An Election Year like no Other
Electing a new President during this year has brought out the best and worst in some individuals and organizations. It is not only the candidates running for office but individuals and the media to mention just two. Our voting decisions should not be about the candidates running for office but what is best for America. The entire House of Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election in addition to our electing the next President and the decisions we make will shape the future of our country. The results will either be keeping on the same path or charting a new course for our country. A large percentage of voters according to some polls feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. It is a wait and see if this feeling will have an impact on all the election results. The approaches being presented by the two presidential candidates are distinctly different and voters must choose the path they feel is right for America. It should not be about the political party but the plans for our future. The approaches, if any, that have been provided will determine the path we will take to resolve our issues and our path for the future.
We have many problems that need to be solved and those we choose to elect must be those individuals who have a vision on addressing the problems we have been facing for years. The times we are now facing along with the rest of the world are different than at any time in our history. The approaches to resolve these issues must be bold as what worked in the past may not work for our future.
There are some similarities in our past to some of our present situations and the actions taken did not always work or achieved the desired results. Politicians in many instances want to use the same tactics that failed then and they will not work now if the issues involved are similar in nature. We are a different country in many respects today than we were in years past some say for the better while others say for the worst. I tend to believe it is a combination of both.
Another aspect of this election year which is unusual to say the least is that we have an individual who has never ran for public office. Every individual has the right to run for public office and the fact that they have no experience in the political world should not discredit them from being qualified. In addition individuals who are again running for office who have been in the political arena may not necessarily be the right person to solve our problems. It is important to state that one individual cannot make the changes necessary to resolve the issues we face for it takes a group of individuals who care about our country and our future.
Our path going forward will not be an easy one but the issues we face must be solved. Both political parties have been a part of the problems we face today. The individual who we elect to be our President for the next four years must surround himself or herself with the right individuals who have the knowledge and expertise needed to carry out the vision they have projected for the future of our country.
Currently the approval rating of Congress is at the lowest it has been for a long time and is not a good perception for the public to have of those who are in positions to serve the country not their political party. Citizens and voters alike are angry at the performance of our federal government over the years and they want change. The status quo is no longer acceptable and those we elect to represent us in the federal government need to accept the results of the voters across the country. Voters have sent a strong message that they want change and Congress and the rest of the federal government must grasp the unprecedented message of the voters.
The results of this election at all levels will be a mandate for change from the voters. Some say that the individual who is elected President will have a mandate to make the changes but it is not about who is elected it is about the voice of the voter. We as voters have been sending a strong message throughout the primaries about how we feel regarding the current culture in our federal government. We must send a strong message with our votes this November and let our politicians know that we will not stand for the status quo any longer. If they do not get the message they will be out of a job the next time they are up for election.
It has been said that the message of the voters this election year is a movement and it is one not to be ignored. Movements have been a part of our country and they have been a means to achieve change sometimes they result in changing our Constitution. The movement this year is about changing the way our federal government operates and the decisions they have been making which impacts our lives. The decisions being made by Congress and some executive departments hurt us as individuals and they are hurting businesses which impact the jobs available.
Regulations are killing our country by adding cost to run a business. These costs are passed on to us as individuals in many if not all cases. Government was meant to be a support function to the states as intended by our founding fathers but it has become a dictating function making decisions for us that we should be making ourselves. Government has specific responsibilities given to it under the Constitution and it is time that the responsibilities be limited to just those responsibilities. It is true that some events have surfaced which were not anticipated at the beginning of our country and it is right for the federal government to take on these responsibilities but they should be the exception not the rule as is currently the situation. Let us elect individuals who will honor the Constitution by letting states make the decisions regarding issues which are not identified as a federal government responsibility.
One last thing to point out is that we should not be influenced by the media to vote or not to vote depending upon the candidates we choose in this election. Polls can be manipulated based not only the wording of the questions being asked but who is being asked the questions. In addition the negativity of the campaign for President I believe influences whether voters will really reveal their choice for President or any other office and the individuals running for them. We must make our decisions based on the facts as we know them not on what the media reports. Media coverage has not been fair, truthful or balanced in their coverage. Let us not let the media influence our decisions in choosing the candidates who best has the plans for the future of our country.
