Full disclosure, this November will be the first election that I will be participating in. I understand that voting is practicing your civil right to vote and have a say in what happens in your country. I get that, and I'm very grateful that I am blessed to have that right. I have the greatest respect for the individuals who fought for that right, and those that continue to protect that right, and the many others afforded to me.
But, what am I voting for? I would describe myself as leaning towards a more liberal vote. However, I also have conservative ideals. I'm a complicated constituent. This election is so dramatically one side or the other. There does not appear to be much middle ground. And if politics didn't already give you trust issues, say hello to the campaign of 2016.
I can't find it in my right mind to vote for either candidate. I realize that no one candidate will fit the ideal mold of what you want. This is expected, I get that. However, neither really comes close to resembling a mold of what I think should be acceptable in a political candidate. Is this my problem, is it a systematic issue? I don't know.
I do know that I can vote for a third party, write-in, etc. I also know that besides putting my moral conscious at ease, voting third party doesn't stimulate much change. Which in my mind, is the point of voting. The point is to have your opinion matter, voice it and have it be heard. I don't feel like voting for a third party effectively does that, it's almost received as a joke.
In a two party system, we aren't given a very supportive role when we don't agree with the options offered to us. So this is what I'm voting for: I'm voting for the candidate whose platform stands up to the majority of my political interests. I'm choosing to ignore my personal problems with their personal actions. I'm choosing to vote based on their professional values and actions.
Although it's difficult, I'm reminding myself that a president's role in government is professional. While their personal lives are under the microscope, I've decided that I don't care. I wouldn't choose which lawyer to go to for legal advice based on their personal lives. I'm choosing to act the same with this election. I will put together a pro-con list. I will quantify what my needs are in a presidential candidate, when it comes to policy and practice. I will vote to respect the rights I'm afforded That's what I'm voting for.
