2008 was the first presidential election that I voted. The reason I chose to vote was mainly because I assumed that voting is what everyone aged 18 and older is supposed to do. A lot of people have told me that if you do not vote, then you cannot complain about the results of an election. So after watching one or two of the debates and listening to a few speeches, I registered to vote and selected Barack Obama on my ballot. I, like many others at the time, was excited about the various changes that were sure to take place following the election. An end to the war in Iraq, a reformed health care system, and a much needed focus on middle class America were things I was really looking forward to seeing. If Obama could walk as good as he could talk, I figured things would turn around quickly for our country. So why haven’t they? A lot of blame is always pointed toward the president, but I think it has just as much to do with everyone else working in D.C. People vote for a president (hopefully) based on that candidate’s ability to offer changes that you feel are important. So why then is it so difficult to get any of these changes in place. The problems in the Middle East, the inability to come to agree on anything, a 15 trillion dollar deficit that continues to grow….what kind of government is built to allow these things to happen? My confidence in our government’s ability to accomplish much of anything is all but gone. For that reason, I do not think I will be voting in the next election.
I didn’t vote in Bush’s re-election year, but the little I remember about it was something like “Yeah, he’s not the best president….but he’s better than anything the Democrats have to offer”. I feel in a lot of ways that this election is turning out the same way. I have paid pretty close attention to the Republican Party’s up-and-down joke of a selection process. First it was Romney, then Perry, then Cain, Then Gingrich….now Romney again. Instead of hearing why I should vote for someone, I have listened to months of why I shouldn’t vote for someone. It is almost as if the candidate who can raise the most money, and be the make the others look the worst will win regardless of any of their view points. Surely there are more than a few worthy candidates out of the 300+ million people that live here. But instead we get to continue to choose which guy sucks less. Choosing a president has become a lot like choosing which color to paint a car that doesn’t run. Unless the car gets fixed, I don’t think I should waste my time deciding between blue and red.
I had a similar perspective on the last election, but will be taking a different approach into the future. I agree that it shouldn't be about blue and red, but, in reality, that's where the majority of voters are settled in to. My understanding is that wealth determines elections. Money is power, and can create an illusion of free will and 'choice'. Like you say, deciding between two candidates each election (determining which sucks less) is hardly choice. There are plenty of other candidates, but they don't have the financial support to stand a chance. People will draw to the celebrity-type, not the guy who wants to ramble on about POLITICS - Who wants to listen to that?! The point about seeing change once it's been promised.. How much change has taken place is debatable, but it does take time. I personally hope that Obama gets re-elected so he has time to work on his agenda; however, is it his/our agenda, or the bankers who put him into office? Universal healthcare and an end to the 'war' will not come out of good morals or the best interest of the 98%. The only way we'd get out of the war is if service members refused to fight, and healthcare will reform when it is in the best interest of the profit-makers. I do think that healthcare will change because 25+% of people not having healthcare means less profit. By 2014 basic healthcare is supposed to be made mandatory, which should be a win-win for firms and people alike. Anyway, when it comes to voting, I will vote for the best leader. Barack Obama stands for bi-partisanship, individual social responsibility, and a positive international image. Specific changes are out of a single presidents control, in my opinion, but there are other qualities that count for a lot.
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