On Tuesday November 2nd, we will be voting for our governors, senators, representatives and other branches of local government. Why should we vote in the mid-term elections? Because the people up for office in the mid-term elections affect our daily lives way more than the president ever will. As our country becomes more polarized by the empty kettle Democrats and Republicans, it can be difficult for the dedicated moderates to keep from choosing sides and staying neutral. Here are a few things I practice and keep in mind to stay level headed and to try and vote responsibly.
Tip #1Know your values
Before figuring out who you want to vote for you first need to think of which political issues are most important to you and which don't seem like that big of a deal to you. Knowing where you stand on issues and the ones that are important to you are especially critical for a moderate who may agree with one issue on the candidates platform but disagree on another issue with the same candidate.
Tip #2:Vote for people, not parties.
I realize this is easier said than done, however if you look at each candidate individually you will find that not every candidate agrees with their party on every single issue. Also, each Candidate has a back story which can help you identify where they are coming from and how they came to be where they are today.
Tip #3:Do your research
Of course looking for the right candidate shouldn't feel like studying for a mid-term exam (no pun intended), but there are little things you can do in your spare time to educate yourself on your candidates. I personally find reading the candidates platforms and backgrounds on their personal website helpful. If you are able to talk to some of your candidates personally just to get a feel for them. Also watching interviews and debates can also be helpful to figure out where your candidates stand.
Tip #4:Ignore Political Commercials
TV commercials are the worst place to get information on the running candidates. Even the commercials that aren't all about slandering the other candidate tend to be exaggerated and lacking of crucial information. If possible, go as far as to walk away from the TV or at least press the mute button when these commercials are on because even looking at them can slightly askew your view. Also another thing to keep in mind, not all of these commercials are endorsed by a candidate; various lobby and interest groups also create TV commercials.
Tip #5:Disregard political buzzwords
Just because your so-called friend may call you a fascist for leaning a little to the conservative side or a bleeding heart, socialist, communist Marxist for leaning towards the liberal side doesn't mean you should take it to heart or even take it as an insult. These are emotionally charged buzzwords to make you feel guilty for being who you are. Many people who use these words may not even know what they really mean. Think about it, how many of your acquaintances that use the term "Marxist" have ever read Karl Marx? Probably not many. I find that most people who use this vocab on a regular basis are less interested in politics and more like drama or like to fight and find that politics are an easy outlet for that. A level headed Conservative, Liberal or Moderate will not use insults and know how to agree to disagree.
Tip #6:It's OKAY to vote for Independent candidates
My biggest political pet peeve (other than the name calling) is when someone tells me that if I vote for the Independent candidate, then I am wasting my vote. It is true that they are less likely to win, however one of the main reasons why that is true is because people have been told they are wasting their vote if they vote for independents. By all means, if both the major party candidates seem like pawns and you actually like an Independent candidate, take a stand and give them your vote. Maybe then more people will take a stand and vote for who they want and not who they are told to vote for.
Despite popular belief that Moderates are indecisive and flaky, we know the truth. We want level headed solutions and we want to take the good ideas from both of our nations political sides to make something even better. We realize that opinions are subjective and we try our best to respect the opinions that differ from our own. I feel that we need to be just as present in the voting booths as our party member counterparts.
My biggest (political) pet peeve is the mud-slinging too. I would far prefer to vote for independant candidates, and hate when the major political parties try to tell us that voting for anyone else is a wasted vote. No it's not, all the votes are kept track of, and if the break down turns out to be something like 50/30/20 (20% for the independants) I know the major parties are going to take note, and wonder why their grip is slipping.
ReplyDeleteI especially LOVE how the word "progressive" or "progression" is used as a dirty word. I mean seriously? Change is an inevitable part of life!
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