How could I vote for…? How could you not?

How we choose a political party, or do we? Many people, like with religion, go along with what their parents have chosen for them. It’s tradition handed down from one generation to the next.

In my case, my mother was a Republican, and my father a Democrat. We had many discussions at the dinner table, and they weren’t all pleasant.

When I became the age to register, rather than choose one party over the other, or as I saw it, choosing one parent over the other, I registered as an Independent. I became very interested in politics. Some said I was a political junky. They were listening to music, I was listening to political talk shows, some with a liberal slant, some more conservative.

I paid close attention to what each party stood for, and Democrats got most of my votes in those early years. I heard over and over, they were for the little guy.

As time went on, I became more interested in local politics. I went to city council meetings and even school board meetings. I wasn’t thrilled with many of the so-called progressive programs, especially in schools. It seemed to help a few, which was good, but at the same time hurting the majority. And, new progressive ideas put forth by the city council again helped a few but put a burden on local small businesses, especially food services which always resulted in having to have new menus printed reflecting higher prices. I realized every time the city council put another tax on every small business, everyone has to pay more for those goods and services. Small businesses can’t simply absorb these costs.

Some people vote for the party that agrees with them on a single issue, an issue that doesn’t even pertain to them but is the popular thing to do. I feel that’s a mistake. I always make a list of things important to me and see how each party falls into each of them. It’s usually the party that gets the most points that gets my vote but sometimes one issue is more important to me than the next three or four.

Sometimes politicians sound like the opposing party to get votes, and then do a flip-flop after they get elected. In these days of everything being recorded, and cameras everywhere, the evidence is hard to deny.

We see people randomly being interviewed, and they don’t know who the vice president is or even the president, but they vote.

My wish is that people would study the issues, and really pay attention to who is doing what and who is falling short of expectations. But everybody has a right to cast a ballot even if they blindly vote for an R or D. There have been times when candidates have died weeks before an election and they still won. Hello!

To just vote where there’s a “D” or an “R” beside a name is really not fair to the voter, the community, the state or country. Voter pamphlets are sent out before every election, and I wonder how many people read them.

As time goes on, I remain an Independent but Republicans seem to garner more of my votes on local and national ballots.

I, personally have trouble with our military defending borders in other parts of the world while ours is wide open. I feel sick reading about doctors mutilating the bodies of confused young people. I hate that many veterans, and people who are down on their luck, are sleeping on sidewalks all across our nation. I’m not happy about criminals and repeat offenders not being incarcerated. I’m not happy with defunding the police. I don’t like hour long opinion programs being passed off as news.

I stopped watching the news because it’s impossible to unsee many of the horrific stories that fill the screen. Endless wars that go on for years without any real winners, leaving too many families with loved ones injured or dead.

There have been times when I didn’t like either candidate. I had to overlook personality, lack of character and not be taken in by charisma. In those instances, I had to really reach deep, and set aside my personal feelings and vote for the one who I thought would be best for the country. I wouldn’t choose a less talented doctor to perform my heart surgery just because he had a better bedside manner.

The last three years have been a struggle for most people. Having to pay rent, buy groceries and fuel has put a strain on nearly every household. Not sure how anyone could vote for four more years of that.

Those who do stay informed but don’t vote as I do, maybe it’s because we’re just wired differently.