In a little over six months the American people will participate in a national election. I hope the economy is well on the way to recovery by then as it was President Trump’s greatest strength prior to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) epidemic.
However, the economy is not the only thing in question, and it is time for each of us to think about where we stand. Those who take a strong stand on one issue are often labeled “one-issue voters.” Sometimes that is true. Many times it is a misguided or malicious characterization by those who disagree. However, if you are a voter who cares passionately about an issue, be careful not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Think it through.
Our beliefs about one issue tend to dovetail with how we think about the whole matrix of issues facing the country. Taken together, a voter’s stands on various issues combine to support “conservative” or “liberal” candidates.
It is upsetting when reality conflicts with how we think things should or ought to be. That upset is uncomfortable, and so we try to resolve it. What do you do when a candidate you generally agree with takes a position you oppose regarding a particular issue? Will you withdraw your support because you think an otherwise acceptable candidate is wrong about one thing? If that is the case, you may not be able to support anyone for very long. Write the candidate an email, or better yet send a letter. Call their campaign on the telephone. Ask your friends to do the same. If that doesn’t work, you may need to reconcile yourself to support the candidate anyway … or not. Whatever you do, be sure it is something you can live with.
Between now and the election, I intend to post about important matters that may have bearing on how we vote in November. The candidates we vote for will determine the direction the country takes to resolve these concerns. If a senator or a congressional representative elected from your state is a Democrat, or if they are a Republican, they will become a part of a body of elected officials, within the House or Senate, who act as a group. We need to understand that. Although their influence as individuals is important, the way they must get things done is in concert with others of their party. We must be careful, therefore, to elect people from the party that most closely represents where we stand on the issues; not just the most “likable” individual candidate from our area.
As of today, it seems clear that the Republican candidate for president will be President Donald Trump. The presumptive Democratic candidate appears to be former Vice President Joe Biden. If elected, one will act as chief executive, rather than as a member of a deliberative body. However, the president is not able to achieve anything permanent without the support of a majority of senators and congressional representatives. Regardless of which one you support; he will be hamstrung unless you give him a majority in each house of congress. When you go to the poles, please keep that in mind.
More to follow as time goes by.
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of
government
except all the others that have been tried.
Winston Churchill*
* Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results?q=Democracy
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