Vote For a Candidate Based On the Issues

College is when most people either continue to not care about politics or they become very interested in politics and form a strong opinion about hot political issues. I was a little different. I didn’t start caring about politics or forming an opinion about it until I left school. I started teaching myself about liberal and conservative philosophy, the real difference between Republicans and Democrats, and I researched what issues were most important to me. I didn’t vote in the 2000 election, because I had just turned 18, and I still had the mind of a child. I voted in the 2004 and 2006 elections, but I didn’t really know why I was making those votes. This general election coming up is the first time that I have really dived into the candidates, and I have followed closely every story that has come up in the past year. I’ve noticed that young people are flocking to Barack Obama, older women are voting for Hillary Clinton, and John McCain voters are just voting for him, because they don’t want a liberal democrat to win.

There are many problems with voting these days, but one of the biggest ones is people who vote based on popularity, gossip, an emotional reaction, or simply the way the candidate looks. The Millenial Generation has embraced Barack Obama. They love his charming personality, his mantra of “change”, and his willingness to connect with regular people. However, many have failed to dive into his political philosophy and the position he takes on important issues. How do I know this? Because every time I hear someone ask a young person why they are going to vote for Obama, they’re answers are all the same: “He’s an agent of change, and he’s a good speaker.” Yes, but that tells me nothing about what he actually wants to change, and what qualifies him to be our leader. Those that have taken the extra step, like him because he doesn’t support the war in Iraq, he has a national health care plan, and he wants to keep the borders open for immigrants.

When I come across young people that say they are going to vote for Hillary Clinton and I ask why, I get answers to the effect of, “I don’t like Obama, or I want to see a woman president.” From the radio shows I listen to, to the newspapers that I read, to the television programs I watch, I hear numerous callers say that they will vote for McCain because he’s the one they dislike the least. Are these legitimate reasons to vote for someone?

The common belief is that voting is a right. It’s not a legal right, because our Constitution has no national right to vote. It’s believed that voting is a fundamental human right, but I don’t want to argue about that. I want you to treat voting as a privilege. Don’t vote blindly this November. Don’t vote for Hillary, because you don’t like Obama’s pastor. Don’t vote for McCain, just because you’ve voted Republican in the past. Vote based on the issues. Formulate an opinion based on your personal beliefs, and find the candidate that lines up best with your beliefs on the major issues of our time. We cannot allow the candidates to manipulate us. It’s too important of a process to allow candidates to persuade us with empty promises and disillusioned ideas. Research their prior voting records on the issues most important to you and analyze the answers they give to tough questions. Filter out the set-up questions that talk show and radio hosts ask that don’t tell you anything. Consider your vote a privilege, and make a responsible and informed decision this November.

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