In any election, you can vote: (1) affirmatively for somebody or (2) negatively against the other guy (or gal). This is perhaps a more pronounced choice in American elections, where the only viable candidates are generally the Republican and Democrat. Other countries have the luxury of minority parties or viable third parties, and while I'm sure it would be good in some ways to have those things, we're talking about things as they are.
I'm finding that my electoral choice on Tuesday is a combination of these "pro and con" reasons. I'm definitely voting FOR Obama, as I like his policies and I think he's done a decent job over the last four years. But, I'm also voting AGAINST Romney, because I literally don't have any idea what he stands for - it seems as though he will say or do anything to get elected, including changing positions on almost every issue throughout his career. And the positions he has articulated during his Presidential campaign are things I don't want to happen.
While planning this post, I thought that it was perhaps sad that so much of my vote is made up of Anti-Romney sentiment. Sometimes, the pro and con arguments are both sides of the same coin - in order to be "pro" Obama I must necessarily view his policies and ideals as "better" than Romney's. It's not that I think Romney is a terrible human being (unfortunately some on the Democratic side seem to argue this). However, at the extreme, the pros and the cons can convince us that the other side is evil. The for and against arguments that are so necessary to the electoral process can actually impede governing once the election is over. So I'm hoping that, whatever our differences, we can come together on November 7th, the day after the election, to work out our pros and cons and compromise on solutions to move our country forward.
Someone will be making a concession speech on Tuesday night, and so I wanted to share John McCain's speech from four years ago. Not because I want to rub salt in wounds, but just because I thought it was a great example of "coming together" rhetoric that we need to turn into reality no matter who wins on Tuesday.
I'm finding that my electoral choice on Tuesday is a combination of these "pro and con" reasons. I'm definitely voting FOR Obama, as I like his policies and I think he's done a decent job over the last four years. But, I'm also voting AGAINST Romney, because I literally don't have any idea what he stands for - it seems as though he will say or do anything to get elected, including changing positions on almost every issue throughout his career. And the positions he has articulated during his Presidential campaign are things I don't want to happen.
While planning this post, I thought that it was perhaps sad that so much of my vote is made up of Anti-Romney sentiment. Sometimes, the pro and con arguments are both sides of the same coin - in order to be "pro" Obama I must necessarily view his policies and ideals as "better" than Romney's. It's not that I think Romney is a terrible human being (unfortunately some on the Democratic side seem to argue this). However, at the extreme, the pros and the cons can convince us that the other side is evil. The for and against arguments that are so necessary to the electoral process can actually impede governing once the election is over. So I'm hoping that, whatever our differences, we can come together on November 7th, the day after the election, to work out our pros and cons and compromise on solutions to move our country forward.
Someone will be making a concession speech on Tuesday night, and so I wanted to share John McCain's speech from four years ago. Not because I want to rub salt in wounds, but just because I thought it was a great example of "coming together" rhetoric that we need to turn into reality no matter who wins on Tuesday.
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