I voted, thank goodness its over.
Well I finally voted today and thank goodness I can quit thinking about it. My wife did most of the research this time around, I guess 2010 will be my turn. Actually, I hope to start the research process much earlier next time. Heck, maybe there will even be something worth running for! The great thing is that this time I went beyond just who I was voting for and begin to pick who I was voting into a certain position. That is why for some positions I felt a libertarian was a better choice or a republican or a democrat. Unfortunately I only had one place to vote for a Green party candidate on my ballot but hopefully the state party will begin the work right after the election to gain ballot access in the next election(s). ...
I'm glad it is over, for me at least. All that is left to do is wait for the results. Sure, perhaps I can change a few minds before they walk into the voting booth but at this point I don't find it too likely. Of course I did change my choice for president this morning so who knows.
One thing I grasped from the experience that I found important was the need to not vote along party lines. Voting in this country was not meant to be 'us versus them', it was created to be 'who/what do I think is best for my country/state/county/city'. With that in mind certain personal values, while important for some positions, may not even matter in other postions or it could be a bad thing. That is one reason why voting multiple parties makes sense to me. Another reason is checks and balances. Different values come together at some point, so only the most important issues will pass with ease. This keeps us from spending too much or creating too many laws just because the power is there. Finally, the best reason to vote multi party is that you get to vote for an individual. While the parties do hold quite a sway over many politicians, on the local level it doesn't seem as bad. Individuals really are just that and many( if not most ) have great dedication to their communities that can make the best candidate be someone outside of your 'chosen' party.
What do you think?
