A couple of questions. When you vote, do you vote for the person or the party? Do you vote straight party ticket when you can, or do you sometimes split your vote between candidates of different parties? I have been voting since I first turned 18 in 1972 and I have voted in every election since then. I do not recall a time when I ever voted for all the candidates in a single party. There were years where I would surprise even myself and vote for the candidate with a party that I often had the most differences with, however, I have always voted for the candidate who I thought was the best person for the job. I have not found a candidate yet who met all my ideals but did meet most of them. As a voter growing up in Iowa, I participated in the Iowa caucuses and I wish more states would go to this form of system instead of primaries.
My point for this post though is not to argue over which candidate is best or which party is best. I think the two major parties of today: Democrat and Republican have changed so much over the years that they don’t stand for the same principles they did only a few years ago. I in large part considered myself a Republican and generally supported more Republican candidates. My two largest principles are small government and fiscal responsibly in terms of spending. As I grew older, I eventually added a value that the government (at all levels) should be less involved in how we live our lives. I no longer see the Republican party really representing me. A few years ago, I heard about this other party who called themselves Libertarian . I went to their website, answered some survey questions, and I found that much of what I believe, so do Libertarians!
I have heard the arguments that the Libertarian party will never see its candidate elected to president. I have also heard the argument that by voting for the Libertarian party candidate, I am helping a person I may dislike the most, win the election. My response has always been, I would rather vote for the person I believe is the best candidate for the job, then hold my nose and close my eyes to vote for someone I think is wrong. I remain optimistic that in time, the Libertarian party will continue to build in popularity as the other two parties consistently go on their power hungry trips and select individuals who do not represent the majority of the citizens of our country. No, I generally do not agree 100% with the Libertarian party platform or their presidential nominee, but I do support their primary principles of less government intrusion, and fiscal responsibility.
I disagree with the pundits who say this is the most important election of our lifetime. They all are. Unless you have voted already, there is still time to check out your choices for the different positions, and select the person who best represents you, regardless of party.
