Don't waste your vote

Ok - we've been doing a lot of thinking about the upcoming election - ashamed we never did it before now, but glad we're thinking now. What about you? How many hours have you taken to independently and purposefully research the true issues and where the candidates really stand? Don't have time? How many TV shows have you watched in the last 3 months? I can say for myself absolutely zero, except what I get in the doctor's office or somewhere similar.

All I'm saying is we should think. We should stretch our brains, debate one another, and try to understand why things are they way they are and how we'd like them to be different.

Some questions to consider - I couldn't answer them well even now, but I would like to get there before the next election.

What really is the role of government? And not only that, but what is your answer based on? If it's based on your own experiences, what you've heard on TV, or what you think up right now, maybe you haven't thought about it enough yet. I haven't. But how can I vote for the leader of our government, in light of all his promises and platitudes about how he'll operate the government, if I don't have a clear understanding of what goverment should even do?

Have you taken the time to question your own beliefs, or the assertions and promises made by the politicians?

Do you truly believe you're wasting your vote if you vote for a third party candidate? What is the purpose of voting? Is it like horse racing - where all that matters is picking the winner? If you get one vote in 300 million, is it more important that you vote for what you really believe in, thereby sending a message to the political establishment, or is it more important that the powerful politicians we have remain in power?

How do I get John McCain to listen to me? Or Barack Obama? Or any other candidate? They certainly aren't going to respond to an e-mail, or even a well-written letter. What do they care about? What are they out there trying so hard to get from me? My single solitary vote! That's what they care about. So that's how we get our message to them. Do you think they care what I think? No, but they need my vote - and yours. So will you reward them for not accurately representing you by voting for them anyway? Will you cave to the prevailing notion that to vote for the person you really believe is best for the presidency is to waste your vote? If you're going to vote for someone you don't like (the lesser of 2 evils), then why vote at all? So that's why I say, "Why am I voting in this election?" Have we thought through this? We must take the time to learn how to think again. I have been amazed by the 3rd party candidates as I've watched them on YouTube. Many don't even have speechwriters or teleprompters! How can someone get up and speak to a huge crowd for over an hour without a teleprompter? They can do it because what they're saying comes from well-thought out CONVICTION, not political strategizing that says how each word must come out. Do you want people leading you who know how to lead, how to communicate? Or do you want someone who is so concerned with how they look that they use a teleprompter? They have us figured out. We care more that a candidate says "nuclear" wrong than we care that the candidate has a proper constituational understanding of the use of nuclear weapons! The politicians have this figured out. It's far more important to say something well than to say something substantial! Why do they have so many strategists and aides? They're only trying to win. And they will coax our vote out of us any way they can. So don't give your one and only prized vote to a candidate who doesn't represent you. Don't waste your voice raising your voice in support of someone you don't agree with! We must make our voices heard in the one way the politicans will hear - by casting our vote for someone we truly support. My vote is as valuable to a politician whether they like me or not, whether they represent me or not. Your vote is your only voice! So don't waste your vote - don't give it to someone who will gladly accept it whether you truly support them or not! Give your vote to someone who you believe deserves it! It is absolutely true that if enough people do this, the politicians will take note!