Listen up everybody! We have 14 days left to pick who we are going to vote for. On the news this morning a debate was going on about whether or not Palin is an asset to the McCain campaign. And as for Barak Obama he is taking a few days off from his campaign to spend it with his sick grandmother.
As for me I have no idea who I am going to vote for yet. I don't even know why I registered to vote. It is going to be my first time voting
As a US citizen it is my duty to vote. But for me it is an internal conflict because I want to vote for a candidate that will be the best for the country.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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4 comments:
Jen, there is nothing wrong with wallowing in complexity before making a decision that is so important. In fact, everyone should be doing that. These candidates want to take our country in very different directions, so looking at their plans and promises very carefully is super important. Good luck making your choice.
As to the statement you make about not knowing why you are voting, I think you answered it yourself. You feel like it is your duty to vote, and that is a good enough reason. But with that duty comes responsibility, and I appreciate that you are not taking your decision lightly.
Voting is a great way to participate in the democratic government this nation is blessed to enjoy, but we all know that only 50% of all Americans actually take advantage of this privilege. The United States rank 35th in voter turnout out of the world's prominent democracies. While many people complain about this reality and consider this an insult to the years of work it took to build this democracy I see it as no surprise. The truth is, in states like Utah, there isn’t much need to vote. Because of the American voting system, where it doesn’t matter how many people vote for a candidate, but instead how many states’ votes the candidate gets, if you vote or not here in Utah, it won’t make a difference. Utah is a very republican state, and I have no doubt that the majority of people living here will vote for the Republican Party. So, despite my affiliation, it doesn’t matter if I vote. If I were a democrat, I would lose. If I were a republican, there would be no point in losing my time voting, since I already know the Republican Party is already going to win (here in Utah), even without my vote. So, really, why bother?
Before I finish, I am not saying that voting is a waste of time. I am from Brazil and down there each vote counts. When I vote, I make a difference there. I become responsible for the overall turnout. I am proud of participating of the elections there. But here in Utah (and I want to emphasize: Utah – since I know there are states where each vote matters) there is no point in doing so.
Oh, yes, one more thing. Jen I appreciate your desire to learn more about the candidates. I noticed that many people that I have met here in Utah don’t care to learn more about their candidates. They have a party affiliation and it doesn’t matter who is the candidate, they will vote for that party. They don’t care to learn about the candidate’s plans, projects, or ideas. They just know what the party stands for, and that is all that matters for them. While it is correct to stand truth to one’s principles, we cannot just vote on the first person that shows up. Just because a person has good values it doesn’t mean that person has the talents, skills and ability to run a country. We are not talking about any country. It is the country that has the most influence in all the rest of the world, and we cannot leave to anyone to run it.
It is amazing how big this election has become and how this will change our country in the next few weeks. I have voted before when it was a big fight between Bush and Kerry. The big debacle in Florida four years ago. What could happen this time around?
I feel great about voting. I agree with Daniel when it is like your duty to vote for your president. So far in my time about these elections they have been really interesting and great to learn from as I have been growing up and knowing the impact it brings. Even though here in Utah we usually vote for the Republicans, which I am. It still counts when you put your vote in. I don't mind voting at all. I will probably vote anytime next week and then move on.
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