If you are discouraged about what’s happening in our country and want to see change, consider your responsibility as a voter. Be wise in whom you put into office.
1 – Consider the quality of the candidate, not name recognition or how many paid ads are running on TV. The most vocal, visual, and visceral may not be the best man/woman for the job.
2 – Vote for candidates that display bipartisanship. Our nation is polarized. We need elected officials who listen to both sides and look for ways to work together for the sake of the people — us.
3 – Look for candidates with positive messages, and hope based on facts and solid plans rather than pipe dreams.
4 – Pay close attention to candidates’ records. Yes, people can learn more and change their minds about some issues, but if they change their minds according to every political wind that blows, don’t vote them into power positions.
5 – Look for candidates who care about the future. Again, look for candidates who have reasonable, fact-based ideas and solid plans, not pipe dreams that cost the taxpayers billions and raise the national debt without accomplishing anything.
6 – Consider all candidates fairly and with the same criteria. If you “vote the party line”, you are not considering every candidate fairly.
7 – Whether registered under a party or independent, do your research. Vote wisely. Your future and the future of all our children are on the line in every election.
8 – Debates matter. Listen carefully to what each candidate says. Do they know the issues? Are they reading what someone has written for them? Can they think on their feet? What the candidates’ demeanor toward others. Words matter. Strength of character – integrity– matters the most.
9 – Whatever your race, ethnicity, gender, think independently and vote wisely according to your conscience.
10 – We have little enough voice in our country these days. Every vote matters. It is a right, a privilege, and a responsibility. No vote means no voice.