I Get To Vote!!

When I first arrived in Minnesota, the first thing I did was register my new 4Runner. While I was there, I found out that I had to take the Written Test in order to obtain my Minnesota Driver's License. Since that day, I have avoided going to the DMV. But who can blame me? It's not like the DMV is anyone's idea of a good time! Especially when you have to take a test. I figured I would just stay licensed in CA; I mean, it's valid across the US and I don't look half-dead in the picture as some license pictures turn out... I had just one problem (besides the whole, "you have to get a license once you've been in the state "x" number of days..." problem)... I can't vote in Minnesota if I am not registered to vote in Minnesota, and I can't register to vote in Minnesota if I don't have a valid Minnesota I.D. (or utility bill, which I also don't have).

This is when my wheels began to turn... I could always just try and vote "absentee" in CA by sending away for an absentee ballet... I could have it sent to my old apartment where my friend Rachel still lives and then she could forward it to me! I felt a little guilty about this idea since the county sent me a postcard that asked for my permanent address and told me if I gave them an incorrect address (like my old address), they would send me to prison forever. So, I told the truth: I live in MN now.

The second reason my "vote absentee in CA" idea bombed, as if the first wasn't enough, was because in the words of one of my favorite cousins, "McCain (who I will be voting for... no secret there) doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell in California." Minnesota, on the other hand, is a "swing state" this election so all the votes matter a whole lot!!

I finally dragged myself to the DMV and took the test (I got an 80%... the lowest score you can get before you fail... but good news, the 2nd test would have also been free! A sad consolation). I would have done better but some of the questions were ambiguous! If you talked to any of my professors or job trainers, you'd find that I am notorious for challenging test questions, especially ambiguous questions. As I was sitting there taking my test, answering incorrectly on some of the ambiguous questions, I thought to myself... "If I fail, should I complain about the test questions?" But then I figured I wouldn't... it's not like they wrote the questions or would have done anything about it, even if they had agreed.

The moral of the story... I am voting in November! I could not, in good conscience, fail to find a way to vote when I am clearly passionate about this election.

Disclaimer: If you live in CA and plan on voting for McCain, don't let the "snowball's chance in hell" comment discourage you from voting! If all you McCain-Supports get out and vote, who knows what can happen =)

A challenge for you (and it will be a challenge)

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.