It Got Me To Thinking

I posted about how we sign petitions without knowing all the facts behind the petition. We rely on what we are told about the issue and if we agree, we sign, and if we don't we decline.

We have to rely on what we are told at the time. Unless we are already familiar with the issue, we don't have time to research the pros and cons of the petition before signing, and frankly, we probably don't even want to. Sometimes we just don't have the inclination to do the research, and sometimes, we like what we hear. Sometimes, we don't want more information than we already have. As I've said before, sometimes facts just get in the way of our beliefs.

But, petitions aside, we have an obligation to understand what it is we believe and why we believe it. It is not in our best interests to hear one side of an issue, or hear what one politician has to say, and to base our very futures on hearing that one side. We really need to listen to the candidates and not only know, but understand what they are talking about.

Senator Obama is young and charismatic. He's a fantastic speaker and does well in a written speech in a stadium type setting. He's the rock star of the political scene and in that sense, reminds me of John and Bobby Kennedy. He has some good ideas, some not so good.

Senator McCain, on the other hand, is older and not so charismatic. He is not the speaker that Senator Obama is, but does very well speaking off-the-cuff in a town hall type of setting. McCain is not a rock star in any sense of the word. He also has some good ideas, and some not so good.

We can't forget the women behind the presumptive candidates. Jimmy Carter was the first president to openly admit that he discussed issues with his wife, Rosalyn. All the wives have been the First Lady, of course, and probably played more of a behind-the-scenes role that we knew. But since the Carter days, the wives have become more than "just" the First Lady. I am certain that Michelle Obama, a strong, opinionated lady not afraid to say what she thinks, will have input into decisions made by a possible President Obama. I think Cindy McCain, who seems to be a quieter, more demure personality, has more input to her husband than we may have seen, and will offer her opinion when asked (or maybe not even wait).

My intention in this post is not to bash or promote either candidate, or even to examine their platforms. My only intention is to suggest that you, as the voter, look beyond what the candidate looks or sounds like, and think and study on what they are saying, and sometimes more importantly, not saying.

The buzzword of the day, from both sides, actually, seems to be change. We all want change. But, just what do the candidates mean by change? My question to the candidates is specifically, what needs to be changed and what do you propose to do to change it?

Politicians are good at saying something without saying much of anything. And it sounds good until I hear the topic discussed among friends, around the water cooler, around the dinner table, or on a talk show and different points of view are given. Then, I'm not sure what to think except that it's easier to not listen to anyone else, especially if they don't agree with what I already believe. And when I hear a different point of view from someone I respect and admire, it's all the harder to mesh with my thinking.

It's hard to give up or change an opinion. It becomes part of who we are. But we want to be liked, and we have a tendency to change our opinions to match the people we are around most of the time. Especially when the other people are stronger personalities, or are people we want to like us. We tend to model the people we respect. We tend to adopt the opinions of those who are stronger willed that we are.

We tend to gravitate toward people who are like us. Subconsciously, we might choose someone who looks like us, or like someone we admire. We might choose someone who thinks like us. We may have a role model and take on their values, which makes us choose the person they might vote for.

It's why the children of Democrats tend to be Democrats, the children of Republicans tend to be Republicans; the children of liberals or conservatives tend to emulate the beliefs of their parents.

By the same token, younger people tend to lean more to the liberal side. Liberal meaning that they are concerned about other people and the environment. This is not bad. The problem is that the young don't always understand that just because they want something, it's a whole 'nother thing to accomplish. They don't always understand that what they see as an injustice isn't something that can be changed just because they want to change it.

It's not just the young and liberal who feel this way. Most everyone who is a thinking, caring person wants all this and more. But that's not the world we live in. We will always have the poor, if only because someone will always have less than someone else. Compared to some, I am poor; compared to others, if not rich, I am well off. And we always want to leave the next generation just a little better off than we were.

As we grow and mature we begin to see things in a different light. It may or may not change our core beliefs, but we may realize that what we believed five, ten, fifteen, twenty or more years before, isn't something we believe in now. Or, it just isn't as important as it once was.

In November, we are essentially hiring someone to fill a position. This position happens to be pretty important: the President of the United States. The undisputed Leader of the Free World. It is up to us, the voters, to do the hiring.

We have two men who are interviewing with each and every voter for the position. We have to make the best choice we can. Whatever decision we made, we will have to live with it for at least the next four years. Maybe more.

We have to look beyond the surface and see into the person. The only way we can know what this person will do is to see what they have already said and done. How did they live their lives up to now? What have they accomplished in their lives? And, yes, who are their friends and their supporters. We need to remember that what they said or did a number of years ago, while still part of their history, may not be what they currently believe.

We have two presumptive candidates who want your vote in the hiring process. Like the young, they both say they want change. Both have offered some examples of the changes they want. Some questions to ask: Can they actually accomplish what they want to change? How can they go about it? And finally, and maybe the most important, what will the consequences be? How will it effect you? Will it better your life?

Some things to consider:

Be wary of someone who tries to be all things to all people. it can't be done.

Be wary of someone who claims to have all the answers. It's not possible.

Be wary of someone who changes their opinion on a dime. They have no moral core.

Be wary of someone who won't change their opinion when shown where they are wrong. They are inflexible.

We can't afford to think and vote with just our hearts. We have to think with our heads and think of the consequences of our votes. And the only way to do that is to know the candidates and who they are, what they think, and what they say they will do as opposed to what they can actually do.

I hope this post got you to thinking about who you will hire in November. It may be the most important decision you make for the next four years.