As we are all too aware, the presidential election is weeks away. I typically avoid politics as much as possible, particularly with friends. I don't want to know know who they are voting for, I don't want them to know who I'm voting for.
With this said, I wrote an earlier post on my initial thoughts on the Barack Obama campaign. Those thoughts still ring true for me but they are not why I write today.
Just as many folks have claimed that voting against Barack as being racist, I feel voting for Barack because he is black is racist as well. With that said, I have made a conscious effort this year to give both candidates equal air time in my decision making process. That is to say, when I watch either candidate speak (particularly in the debates), I am going to be as objective as I can.
I personally feel that for 90% of us, religion and politics are too societal choices that our parents make for us. My parents were never overtly democratic or republican, at least not as I remember as a child. Throughout college, I did find that I was more liberal than conservative but that I was probably best described as a moderate liberal...probably on the fence but leaning on it from the Democrat side.
As this election has gone on, as well as ones before it, I find a strong desire to vote for something. By that, I mean I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils. As the campaigns have progressed, I've noticed that McCain backers spend more time disparaging Obama than 'Building McCain'. As a fence voter (or at least trying to be as I'm fairly disappointed with both major parties), tell me why I should vote for the candidate you so strongly support. If the first words out of your mouth are attacks on the other candidate, that sounds to me as if a) you're voting based on party affiliations moreso than support for the candidates ideas/goals/plans; and b) your candidate doesn't have enough strengths to stand on alone so disparaging the other candidate has to be a strength.
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