How Can I Decide?

 Just think about how difficult it might have been in the time of Washington to wisely select for whom to vote.  Washington himself warned against the power of political parties, and that power has only grown.  What can we do to make wise voting choiceness?  Here are some ideas.

    1.  Dismiss the cute children and smiling spouses in political ads.

    2.  Define your own definition of things you value in others that you would expect in someone capable of serving in the position for which they are running, such as good character, a good reputation, trust worthiness, intelligence, experience, maturity or other such things you personally would expect to find in a person running for particular offices.

An old dodge--Letting the Little Fellow Think He's Driving--When He Is not!

        (The political cartoon comes from the era of the People's Party, warning against being fooled.)

    3.  Identify your own important issues and do a little research on your own before listening to the candidates.  Are their statements accurate, their ideas possible, and where is the source of the money for their advertising and travel coming from.?

    4.  Who are the people speaking on his or her behalf?  

    5.   If he or she has served in office before, what is their reptation and did they keep promises?

    6.  Are they acquainted with the community they will serve if elected.  Where do they live and how often do they visit the communities they represent.  

    7.  Do their promises match reality in terms of costs and support from others needed to get it done. 

    8.  Do they seem more interested in talking than listening, do their promises have a logical plan, and do they seem capable of working with others to get things done.  

    9.  Inquire, if possible, of his or her reputation in his or her own community.

    10.  Does financial support for his or her campaign come from local citizens or primarily unfamiliar outside sources? 

    Our access to information today is helpful only if it is accurate, and it is reasonable to assume that candidates will present themselves as favorably as possible.  It is also likely that their opponent will likely represent them in unflattering ways.  We should not rely entirely on the pamphlets provided by the candidates themselves.  

    The complexity of figuring out how to divide states into voting districts in a way fair to all voters created that strange looking thing called the Gerrymander, who meanders around like a drunken sailor in an attempt to allow all voters a chance to get a fair vote.  Those contortions have always been difficult, but by taking on the challenge of trying to make it better, the Supreme Court may have made it worse.  It certainly has cast a shadow over voting.    

The responsibility as voters remains on us, and we must be reminded of that.  For example, I can make a sign supporting a candidate to put in my yard, but I cannot afford to make thousands of signs to flood the entire area in which the candidate is running.   I can visit with friends and neighbors, but I cannot buy time on television to share my opinion with countless viewers.    Without regulation, organized sources with money can overwhelm promoting their candidates.  What we can do is determine the source of the money spent for all of those advertisements.  

Remember even the richest man in the world has only one vote.  As small as our single vote may seem, it's power is equal to America's richest man.  The danger is how the rich are allowed to use their money for advertisements and other things, if not restricted by laws.  The power of "One man, One vote."  remains.   Decisions by the Supreme Court matter, but the people still hold the power.         

We should pay attention, but we must not be misled by nonsense about our votes not being counted or false votes being used.  Our successful watchfulness of elections is admired and envied around the world.  Sadly, the thing less controlled is the spreading of false doubt.  Watchfulness is essential, but so is ignoring those who use false fear to weaken our trust.       

Our votes do not belong to your political party, your minister, your employer, your best friend, or anyone else.  It belongs to you, and every one's vote matters.  

As a final comment, if during the preliminary campaigns there are no candidates that you believe are good choices, let your opinion be known and suggest that other candidates step forward.  We all have voices, and we must not delay using them until it is too late.  Take the advice of George Washington.  Don't let political parties take over without our voices being heard.