I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy elections. It must be the competition, the uncertain outcome, and the daily buildup to election day.
Some folks refer to it as a horse race and maybe they’re right.
But, the reason for all the hype and advertising is simply this, we are choosing who we want to govern for us. To represent us. To make hard decisions for us. To look out for our best interests.
It’s actually pretty important stuff.
There’s really only one way, one real way, to make sure the right people people are being put in the right offices for the right reasons and it’s simply this:
Vote.
That’s it.
Just vote.
Now, I’ve heard lots of people say, “Oh all the politicians are all the same and my one little vote won’t really matter.” Or, “I don’t really understand any of the issues they’re arguing about.”
I really get how you could be led to any of these attitudes. But, your attitude is your choice and you can change your attitude if you want to.
If you do just a little digging, you can find out what your candidates believe and stand for.
Ask trusted friends and family.
See who your favorite newspapers endorse or look up non-biased articles on the internet and you’ll soon see the real differences between your choices.
And don’t pay too much attention to any of those ads you see on TV, hear on the radio, or read in the papers from any candidate. Those are paid for by people with deep pockets who are betting that you won’t take a little time to find out for yourself who you want and just take what they say as fact. The consequence of that barrage of ads is that you may get confused and turned off to the whole process.
And the big secret is that most candidates hope you don’t vote. They know their ideas about governing would never get them elected if everyone voted, so they try really hard to confuse you enough to give up.
Some famous person once said, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”
There have been a lot of elections decided by just a few votes, sometimes just one vote. So your vote is vitally important.
If we all do this, we’ll soon get better candidates and better government.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they’ll just have to sit on their blisters.”
— Brian Thornburg
Related Stories
‹
![]()
Report: Trump Campaign’s Russia Contacts ‘Grave’ ThreatThe Trump campaign’s interactions with Russian intelligence services during the 2016 presidential election posed a “grave” counterintelligence threat, a Senate panel concluded Tuesday as it detailed how associates of the Republican candidate had regular contact with Russians and expected to benefit from the Kremlin’s help. The report, the fifth and final one from the Republican-led […]
![]()
Judge Seeks More Details on Trump’s Clemency for Roger StoneA federal judge on Monday demanded more information about President Donald Trump’s decision to commute the prison sentence of longtime ally Roger Stone. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered that the parties provide her by Tuesday with a copy of the executive order that commuted Stone’s sentence. She also asked for clarity about the […]
![]()
2016 Repeat? Trump Revives Clinton Playbook to Battle BidenAccusations of a “deep state” conspiracy. Allegations of personal and family corruption. Painting an opponent as a Washington insider not to be trusted. It’s 2016 again. Or at least that’s President Donald Trump’s hope. Trump and his allies are dusting off the playbook that helped defeat Hillary Clinton, reviving it in recent days as they […]
![]()
Justice Department Dropping Flynn’s Trump-Russia CaseIn an abrupt about-face, the Justice Department said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for the president and his supporters in attacking the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation. The action Thursday was a stunning reversal for one of the signature […]
![]()
Federal Watchdog: FBI was Justified in Probing Trump-Russia TiesThe FBI was justified in opening its investigation into ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia and did not act with political bias, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog declared, undercutting President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he has been the target of a “witch hunt.” The long-awaited report, issued Monday, rejected theories and criticism spread by Trump and […]
![]()
Judge: Libel Case Over Double-Voting Accusations to ContinueFour North Carolina voters can pursue their libel lawsuit against allies of former Gov. Pat McCrory and a Virginia law firm that tried to help the Republican politician’s unsuccessful effort to disqualify votes and win re-election in 2016, attorneys learned Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour notified attorneys he’s decided to allow the four plaintiffs […]
![]()
PPP: Americans Opposed On Healthcare And HB2, Split On ImpeachmentWhen it comes to healthcare, Americans are surprisingly united against the GOP. (On Neil Gorsuch, we're unsurprisingly apathetic.)
![]()
McCrory Concedes North Carolina Gubernatorial Race to Roy CooperRepublican incumbent Governor Pat McCrory officially conceded the gubernatorial race to Democratic Attorney General, now Governor-elect Roy Cooper in a video message on Monday – nearly four weeks after Election Day. The message was released as Durham County was finishing up a recount of more than 90,000 votes that had been contested. The votes came […]
![]()
North Carolina Elections Board Orders Durham RecountNorth Carolina’s elections board has ordered Durham County to recount tens of thousands of ballots cast during early voting, reversing the decision of the county board a couple of weeks ago. The state board’s 3-2 decision Wednesday evening after close to three hours of arguments could delay further final results in the governor’s race. Republican […]
![]()
NC Governor Race: Cooper's Lead Growing, Durham County Appeal to State Board Set for WednesdayThree weeks after Election Day, the race for Governor in North Carolina appears to solidifying for Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper. With more counties beginning to certify results, Cooper’s lead has only grown from early Wednesday morning following Election Day, when Cooper first declared victory. The outcome of the election has been in limbo as […]
›