How to Choose a Candidate for President

Trying to pick a qualified candidate that would make an excellent President could be as easy as finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. The moment you begin to believe that you may have chosen the best person for the job, the mudslinging begins and you are thrown for a whirl yet again. However, believe it or not, picking your favorite presidential candidate doesn’t have to be as difficult as you may think.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer with Internet access
• Paper and pen/pencil
• Time and patience

1. Acquire a list of all of the prospective candidates for each party. Try to make a note of what each one represents and what they are planning to accomplish as President. Normally you can get a general list of candidates on the party’s state website. Finding the candidates listed on the national site can sometimes be like looking for the needle again, so try the national site and click the link for your state’s site for the party.
2. Watch the debates but not necessarily all of them. However, while watching, jot down notes on key responses to major questions. Make sure you don’t get sucked into the sensory overload involved in political debates.
3. Pick the top three candidates for each side, if there are three to choose. List their good qualities as well as their bad qualities, and compare them to what your values are. Don’t be surprised or ashamed to find out that you agree with one party and you normally vote for the opposite.
4. Visit the party’s local sites and find a few local events where you can attend without supporting the party. This will give you more in-depth information about the party and the potential candidates. Unlike watching regular debates, you may actually be able to fire off questions that you haven’t had answered yet.
5. Do not be influenced by public video sites or blogs. Many times these are put into cyberspace to help influence undecided citizens into voting a certain way. These sites are also big with more mudslinging tactics and if you are trying to make a good decision then you don’t want that kind of input or influence.
6. Once the lead candidates are chosen for each party, don’t be distraught if your person isn’t the leader. Instead, look at the chosen candidates’ promises as well as who they will be thinking of as a Vice President. You actually may be surprised to see that your candidate will be asked to run as VP even though they didn’t get the Presidential nod. Also, keep in mind that the “loosing” candidates will publicly back the front runner if they agree with their morals and values. Basically, if your candidate lost and they are not backing the winner then you may want to look at the other parties again. Therefore, repeat steps 1-5 once again.
7. Voting day is finally here. By this time you should have been able to choose the best candidate for you. However, if you cannot decide which one is the best because you don’t agree with either then don’t vote for any of them. The last thing you would want to do is to give your vote to a non-deserving candidate because you feel obligated to cast a decision. This normally won’t be the case since there is such a long time period during campaign season to select a candidate. So when Election Day arrives, be confident that you will have chosen the best candidate to fill the shoes of “Leader of the Free World.”

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be influenced by blogs, one-sided websites, media channels, or smear ads.
• Don't throw away your vote if you can't decide on a candidate.