The Sayer and the Namer

Red/Blue/Donkey/Elephant...no thanks

It's here! Election day! I am beyond thankful that the day has come for several reasons. I'm ready for the decision to be made already. I'm ready to move forward with whomever is elected. I'm ready for the negativity and name calling to finish (to some degree), and I'm ready for a small level of certainty. Hopeful, I know, but it's what I want.

I'm really happy that more people are taking their civil duties seriously and voting this year; news sources are projecting that voting could be at a record high today. Kudos to us. However,
It seems like we all recognize several fundamental problems with the electoral process. The extreme partisanship, the catering of certain parties to certain race/age/sex/socioeconomic classes, the grandstanding, the mudslinging, the tip-toeing around issues that are huge, yet that nobody wants to talk about. I'm not naive enough to think most of this will ever change, but I'm hopeful enough to think that we are fundamentally good, that our country is based on solid principles, and that everyone wants to do what they think is right. Whether those convictions lean to the left or the right is not my issue. My issue is the increasing blind allegience to a particular political party.

Political parties are necessary, I understand that. They give a general insight into what a person believes in. However, the importance of political parties has gotten way out of control. I understand that politics are a very personal decision, and many of us have deep convictions that determine our stand on certain issues. I have strong opinions on fiscal policy, social programs, and how much control our government should have over our everyday lives. However, I refuse to be politically categorized anymore. I'm changing my voter registration to Independent. I think that if more people registered independent, it would heal political wounds, and it would cause politicians to be more upfront and honest. A strong 3rd party (or, more like a lack of support for the 2 existing parties) would change the way politics are done. Here's my logic:

1. I don't want any politician to think that they automatically have my vote because we happen to belong to the same party. I want whomever I vote for to earn my vote, not to assume I'm in their pocket. We always hear pundits wonder, "who's going to get the independents?" I want to be one of those swing voters. Registering independent gives the voter more power.

2. I don't want to live in a state that is assumed to be a lost cause for any one candidate/party. If more people registered independent, it would alter the current "battleground state" model. I hate it that because I live in Oklahoma, my vote virtually doesn't matter. Nobody cares what we vote for, because we're a Republican state. End of discussion. If more of us were independent, we would keep pundits on their toes, and the wouldn't automatically assume things about us that may or may not be true.

3. The truth of the matter is that I'm disappointed in both parties. The party I'm currently associated with and the other party. They both do stupid things in the name of partisan politics. Partisan politics has led to insane amounts of Pork-Barrel spending, needless spending, political spin galore, and I'm just done with it. I can honestly say that I don't fully support either party. My beliefs align with a particular party, but that doesn't mean that I support the leaders of that party or their actions. My new independent status won't change the way I vote, but I don't feel comfortable anymore being labeled with either one of those tarnished brands.

So there we have it, folks. I'm not one of those raging, crazy people that hate everything about everything involving politics. On the contrary, I'm really hopeful about the future, and think that the lessons we learn can be applied to make us better people. I hope you all consider registering independent, and perhaps Wolf Blitzer (what kind of name is that, btw? honestly!) and George Stephanopoulos (yes, I googled it to get the spelling) will have a different story to tell in 4 years.
Ah...the power of the therapeutic blog post.

posted by Erin @ 1:47 PM