I Voted

All my life It’s been hammered in to my head that our right to vote is our most precious freedom.  I guess that’s true but while we have that right we don’t have any real control over who runs for office. If all choices are perceived as bad for the country what good is having a vote? The system churns out self-centered rich candidates that do and say whatever is needed to win.

We are all sick of the negative adds and robo-calls attacking candidates with half truths and lies while ignoring issues, right?  Well why can’t we stop them?  Why do they work?  Do the majority of voters decide based upon the information in these adds?  Who are these people that like these adds? 

I used to have faith in the American system.  The Obama election destroyed any remnants of that faith.  Obama sounded good but never really said anything substantial. People heard him saying what they wanted to hear rather than actually listening to his words.  This was so obvious to many of my generation but we had a vast new inexperienced generation of voters who voted their feelings and hopes rather than using logic. After all, once in office he would “do the right thing”.  But the real problem was that the man the republicans put against Obama was clearly unelectable.  Who, in their right mind would want that tired old man in the white house?  Another election where voting was useless.

It really bothers me that the electorate and the candidates are so out of sync. I want to hear solutions to our economic problems.  I want to hear a reasoned civil discussion of issues.  I don’t want to be told how nasty someone is.  I want to know who is qualified and why.  But I can complain all day-and I’m not alone-but while voters are fed up no one knows how to change things.  A candidate that runs a positive campaign is overwhelmed  by the system.

I’m seriously waiting for people’s frustration to turn violent.

So don’t forget to exercise that right to vote.  Many lives have been lost guaranteeing you have it.