How To Do Just About Everything
By parvenue
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Unless you've been living under a rock these past few months, no matter where you live in the world you've caught wind of the American political process and the media circus that has ensued. It seems like they're battling it out with each other and that their stories change mid-stream. How do we know who to vote for in the coming election? Should we believe what comes across the wires to us via television, radio and the information super highway? Many folks are considering crossing party lines. A few don't want to vote at all. Please vote. In the end we are a democracy and every vote counts. If you do not vote then do not complain, you've no right. If you aren't a part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem. Thank goodness the aparthy of the past is long dead. We can as a people affect change and it is our ability to do so as a whole. That being said, follow my steps and you'll find it far easier to know who you want to vote for.
The first part of any decision making process begins with you. Before we can look at our candidates, let us first examine ourselves. Begin by writing down the issues that are important to you. Create a chart. In the header of this chart write down those issues, such as Gun control, Stem Cell Research, pro-choice/pro-life, education, economy, border patrol, immigration, healthcare, same-sex marriage, polygamy, war, mortgage/banking, eimployment, NAFTA, etcetera.
Okay, you have your issues of interest, the next step should be fairly easy. And make a second copy of these headings. You'll need two charts. Perhaps it might be better to make yourself a folder and give a section for each topic. It depends on how much in depth you want to go with this. As for me, I say, go all the way. Take as much time as you need, or can afford. For some of you, this might mean creating a volume for each topic.
Okay, you have your charts/books or even a handy dandy collection of excel or word spread sheets. Now we progress to the next step. Imagine yourself the candidate for the office to which you are voting. Handle each topic as if you were the candidate. Write down your feelings on each issue. For example: how do you stand on stem cell research? What are your views on gun control? How do you feel about the economy and what solutions can you offer? How would you handle America's relations with the global market and the world at large? What can you do to correct the current and ever present problems facing the nation? Write your answers down as best as you can. You probably didn't major in poly-sci at school, but do the best you can from your bird's eye view. In order to know what you expect from a candidate, it is important to know what you believe.
Okay, so by now you're probably cursing me, saying, "Oh Richard, why all the work?" Well my friends, choosing a politician shouldn't be taken lightly. In the state of the world these are extremely tough times. We're all suffering here in America and we need to take this choice extremely seriously. We need to take an active part. No more voting because a name is popular or rolls off the tongue or because we like the way the candidate looks or the way they kiss babies. We need to vote as if our life depended on it. And who knows, it very may well.
Once you've created your list. The next step is to go, candidate by canddiate and collect as much information as you possibly can on each candidate regarding your issues. I'm not talking about what they are saying today. I mean, do an in-depth research on each candidate and find out as much as you possibly can, in so much as it relates to you. Obviously if you couldn't give a fig about pig to grain ratios and farming, this won't be an issue on your chart. Or maybe the way hem lines are going in fashion is an issue, or overseas mass produced products..whatever concerns you particularly is what you should research. If you are pro-choice, you should know how your candidate feels about this issue and for how long they've felt about it? Have they changed horses mid-stream? Are they saying what seems to be popular? How did they feel five years ago, or fifteen or however far back you can get. Do the work. Get the facts. Know your candidates.
Compare and contrast. Once you have all your information together - and by this time your charts include photocopies of speeches, probably a few pie charts and demographic studies, perhaps a few articles from the popular magazines..just a wealth of information: now you take what each says, feels, acts upon...and you compare it to that chart you created in the very beginning. How much of what you feel and want does your candidate mirror? Obviously if you have nothing in common with the overall perspective/average you get from the candidate, meaning they haven't always been or if you average out the years of what they believe it comes up a "NO" then perhaps they're not the candidate for you.
TIME TO THINK. Okay, you've gone through both lists/charts/volumes and you find that of the candidates, none complete agree with you..because some are for one thing, some are for another and you still don't know who to vote for. Here's where we take the time to think about what we absolutely must have and what we could give a little on. Maybe your candidate is for gun control but is against your views on abortion? At this point you prioritize.
Once you get your priorities straight and know what issues are important and which issues you can give a little on...then a stellar candidate should present him/herself. And if at the end of all your hard work you still can't decide...then vote for the one who most fits what you want in a candidate, or vote for the one you least hate...but by all means vote, because if you don't vote then we're all lost.
eHow Member: parvenue
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