Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Single Issue Voter

I have been pretty persistent in my opposition to both political parties in the last year, and I continue to be so. A lot of questions arise in my mind as I sit and try and decide how to vote. But first, an anecdote from my mother in law.

She received a call from some polling company the other day, and after consenting to answer some basic questions (age, sex) she was asked, "Who will you vote for this November, Barack Obama, John McCain, or undecided?"

She answered, "is there another option? I'm not voting for either, and I'm not undecided." The woman on the other end seemed confused by this answer, answered in the negative, and then continued on to the next question. When my mother in law asked what she had put for her answer above, she said nothing. She then asked, "Did you put undecided?" she heard a click and was disconnected.

The pollster had inserted an answer for her. Folks, these public opinion polls are useless when the answers are fixed in such a way. I'm not against polling, but when the evening news scrolls up with 45% Obama, 45% McCain, what kind of scientific study is that? It's garbage, and stinks of the Delphi Method on a mass scale. Nevermind the 5% who want to vote Green party, 5% for Libertarian party, 5% Constitution party and whatever else is out there (I'm not endorsing these people, merely pointing to their existence).

Personally, I'm interested in many things libertarian leaning, although I'm always a Catholic first, so I'm a single issue voter when it comes to abortion. The thing is, I'm not convinced that McCain will stop abortion...although I'm convinced Obama will push for more abortion. That said, I'm actually at a quandary since the picking of Sarah Palin, the pro-life magnet for hateful liberals everywhere, who could actually become Commander in Chief someday. She's brought to the front the fact that many of the liberals in leadership are hateful people, NOT the bleeding hearts they pretend to be. This is good for naive college students to see, and realize that there is more to the Left than their propaganda advertises.

I can't tell you how to vote, but here's what I'd do: I live in an "Obama state", one that will most likely go blue this time around. My vote will go to Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution party. Sadly, a Baptist is a more decent person than most Catholic politicians. If you live in a red state or a highly contested state, you may feel the need to vote for McCain. So be it. If you live in a blue state like California, VOTE THIRD PARTY! Your "wasted" votes for McCain only will perpetuate the destructive two party system that has ruined our values through massive education increases, wars, financial castastrophies, and socialism.

If you vote third party, Constitution Party is good and pro life. I'm not sure about Bob Barr, the Libertarian party, although I think he is pro life. Nader and McGinney are pro-aborts and I don't think anybody should vote for them. I do think they should get the chance to debate and be on the ballot, if we pretend to be an actual democracy here in the U.S.

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