I really enjoyed today’s lunch and learn on the subject of politics. We heard from party chairpersons Vic Moser (Reno County Democrats) and Mary Kauffman (Reno County Republicans). Mike Zamrzla also had a little bit of time to talk about his experience attending the Republican Convention earlier this month. I wish we would have had more time to hear from him – he brought a unique perspective and a bit of a history lesson as well!

In all my excitement, I totally forgot about Lisa’s important announcement. She had brought information about advance voting, as well as forms for registering to vote. You can find those forms here. You can also link to the party platforms adopted at each convention this year by clicking on Republican or Democrat.

All that being said, I felt like we left the lunch and learn with two themes that might be worth further discussion (and for those of you not there, please weigh in too). Jade commented on the negativity that has infiltrated so many campaigns and even legislative efforts (as we saw last year with the coal plant expansion legislation).  Is the negativity disenfranchising voters? Are you less compelled to get involved in political office – either as a voter or potential candidate because it tends to be a negative process? You don’t trust politicians? You simply don’t care what happens? You don’t believe you could make a difference? Or some other reason not mentioned?

The other issue that I would have loved for us to discuss in greater detail was the point raised about the growing number of independent voters in our two-party system. Presently, Reno County voters registered as “unaffiliated” equal one-fourth of voters. Is it important that voters choose a party? Why are you registering as an independent? What does your ideal “party” look like? Or do you prefer not being associated with a party? 

Weigh in YP members … after all, the free exchange of ideas is one of the tenets on which our country was founded.

Comments 

I personally don't understand how a person can consider themselves undecided. It seems to me there are some really stark differences between the two major candidates. Yet some people go into every election undecided? My question is, if you voted 4 years ago, and the one before that, and the one before that, do you not see a trend to your voting habits? Have you not been following current events enough to already have some kind of idea where you would like the government to take us? I admit, I was born and raised a Democrat. I tend to dress myself to the left. I also realize that in reality most people are neither 100% left nor 100% right. But, a centrist???? A true centrist??? It is hard to belive that there is a center at all when most of the issues that make headlines are yes/no issues? Perhaps you're dispassionate about elections. While that is certainly understandable, thatdoes not appear to be "undecided", that's seems to be "uninterested". So, are the undecideds really undecided? I pose the theory that some have decided, but they just have not found that one thing that motivates them enough to say they have made their decision. Thank you goodnight.

I am undecided in the sense that I truly think both candidates are for change. I know let it rip, if you are right, you hate left, if you are left you hate right. I don't care one single bit about which party a candidate comes from and my contention is that it is way better to be undecided to than have decided completely on what party the person is for. I don't agree completely with either said and I have posted on the web before that I want the best person (in my mind) in office not the one that has the same tax philosophies as me. It is so much more important to me to get the best feel I can for the integrity of the person. Our blind loyalty toparties and hatred of the other side is what leads to the negativity in the campaigns. The whole idea of conventions who have a priority of degrading the opponent is childish. Don't get me wrong, I love our Country and it's systems, I just am kinda starting to think that some of the people involved have distorted it so far we need to back off and just pick the best candidate, not blindly back a party. So I am undecided because I haven't seen enough of the candidates being unbiasedly (is that a word) interviewed and I haven't seen a debate yet. So i know I am an idiot but those are my reasons for being undecided.

Although integrity should be a factor in choosing an elected official, it cannot be the sole determining factor, I think we would all agree. But since it seems to be the most important factor(to Cody). Lets look at it. By definition. 1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness synonyms see honesty To illustrate with some current events, when Barack Obama gave a speech that referenced Sarah Palin, lipstick, and pigs, what did McCain do? When he knew, as every sane person must, that Obama did not in any conceivable sense mean that Sarah Palin is a pig, what did he do? Did he come out and say so and end this charade? Or did he acquiesce? When he knew that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was a fiasco and catastrophe, and before Donald Rumsfeld quit, McCain endorsed George W. Bush against his fellow Vietnam vet, John Kerry in 2004. By that decision, McCain lost any credibility that he can ever put country first. He put party first and his own career first ahead of what he knew was best for the country. And when the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to condemn and end the use torture. McCain again had a clear choice between good and evil, and chose evil. He capitulated and enshrined torture as the policy of the United States, by allowing the CIA to use techniques as bad as and worse than the torture inflicted on him in Vietnam. These are just a few of the reasons, based on integrity, that it is easy for me to be decided. God save the Queen.

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