By now, most of us know who our vote is going to in November. But, as some people have noticed, there are many people crossing parties in this election. The polls have been swinging in the past few weeks and the next President of the United States is still up for grabs. Consequently, personal attacks are flying around like crazy. This election, more than any I remember (which to be honest, this is only the third Presidential election I've paid attention to), the Vice Presidential candidates are largely a determining factor for many Americans as they decide who to vote for.
We all know where each candidate stands on many issues, or we can look it up if we don't know. We also know that they both are claiming to bring "change" if they are elected.
My challenge for you is this: take something crappy you have heard about the democratic candidate and the republican candidate (or their VP) and try to see the same information in a new light.
Here are my two examples:
1-Palin is being given a hard time because she was going to “build a bridge to nowhere” but then stopped it. Can't she make a decision? Well, maybe she got more information that she didn’t have before and that is what caused her to change her mind. As much as we trust the media, the government does have additional information that a newly-appointed governor gets access to upon getting sworn in.
2- Republicans are quick to point out that Obama has very little political experience and no experience running a business so their conclusion is that he is incapable of running our country. Well, I think we all know that while the Prez is the top guy, he has numerous advisors and confidants helping him make decisions. And if he gets elected, I think we all would trust that he would surround himself with many experienced people who can help him as he leads our country, should he be elected.
This exercise is not about whether or not your justification is right, nor is it about figuring out if these attacks are legitimate. It’s about being willing to accept that not all of the attacks on McCain and Obama (or Palin and Biden) are substantial, fair, or based on the entire truth. Nor should all of these “below the belt” attacks be considered when making a decision to vote for a candidate. This exercise is about rising above the childish attacks on the "person" and getting down to the nitty gritty of what they can do as a leader.
Think about your own life. Have you ever been inconsistent, immoral, uncertain about where you stand on an issue? Obviously, we all have. These are real people and while we may not agree with their stances on issues, they are still human beings and we certainly don’t know enough about them personally to “hate” or “love” them. We can just “hate” or “love” their stances on issues.
Like my other political post, I am not trying to draw out where you stand on issues. On this one, you are actually going to have to "stick up for" each candidate (I'm going to be honest, it's a bit painful and will take a strong person to stand up for your #2 choice... at least it was for me haha)
I am looking forward to hearing your responses.
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7 comments:
1) McCain is too old be President
(response: did you see his 96 year old mother at the convention?! They have some great genes there)
2) Biden has been a Washington insider too long.
(response: so was Henry Kissinger, but that only made him a better adviser to the many presidents he served, including President Reagan)
1) Obama is too idealistic. He wants to rescue the planet and eliminate poverty, but doesn't have a realistic plan for accomplishing either.
(Response: It is very honorable to passionately care about the poor and to want to do something about alleviating their hardships. Poverty has and always will exist, but at least he cares enough to try to help. And, America IS the number one nation in consumption. . . even if we can't solve all the environmental problems of the world, we should start taking responsibility for our part and be more mindful about how we are abusing our resources. That's just plain old good stewardship.)
2) Palin won't be an effective VP because she has 5 kids to handle.
(Response: Firstly, she has a husband who is obviously willing to step up and fill in some of the traditional mothering roles. Secondly, I think mothering can make you more efficient with your time and energy. You learn to handle things as they come and how to juggle a million tasks at once. . . that's what mothering is all about!)
1.McCain is too old be President:
I like Pain more anyways and rather have her for president. But seriously i don't see why this should be an issue at all. He has far more experience than any other candidate largely because of his age and he is in amazing health. Many people are lucky to be that healthy when they are 50 let alone 72. We have had a handy capped, obese, toothless, and a presidents with polio - i think being over 70 isn't that bad for a physical "aliment" for a president comparatively speaking.
2. Obama never actually specifies what he means by change.
This is a pretty valid criticism, i have no clue how to rebuttal it.
3. Joe Biden has been attacked for his public remark that "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."
This probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, but i really appreciate his response to the criticism - which was basically "I was joking, get over it." I think people scruitinize and magnify every negative thing candidates say way way to much, especially about non-policy things.
This is too deep for me tonight. LOL
I'll try...
1)John McCain divorced his disabled wife and married a younger woman a month later.
(Response: Sadly war does change a person and most POW's then didn't have access to counseling and didn't have a way to deal with their trauma. The fact that she was disabled may have had nothing at all to do with why they divorced. And the fact that he married a younger woman is no argument at all. A lot of men marry younger women.)
2. Obama is inexperienced
(Response: How do you gain experience if never given the opportunity?)
Ok, the second one was a stretch. Honestly, I don't follow Obama a lot because I decided from day one that I would not vote for him solely based on his views on Abortion. I decided that if the Republican candidate sucked then I'd probably just write in Mike Huckabee. LOL
I won't tell you what I plan on doing now! :D
ugh! i'm in kindergarten mode! maybe in 8 years when i'm teaching samantha civics i'll be able to do this... you bring up some excellent points though! see ya at the 2016 election! :-)
Jessica, I will have to think about this and get back to you. For now, I just want to say this is why I respect you SO MUCH. You are a thinker (even if your bias is directly opposite of mine!)
A. Lori
Ben and Erin...
BECAUSE you have small children is the best reason to observe and get in involved in current events. Your children will be directly impacted by your participation NOW, especially on the local level. Know and Vote your Values!
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