CURRENT AFFAIRS: Elections

I realize that by this post alone I may lose readers, but it would only prove my point: Nothing should be decided on emotion alone without a good measure of consideration of facts.

The only thing I have clearly decided in this election is that I will not vote (yes, that’s what I said) unless I have pretty well acknowledged strong leanings in one direction and can make an informed decision based on the information available. This “Anyone But Bush” nonsense is a typical example of voting that makes me wish they’d just stay home that day. The “from the frying pan into the fire” idiom obviously is something that should be considered because it is a real possibility here. Of course, many who make the statement are really selling themselves short because they’ve put considerable thought into all the areas of importance and have made a logically based decision, but “Anyone but Bush” is undeniably a catchy phrase. But there are many more who picked up on it, and never really went any further. I truly believe that an uninformed, purely emotional vote is far worse than no vote at all. No matter what you can find about someone that makes you dislike him as a candidate (i.e., Kerry’s tangled web of war record) you really have to dig deeper to consider if it has any effect on the issue at hand—whether he would or would not make a good president. Party loyalty be damned as well; it’s pretty obvious that party platforms and makeup have changed to become almost unrecognizable.

Next week I must go vote in a local election wherein we either vote to town-maintain an airport or pass on the deal and have it become another housing development. Airplanes, eminent domain, fat cats, tax issues versus more schools, tax issues, ground traffic; they are all relevant questions, and I’ve gone so far as to divide the acreage up into estimated lots, considered the home values, and stretched the tax income to the town out over the years to determine if the deal to maintain an airport is really as sweet as they present. In the meantime, others are going on emotion only—fighting the fact of eminent domain and noise as their only consideration.

In actuality, the town is presenting two issues for voting. The second issue is whether the town should pay $650 for a feasibility and outlook study. This, in my mind, is a big “YES!” and the major point of this post. (Forget the fact that I wouldn’t even consider voting on issue”#1 without it.)

Every aspect must be taken into consideration. Some pros and cons will be more important to some individuals than to others. But ALL factors should be considered.. I believe that the debates will set my mind on my choice for president, together with all the information and stance on issues I’ve digested up until now. But if I find myself unsatisfied with being at least fairly comfortable with a decision, I will not cast a vote.