Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Politics

What's your thought on politics? Do you watch CNN, Fox News, Bill O'Reilly? Do you read the newspaper? Do you research your candidates?

I have to admit, I've never liked politics. I know what I believe in and that's good enough for me. Listening to some middle age men drone on about who's fault this is and why we owe this much money and blah, blah, blah. I know this makes me a bad voter. I know some of you are probably freaking out right now. But, I just can't get into it. I think ALL politicians lie. I think they are all pretty equal.

And I just don't understand global politics. I don't even know where half of these countries are. I just can't grasp the concepts. And I'm not stupid. It's just so boring to me that I can't take the time to do more research. I must admit that Social Studies was my least favorite subject in school. I didn't want to learn about any wars, past or present. I have an awful time just remembering what era they each happened in.

But, I do know how I feel on many issues. I support gay marriage, I support stem cell research, I do not believe in national health care, etc. I try to find a candidate that most closely meets how I feel. But, damn if it's not hard. I really wish they were more honest. Do any of us really vote 100% Republican or Democrat? Why do they always toe the party line? Why don't they just tell us how they really feel? I bet we'd be more likely to vote for them.

Funny thing is, I consider myself Republican, my husband considers himself Democrat. And he works in law enforcement and I work in a juvenile court with a focus on rehabilitation. Yet, we almost always vote for the same person. Why do we have to fall under a particular party. Why doesn't everyone just put their views on the table and let us all sort them out for ourselves.

Might be better than we've got.

6 comments:

Corey~living and loving said...

yeah...I know how I feel on things...but I hate to listen to all the talk about it. ugh....
I think it is nuts that we really only get to pick from a few people our president. I think it is a horrible way to go. Usually it is just picking the best of the worst. :(

ENFORCER said...

Woe- you and your husbands professions vs party affiliations are deffinately unique. I would have so thought they'd be opposite if you just told me what your jobs were. That is so cool

Anonymous said...

I've often envied the straightforwardness of the US election system versus that of what we have here in Canada, where we have lengthy lists of provincial parties and a completely different list of federal parties, with each party having its own agenda. Even parties with the same name can be confusing (i.e. there's a British Columbia "Liberal" party, which is different than an Ontario "Liberal" party, which is different still from the federal, nationwide "Liberal" party).

All of this means a voter really needs to do his or her homework. Heck, at least you vote, which is the most important thing.

Jo Beaufoix said...

I'm with you Lori. Mr B is up on his politics, but I find it all a bit dull. I don't trust any politicians, so I vote for the party that support my beliefs most closely.
I'm a humanist, and get annoyed at the have nots always getting the short straw, so I tend to vote labour . But I didn't like Tony Blair and I'm none too fond of Gordon Brown.

Laura said...

I think the two-party system is ridiculously polarized. And you're right, if candidates would just be real about what they think without living in enslavement to their respective parties, we'd be able to get a much better sense of who they are.

I can't consider myself Republican or Democrat anymore. And it makes it all the harder to know how to vote...*sigh*

Megan@SortaCrunchy said...

I agree that I feel fairly alienated by our two party system. And I agree with Corey that often our presidential elections do seem like picking the best of the worst. I dare someone to prove me wrong in 2008.