First, a disclaimer: I am not a member of any political party. I don’t care what party a person belongs to if they are kind, responsible, honest and hard-working. And I rarely discuss politics, even with people who share my views…
Second, a reminder: Most people who hold positions of power got there by stepping over others. Often, they are not “nice” people, being so focused on outcomes that they don’t care how they achieve their goals. This is true in business, it is exponentially true in politics. And the higher you go, the more likely it is that any individual can be characterized in this way.
Third, why this post: I believe that the right to vote, carried by most citizens in the United States, is an important responsibility that needs to be taken more seriously. If you aren’t registered to vote but are eligible, please do! If you are registered to vote but don’t — see if you can receive absentee ballots. If you vote regularly — keep up the good work!
Fourth, be prepared to vote! Too many people rely only on the candidate’s official statements or those of the opponents to decide what and why and how to vote. Look at more than that: if a person has held office before, look at voting records and the sort of measures introduced or co-sponsored. If people haven’t held office before, look at what they have done with other activities. Specifically, look at volunteering… what issues and causes have they consistently supported? This is where the heart of a person lies: what they choose to do with their time “off the clock.”
To this end, I am starting a new list of political blogs in the sidebar. When I find candidates and issues I think are worth considering, I will post them there. I am starting with John Edwards’ blog: He had a website called “OneAmericaCommittee” which has morphed into his campaign website. He has been very consistent in promoting and supporting “grassroots” activitism, people helping themselves and not waiting for someone else to make a difference. The campaign blog still has links to these groups and includes blog posts from other people as well as Mr. Edwards himself.
Finally: whether you are eligible to vote or not, you can find candidates, organizations and issues you fully support. See how you can contribute to their success — usually they need money, but they also need “bodies” to answer phones, to post flyers, to organize the office… volunteer in some capacity and make a difference!