The Lesser of Two Evils & Voting

I refuse to choose the lesser of two evils any longer.

It sounds like a grand statement, but technically I’m only expanding my selection to the lesser of three or four evils. The evils I speak of are our political candidates.

Though our republic is in dire straits this year, I will not bend to the practice voting Republican simply to remove the supermajority of Democrats in our Congress. Granted, I live in a traditionally “red” state, so Republicans are likely to be elected anyway. I testify, however, that my choices will not contribute to the lumbering machine we call our government. No matter what candidates are chosen by my fellow voters, I will be able to proudly proclaim I voted strictly on issues this year.

I don’t care which candidate had an affair or which smoked weed in college (or yesterday even). I only care that our political machine gets downsized and my freedom is preserved. I will vote to keep liberals out of my pocket and conservatives out of my bedroom.

I realize not everyone wants to take the time to research candidates, especially for tiny little offices that have little effect on our day-to-day lives. But if you haven’t even read your intended candidate’s web site, please don’t vote. You really have no idea what you’re doing. Even if I disagree with your vote, I encourage you to use your single power of governing our nation to make your stand as long as you know exactly what you are doing.

For instance, I completely disagree with socialists on every issue that comes to mind. But if you are a socialist who has truly researched your own viewpoint, go ahead and pull that lever, touch that screen or punch that card. I’m good with that.

My criteria for voting have nothing to do with red or blue. I only have to read each politician’s web site. On most, it is as easy as clicking the word “Issues.” I look at them all, even if I initially know I won’t agree. There are still insights to be gleaned from knowing your enemy.

After a basic issues inventory, I look for more subtle markers. Are there Bible quotes? Conservatives especially love to quote the Bible. Perhaps it’s reassuring for the family values crowd. But I prefer my church and state like I prefer my bathroom and my kitchen: separate. Not that I’d never vote for a religious candidate, but it goes in the cons list.

Another important detail I look for is statements about schemes to form committees for planning or researching. It’s all the rage right now to say you are for less government. Republicans often make this claim. Always look deeper. They still want to create new departments and structures yet they never disband the old ones, many of which are about as useful as your smallest toenail.

A third sign is encouragement of a small 1% sales tax or the words “value added”. These are usually ear-marked for school improvements or roads. You are made to feel like the devil if you don’t want to help the children. Be strong. Never ever vote yourself more taxes. It’s a lot easier to vote them in then vote them out. Spend the tax revenues that are already present more wisely. How about that?

One last thing to watch for is how each candidate tackles the current medical care issues. Democrats have seemingly inched away from declaring their support for Obamacare, leaving their true thoughts in doubt. This kind of waffling is a turn-off for sure. They don’t want to tell us what their approach will be if elected. If someone is afraid to share their true opinion, maybe it is a sign that person should re-examine his approach.

At any rate, after careful deliberation, I am mostly voting for Libertarians this year. There are a few exceptions, but I have to choose the opinions closest to my own. Some may feel I am ultimately wasting my vote. At least I am not guilty of putting evil into political office. I will not feed the machine. If every American remained true to his own personal principles when voting, the power would truly rest in the peoples’ hands and not with two political parties with consistent records of betrayal. It’s time to take the power back.