Post for the Undecided Voter

Main Entry: pop·u·lar
Pronunciation: \ˈpä-pyə-lər\
Function: adjective


1: of or relating to the general public
2: suitable to the majority: as a: adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority b: suited to the means of the majority - e.g. "sold at popular prices"
3: frequently encountered or widely accepted - e.g. "a popular theory"
4: commonly liked or approved - e.g. "a very popular girl"

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As we near Election Day, I have been spending more and more time learning about the candidates and the issues that face our nation. It seems like the more I research about what plagues our nation, the more I realize how much I don’t know. Thank God for Wikipedia! I have always been of the mindset that if you don’t know the issues and the stances of each candidate, you should not be voting. It is our civic duty to educate ourselves about the various issues that we care about and make a concerted effort to choose the appropriate candidate who supports our ideas. Seems like a novel concept. It is what we learn about repeatedly in school. However, I am having some significant doubts that this is what is really driving the popular vote these days.

As casual conversations come up with friends and family, I often think to myself, “Do they understand the short-comings of No Child Left Behind? Do they know about the history behind why some believe that an extended occupation to stabilize a government is needed for the long term viability of the region? Do they understand the significance of removing the ability of the senate to do filibusters in the Senate in response to some judicial nominations? I wonder if they have a position on granting habeus corpus to enemy combatants. Do they believe that pork-barrel spending is one the biggest issues with federal spending?” I have a suspicion that if we did an exit poll after this year’s election asking voters to articulate the various positions of the candidates on key issues, we would be rather appalled as to the response.

Instead, it seems that America’s votes today are driven by the amount of campaign funds dumped into marketing, forwarded e-mails containing fabrications and deceptions, and quotes taken out of context devoid of their true meaning. Should our voting decisions really be based on the color of one’s skin, their birth name, the amount of properties that they may or may not remember, or the number of 4-letter words they use? At the end of the day, don’t we just want our president to represent our values and beliefs in the white house, someone who can protect our freedom and liberties, and to protect our country from foreign invasion? I think somewhere along the way, we lost our way.

I used to be of the opinion that the voting process should be simplified and made easier for every John Q Public to vote without leaving the luxury of their home. A process designed to dramatically increase voter turnout and allow for every voice to be heard. However, I think now that it would truly turn out to be the “popular” vote. I don’t want our president to be elected the same way that actor’s get the “people’s choice” awards. I don’t want a vote made based on what kind of music he likes, how is hair looks on Election Day, or what friends in Hollywood he might have. I wish there were some voter registration exam that had to be taken prior to being given the right to vote. Nothing to complex would be needed, just something that will at least be able to determine if the person voting has enough context around what they are actually voting for. If you can’t point out the US on a world map, you shouldn’t be voting. If you don’t understand what power the president does and does not have, then you shouldn’t be voting. If you don’t have above a 3rd grade education, you shouldn’t be voting.

Please educate yourself America and make your vote truly count. Don’t take for granted what our founding fathers fought for.