Election years are stupid! Every four years the American public is forced to listen to politicians talk about how good they are. We get to hear them make promises that we are certain they will not keep. The main thing that happens to me is utter confusion.
Let us start with a little background. I was raised in a die-hard Democratic home. My father was a union worker in the steel industry and democrats appealed to him. As a child I automatically would tune out Republican opinions and had no time for them. Then I joined the military. I forced myself to open my mind and decide for myself about numerous areas of my life.
One area was politics. I began to see the things important to me were being championed by the Republican Party. Many of my thoughts were shaped through my religious beliefs. I begin to feel that the country’s economy and job situation would work itself out. We are America and have some of the greatest entrepreneurial minds on the planet. The more the government interferes with business and industry the more it seems to falter.
I began to take on the role that government should focus on safety of our borders and within. Being a Christian, I believe that moral value is plummeting in our nation. Many Republicans push for more moral issues (I know politicians and morals don’t go well in the same sentence), the ones that I also cared about.
After hearing my life story, I have to admit to you that I am lost on this election. Our country is spiraling into a recession, and our energy costs are driving the whole thing. This makes me lean towards Democratic leadership on one hand. However, the Democrats’ big energy saving ideas are nil. The only thing that I even heard (other than the uttering of words) is the pushing of legislature for energy saving light bulbs…seriously. All problems solved! The Republican answer is not much stronger.
I find myself in an inner tug-of-war between the sides. Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated.
As badly as we need it to be, economic stance cannot be the determining factor in the 2008 presidential election. Both candidates are economically weak — as is our current president. Both candidates have bought into the ideas of a socialist economy to greater or lesser degrees. I’m a conservative, and yes, I’m saying that about McCain too.
Honestly, I think it may be impossible for the government to pull us out of this recession. I’m not sure there’s a person oout thehre that could fix this problem through a presidency. Only brilliant minds inside our captalistic backbone will be able to do that — and they’ll have to do it in some different way than they’ve ever thought of before. It will take innovation, but because we still have a relatively free enterprise system in place and some of the greatest business minds at our disposal, I believe there’s a good chance it will happen. If not, it’s because the giovernment prevented it. That’s all the government can do at this point — enable or prevent, not cause.
The election will have to be determined on moral and ethical issues, not economic. Unfortunately, both candidates are pretty weak there, too, but I think theere is a clear leader in this regard. Whether you agree with my selection or not, make your choice on morals and ethics, not on economics.
jb
Great perspective. Not many people are looking at this election in that light.