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PITTSBURG —
A Republican, a Democrat and Ron Paul walk into a bar. Which one do you want to have a beer with? Which one is the most like you? Is that how we should decide to vote? I think not. Here are a few suggestions about what to look for:
Intelligence
I would like my President, Governor, Senators and Representatives to be intelligent - the smarter the better. But some smart people are very closed-minded, so I also want my leaders to be (a) open-minded and (b) critcal thinkers. I want them to (c) listen well to other smart people and collaborate, but to also be (d) capable of independent decisions. Now, when they get to Topeka or D.C., I want them to act as though they are in school. While I hope they are already well-educated, when they are governing us, (e) learning is their job. They will have the perfect opportunity to study issues in depth in order to make well informed decisions. They will serve on committees which exist to investigate issues and report back to the larger body. Experts are called to present facts and figures to the committee. After hearing all sides and discussing the issues, the committee makes recommendations to the House or Senate, helping the larger body to cast informed votes to enact what we hope are good laws.
Empathy
Ideally, my representatives will have had a lot of different life experiences, so they are capable of understanding different kinds of people. Do they know what it’s like to be poor and struggling? The idea that we all have an equal chance to succeed in life, or that if you don’t succeed you are bad or lazy, is just simply ignorant and people who think this should educate themselves. If one is born into poverty, is a minority, has a disability, or is abused and neglected as a child, they do not have the same opportunity as those born without these deficits. Our leaders must have some exposure or at least some real, gut-level understanding of this. A willingness to find wise creative ways to help the weakest members of society is important to our society as a whole. Finally, we come to...
Courage and integrity
It takes a lot of courage and integrity to withstand corruption by the system. Once they get to Topeka or D.C., there will be peer pressure, pressure from lobbyists, and a lot of temptations to resist. True character will be tested. Will they raise their own salary when their people have none? Will they give tax cuts and subsidies to rich individuals and corporations, like big oil, who don’t need them? Will they help those who truly do need help? Will they vote for the good of the country and the people they represent or only vote the party line? (Here’s a clue - Kansas came in number 1 this year of all 50 states for our current Senators and Representatives voting the straight Republican party line!)
Sometimes it’s hard to tell where a candidate stands. They lie, they spin, they flip-flop. We must see how they vote, not just what they say. A good site to check out voting records is Project Vote Smart. We must be vigilant and be involved. We must tell them when we like how they vote and when we don’t. We must vote. May the best people win in November — and then go have a beer with Ron Paul or whomever you like.
A Republican, a Democrat and Ron Paul walk into a bar. Which one do you want to have a beer with? Which one is the most like you? Is that how we should decide to vote? I think not. Here are a few suggestions about what to look for:
Intelligence
I would like my President, Governor, Senators and Representatives to be intelligent - the smarter the better. But some smart people are very closed-minded, so I also want my leaders to be (a) open-minded and (b) critcal thinkers. I want them to (c) listen well to other smart people and collaborate, but to also be (d) capable of independent decisions. Now, when they get to Topeka or D.C., I want them to act as though they are in school. While I hope they are already well-educated, when they are governing us, (e) learning is their job. They will have the perfect opportunity to study issues in depth in order to make well informed decisions. They will serve on committees which exist to investigate issues and report back to the larger body. Experts are called to present facts and figures to the committee. After hearing all sides and discussing the issues, the committee makes recommendations to the House or Senate, helping the larger body to cast informed votes to enact what we hope are good laws.
Empathy
Ideally, my representatives will have had a lot of different life experiences, so they are capable of understanding different kinds of people. Do they know what it’s like to be poor and struggling? The idea that we all have an equal chance to succeed in life, or that if you don’t succeed you are bad or lazy, is just simply ignorant and people who think this should educate themselves. If one is born into poverty, is a minority, has a disability, or is abused and neglected as a child, they do not have the same opportunity as those born without these deficits. Our leaders must have some exposure or at least some real, gut-level understanding of this. A willingness to find wise creative ways to help the weakest members of society is important to our society as a whole. Finally, we come to...
Courage and integrity
It takes a lot of courage and integrity to withstand corruption by the system. Once they get to Topeka or D.C., there will be peer pressure, pressure from lobbyists, and a lot of temptations to resist. True character will be tested. Will they raise their own salary when their people have none? Will they give tax cuts and subsidies to rich individuals and corporations, like big oil, who don’t need them? Will they help those who truly do need help? Will they vote for the good of the country and the people they represent or only vote the party line? (Here’s a clue - Kansas came in number 1 this year of all 50 states for our current Senators and Representatives voting the straight Republican party line!)
Sometimes it’s hard to tell where a candidate stands. They lie, they spin, they flip-flop. We must see how they vote, not just what they say. A good site to check out voting records is Project Vote Smart. We must be vigilant and be involved. We must tell them when we like how they vote and when we don’t. We must vote. May the best people win in November — and then go have a beer with Ron Paul or whomever you like.
