Virtual Confetti

You’re in luck!  This guide will tell you who and what to vote for, no matter where you live or what initiatives are on the ballot!

I predict the 2010 Fall election to be… a yawner.  Yes, I’m a patriot, and yes, I believe in democracy and voting.  But seriously, campaigns are spending and popularity contests, not demonstrations of public representation.  (This is nothing new.)  The worst of it are the sheep who only watch television ads, monitor single news sources, and believe mail brochure propaganda.  Obviously, these mediums are paid for by special interests, and money is democracy’s worst enemy.

The worst part of the voting process is the lack of political education.  This is especially worrisome with today’s youth — who are tomorrow’s political future — and tend to believe what they hear because it’s easier than learning and understanding real information.  As an American, it is essential to put effort into understanding what and who you’re voting for, otherwise you might as well hand over all your belongings and liberties, because they obviously aren’t worth protecting.

Information is a dangerous thing.  I can tell you a complete lie, and depending on my credentials, you may just believe me.  Maybe I’m a celebrity you find entertaining, maybe I have a list of causes you believe in, or maybe I simply say things that make you feel appreciated and important to humanity.  But they can be lies, specifically crafted to appeal to your emotions and self worth!  Always check facts, always obtain information from multiple and competing media organizations, and always do your homework.

So who or what do you believe? Here’s Jefferson’s recommendations and “Quick Start Guide” on how to vote, without actually telling you how to vote:

1. Shred all ads that arrive by mail.  They’re obviously sent to you by candidates or organizations with agendas.  Even when they seem to have a good case for smearing the other guy, that other guy will have some response that makes the accusation seem questionable.
2. Likewise, ignore all TV and radio ads.
3. Read, watch, or otherwise consume news from multiple media sources.  Yes, news is usually biased, so monitor several sources and understand the biases of each reporting agency and how it affects their programming.
4. Assess the list of the causes, organizations, politicians, or individuals that you believe represent your ideals and philosophies.  Then, go to their websites or otherwise obtain information from them about who and what they support.  This will tell you which politicians support those causes, and which ballot initiatives are most friendly to them.
5. After reviewing the candidate or ballot initiatives for the causes you support, compare them, and determine one by one which ones “win” over the others.  Sometimes this is hard, because you may believe strongly in two causes with opposing views.  Do your best, and compromise where needed.
6. Vote according to your conscience.

So the bottom line is… be educated, be American, and vote!