2008 Presidential Election
After taking a long break from writing this blog I’d like to come back with something controversial…not just for the sake of stirring things up, but to try to bring some sense back into our government, the elections that help it continue, and the people who are the governed.
This year’s Presidential election, by many accounts, leaves many voters wishing for a better option….not because either candidate is lacking in personal integrity or the ability to do the job, but because we no longer have faith in them to follow through with the never-ending stream of vague policies and promises they make. We, the American voters, are intelligent and informed enough to recognize that they are telling us only what their advisers tell them will help them win votes. Right now, nothing matters but the number of votes/states each statement can bring in.
To the candidates I place this challenge: Say what YOU really think. Stop listening to those who were hired by your party to get you elected. Try to remember what you, personally, bring to this race….and possibly, to the White House. Each of you has strengths. Barrack Obama, your strength may just be that you are a relative newcomer. If you are elected, please don’t join the Democratic party machine that will roll over you if you falter. Don’t trust them…. And don’t be afraid to be who you are. You are here for a purpose. John McCain, your strength is in your character and your grit. Be who you are. Don’t be afraid to say things that you believe are right. Have you stopped to consider that you are where you are because of the courage you have displayed and that maverick spirit you have been fighting to control lately? If you are elected, please don’t join the Republican party machine that will roll on no matter what you do. Don’t trust them…they’ve been in power too long to let one man stand in their way.
To both candidates, I challenge you to stop speaking in rhetoric and start speaking plainly. Try answering a question with a simple, “Yes,” or “No.” Try it. It’s how the rest of the country speaks.
To the voters, I place this challenge: Stop listening to the television news coverage. They will say anything to get you to keep watching. You have enough information to make up your mind about each candidate right now. Vote according to how you’d like this country to end up. No…I’m not going to tell you which way to vote. You really are smart enough to think for yourselves. I may not have much faith in either party right now, but I do have a little faith remaining in the American people.
As a country, let’s stop looking for the government to hold our hands when we are frightened, bail us out when we screw up, and to pat us on the head and reassure us what a great nation we are. Why not try BEING a great nation for a while? Let’s stand up for ourselves, support ourselves, and stop asking to be taken care of. America, let’s all come of age together this election and stand on our own two feet, vote our own principles, and BE Americans.
© [Janet Sikes Anderson] and [Kitchen Sink Thoughts], [2009]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Janet Sikes Anderson] and [Kitchen Sink Thoughts] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
