Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLXXXXII

How in the world are we supposed to make these kinds of decisions? Choosing our leaders is among our most important responsibilities, and should not be done on a whim. To some extent, it will always be a guessing game, but if we do our homework and properly educate ourselves, it will take most of the guesswork out of the equation. The candidates who are running for office will, without a doubt, try to play on your emotions, but the word "emotion" should never be a part of this decision making process. An older gentleman gave me some advice many years ago when I was in the process of choosing between two different paths that had life-changing implications, and I've stored it in my memory and used it time and time again when I was faced with life's most important choices: "Look as far down the road into the future as you can see, and ask yourself this question: 'How will the decision I make today affect me when I get down there?'"

Do you keep up with what's going on in our country and around the world? If not, how do expect to know how to choose your next leaders? What are the primary issues of the day? Do you keep up with the news enough to have an opinion on current events? Ladies and gentlemen, it's time that we all get ourselves up to date on the issues facing our nation, because if we don't, we could end up making decisions that would adversely affect generations to come. Who is Harry Reid? Who is Tim Geithner? What about John Boehner? Have you ever heard of Rick Perry? Can you name the Secretary of State? Can decisions made by the Attorney General affect you? What significance do the words "Fast and Furious" have to us a nation? Should we close Gitmo? Why? Do you even know what I'm talking about? Do you have any idea which news media outlets can and cannot be trusted to give you unbiased, fact-based reporting? Can you distinguish between a politician or pundit who is stating honest facts and the ones who are simply giving you their party's talking points or political spin?

Every question I just asked, I know how to answer; but then, like I've told you before, I'm a news junkie. I know who all those people are and what they stand for, and I have an opinion on "Gitmo" and "Fast and Furious." I admit that the fact that I'm in my car many hours each week, listening to the news on satellite radio, gives me an advantage on keeping up with current events, but even with the knowledge I've acquired, I will still have to do some digging to make sure I'm voting for the candidates who best fit my philosophy. That leads me to ask how can a person have any idea how to vote when they don't keep up with what's going on in our world. Those are the people who vote based on emotion and how good looking the candidates are, and believe me, the candidates know how many of those people are out there, and they'll be playing up for their votes, saying what needs to be said for that particular audience. I find that scary.

Next year is an election year, so if you hurry, you still have time to educate yourself enough to make a proper decision...but you must act quickly. There's a lot to be learned in a short amount of time, but it can be done. One thing I've learned is that just because a person has the same basic opinions as I do, it doesn't mean that he or she would be a good leader. What qualities should we look for in choosing a leader, besides sharing our philosophy? I have a little checklist that I like to use:
Do they have the courage to express their honest views, even to a hostile audience?
What does this person's background say about what type of leader he or she will be?
When this person expresses their faith, is it for real, or for political purposes?
Does this person's record coincide with the views they express during the campaign?
How will my children and grandchildren be affected if this person is elected?
Can this person admit when he or she is wrong?

And there's little statement that should go at the bottom of the page: Never follow leaders who have not shown that they can follow their own leaders.

Preston