I’ve been putting a lot of thought into who I am going to vote for in the presidential election. Let me tell you, it’s hard being a self-proclaimed libertarian these days. And is that even possible? All I can gather is that Libertarian is just another idealistic concept right next to Socialism- the ideals are on the different ends of the spectrum, but they both boil down to the idea that people are going to either be completely self-reliant or completely dependent. I just don’t know if either of those concepts work in practice anymore…there has to be something in between.
So, trying to decide who to vote for has been difficult. I’m partial to voting for the two main contenders, but neither party platform really speaks to me. I am generally fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I have been keeping an open mind toward both candidates and watching all of the debates and pundit recaps. I am glad that I have done my homework. I’ve finally come to a decision that I feel happy with and I want to share it with you.
I’ve decided to cast my vote for Barack Obama. Colin Powell summed up my own thoughts very well on last week’s Meet the Press:
“Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that’s good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It’s not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that’s what we’d be looking at in a McCain administration. I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, “He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”
I need to vote for someone who I feel will make the right choice, because let’s face it, once faced with the real job and the full facts of whatever the matters may be, the decisions made as President will not (and should not) fall into line with the rhetoric we hear today on the campaign trail. It’s about, as Powell put it, “intellectual curiosity”, learning, growing, evolving…doing the right thing.
So, perhaps no longer a libertarian, but still independent. I hope that you all have put the same amount of time and thought into your choice. Now- get out there and vote!
- KK
