Americans had taken the time to explore each with a critical and yet exploring thorough eye.  We must allow ourselves the freedom to change our minds, change our votes if the research shows a better candidate is more deserving than we originally supported.  We must not fall victim to propaganda of media hype or social media trends by limiting our information flow to simply one candidate or the norms and refuse to consider another candidate may be the better pick for our nation.

I challenge you to go outside your comfort zone.  Look with a non-discriminate eye, as you do for the candidate you are supporting, and be certain you are backing the right person for your opinion of what is best for our country.  Make certain you are reviewing all the facts, all the issues and making an informed decision of your own choosing and not just making the easiest one. 

Note:  This blog is not endorsing any candidate or party. 

Changing Our Perception of Promoting Candidates

I love how at election time everyone becomes authorities on both sides of the parties,  what is right on issues  and what is wrong, which candidates are the best and who represents what our country needs.  Folks seem to be the all-knowing expert on who is telling the truth and who is lying, simply based on who they support.  So many are unwilling to even listen to opposing views so steadfast in the fact their view is the only correct view.  

This segment knows, or thinks they do,  which media channel is reporting the facts, which story they are reading from different sources is accurate, and which candidate is a "bad person" and not worthy of being in the Oval Office. 

Normal everyday citizens, even the meek,  begin pulling out boxing gloves, begin talking like sailors at sea, pulling out daggers and throwing out hateful words with no forethought.  It seems to be irregardless of which side of the line they are on and which candidate.   Their devotion for who they support and who they now despise is so deep-seated you would think they know these individuals intimately, attended grade-school with them! Somehow it becomes in vogue to bully too. 

Is it any wonder  God-loving, family oriented average men never run for President anymore?  Take Colin Powell, for example,  or some past Presidents that seem picture clean,  like  George Washington or Lincoln.  They would be bad-mouthed, thrown under the bus and patronized.  Any bad decisions that either of them had made that caused citizens to lose any jobs, military personnel to have died or be captured, hostages taken anywhere on the globe, any terrorist act,  any act demonstrating a sign of a lack of character or ability to protect all of the nation or any security of any of our citizens would make their ability to govern be called into question. Poor leadership would be their legacy!   

 Making errors happens, not every great leader has a history of winning popularity awards, Congress is not kind to everyone that serves, many in public service can be arrogant, have had affairs, etc.. All the charges levied on both sides are nothing, unfortunately out of the ordinary.  We have had old Presidents, young Presidents, actors, different religions, and we have survived, some better so than others.  

Why must we do what the media are doing also, throw these candidates to the wolves as if we can do better in the role?  These candidates are human and are fallible, let's face that fact.  They are not the best the country has to offer, but they are the only ones willing to run for presidency. They will not get everything done they say they will, none ever do.  Like Obama, they will try, they will face obstacles and they may have secret agendas. Everyone does running, let's be real. Ever think maybe your expectation level is too high or maybe the focus is on the wrong things?  There are only so many things you can really know and also control. 

What originally made our country strong and a superpower was how we stood together unified, as in UNITED States.  We can't be strong tearing each other apart.  Targeting social media more on what we need and what the candidate you are supporting will bring to our country will help others know what they need to make an informed vote. That unites us and is a positive image for our country here and abroad. Repeatingly dogging candidates, saying they are worthless beings, our country will go to hell, is not positive messaging, is not helping undecided uninformed voters know who to vote for and certainly paints an unfavorable picture of someone who may be our future President to the world at large.  Let's think big picture here, our country is not an island, we are being watched by many.  Use your voice during the election process to educate not eradicate candidates. 

We have troops risking their lives daily overseas.  Imagine hearing and reading on social media all this negativity and how we think this candidate or that one is a loser, may land up being their Superior and may land up causing them to go to War and die?  Is that fair to those serving? Aren't they under enough stress?   Let's boost them up by talking about who the candidates are that will bring about the changes that will benefit our military the most!  Again, inform others why this candidate is our best military option!

 Negativity doesn't change the stalemate issues our government has been having bickering among each other.  Now we are seeing an inability to diffuse so much of the anger and hatred in America between voters.  With it building, we are becoming what we despise in other parts of the world.  Hatred towards candidates is not appropriate, these folks stopped their life to choose to run. 

 Your voice can change things.   Be sure you are registered and everyone you know is, including young people! First and foremost vote.  And secondly, if you are politically minded, get involved in some way, perhaps campaign for your candidate .  Tweet out information to the rest of us about a key issue that concerns you and the candidate that is supporting your stance on this issue so we better understand their plan to address it.   Let us know what are they going to do.   We don't want to hear why you don't think some other  person isn't  'worthy'  - that doesn't help someone make a choice.

A friend told me politics is dirty, it can't be cleaned up.  Well, I say change is possible. Our country use to be ruled by England and now we are free.  Change, though, starts with you, quit looking to others to make those changes.   You have the right to bitch, whine and point out everyone's faults, including mine. That is your freedom of speech.  But problems don't get solved by insulting each other.  We have seen that enough in Congress. It caused it to shut down. We have voices and let's use them to be positive, and share positive messages with each other about these candidates.  Whoever any of us vote for at the Presidential election, we need to get serious about making educated decisions about our leadership.  This vote must be for the individual we are convinced will bring the best to our  country in the four years they serve! Let's help each other to just that!  

God Bless America!