As a middle-aged woman with a lifelong conservative Republican background, I find myself watching the ramp-up to this year's nomination with a remarkable lack of enthusiasm. Really? That's all we've got? Meh.
Once again, the Republican party's numerous factions have offered up their version of an electable candidate, yet none of these people adequately or effectively align with my own fiscally conservative, socially moderate beliefs.
And although I have watched several speeches, debates and interviews, none of them strike me as particularly sincere. For heaven's sake, people, just be yourself instead of what your handlers tell you to be! And stop trashing each other. I don't care what people say, there is no value in negative campaigning other than humor and seeing how low you can go. Which appears to be pretty darn low.
In 2008, many of the votes cast for our now-incumbent president were more driven by voting AGAINST the Republican candidate versus voting FOR Mr. Obama himself. Is history about to repeat itself? Yes, we lined up behind McCain and Palin in '08, but more out of party affiliation as opposed to shared principles and passions.
I want a candidate to excite me, dang it! Somebody I can be proud of and display their yard sign and bumper stickers this summer and fall. Herman Cain was my candidate for a while, until he got all squirmy about honestly owning his past. Now I find myself faced with four (and more likely two) candidates that leave me lukewarm and apathetic. I need a hero, a leader, a true commander-in-chief that makes me want to belt out "I'm Proud to be an American" every time I see or hear them.
Don't get me wrong - I will vote in both the primary and the general election, as I haven't missed an election since my 18th birthday. It has always been my belief that, if you don't bother to vote, then you don't have the right to complain about whoever is elected. And since I dearly love to complain, I want to protect that right. :-)
But I'm sure I'm not alone in my unenthusiasm, and sadly I believe there are probably lots of folks who will just stay home out of disenchantment. Our democratic process has deteriorated to the point that ballots cast these days are more in the "voting against" category as opposed to "voting for". Pretty sure that's not what Jefferson and his contemporaries had in mind.
Who will I end up supporting? I probably won't decide until the night before Super Tuesday - and I will likely cast my 2012 general election vote as a vote AGAINST instead of a vote FOR somebody sincere that I can believe in and who truly represents my political ideology. But, as Yoda would say, vote I will.
2 comments:
Maybe somewhere there is a worthy Republican candidate, waiting in the wings. Maybe not this go round but the next...our fiscally savvy WI Paul Ryan perhaps???
I totally agree. As the election in 2008 left me underwhelmed with the choices, (when I came out from voting I literally thought I was going to throw up because I didn't feel either were qualified to lead the country) I feel the same way again this year---Underwhelmed and totally baffled at what comes out of the mouths of the candidates, the supporters, the opponents, the general public---The comments that come from both sides---demos and repubs alike....It is like a high school campaign to get longer recess and a ban on homework. Post-It notes on the gas pumps? Really? Ugh. We are, unfortunately going to be "Damned if we do and damned if we do" no matter who gets elected.
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