Monday, November 03, 2008

Vote!

Blog the Vote is the brainchild of Colleen at Chasing Ray first mentioned Blog the Vote, Gregory K at Gotta Book, and Lee at I'm Here, I'm Queer, What the Hell Do I Read.

Looking to see who else is Blogging the Vote? Go to Chasing Ray. Edited to add this second Chasing Ray link.

When I first read about it, I knew I had to be a part of it. So here goes.

VOTE.

Please, please, please vote tomorrow.

Voting is our opportunity to be heard; to make a difference. Maybe your candidate will win; maybe your candidate will lose. Your vote can make the difference; but even if your candidate loses, your vote counts. Because the winner also needs to know just how many people didn't agree with him or her.

Your vote is your own. No one -- parent, child, spouse, famous person - can tell you how to vote or stop you from voting. No, I mean it. I recently read a "humor" piece at an online site where the husband and wife intend to vote for different candidates. As the child of a mixed marriage myself (stepfather Republican, mother Democrat) I can attest that yes, these marriages happen and last. Anyway, the "humor" was directed at all the ways the husband would help the wife to not vote (not set the alarm clock, schedule a spa day, etc.). Needless to say, I didn't find it amusing.

But think about it -- a vote, a single vote, is so powerful that someone would want to stop you from voting? Someone doesn't want you to vote? Someone is that afraid of one person voting?

Wow. That is telling you just how powerful your one vote is. And why you should take the time to vote.

For some people, this is going to be an easy vote. They are in love with with one candidate or another, one party or another. Yet for others of us, it is not an easy vote. No candidate represents all we want; and, even worse, one candidate may be a mix of what we want -- and don't want. Which is the deciding issue or factor? I know, some people don't "get it" -- that this is a hard decision. I get it. I've had people look at me as if I've lost IQ posts for saying I'm undecided.

Now is the time for you, and me, to make that final decision. DO IT. DECIDE. VOTE.

Pick that issue that is the most important to you. Voting isn't just for those who are true believers; voting is also for those of us who have not found the perfect candidate. Because it is time ... the researching of positions, the reading interviews over and over, the hashing out issues part of the election is now over.

It's time.

Decide.

Vote.

2 comments:

MotherReader said...

I admit that sometimes I've scratched my head at undecided voters too, and then I read a great quote from someone who generally agreed with the fiscal policies of the Republications and the social issues of the Democrats and found himself totally torn in this election.

I get it now, and at the same time know that the time has come for everyone to make the tough choices and vote.

(P.S. If you're still undecided, I've linked to a great Washington Post article that breaks down the issues and the candidate's positions.)

Anonymous said...

At last! Someone who understands how I feel about voting in the general election. . .I always dread it because nobody represents what I want. Thank you for convincing me not to drive by the polls tomorrow.