What I look for before I vote
Written by Michael Vass
As 2010 mid-term elections drawn near, or at least the election cycle, I thought about what it is I value in an elected representative. And I came up with the following.
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1. They realize they are an elected official, thus they work for voters and not the other way around. (Someone might remind Nancy Pelosi of this)
2. They are intelligent – which is not the same as having a college degree.
3. They have achieved something in life, outside of politics
4. They are over the age of 40. Yes people can be wiser than their age, but as a rule they aren’t.
5. I prefer that they have served in the military.
6. They are relatively honest. All politicians lie, I just like it if the percentage of lies is less than 40% of what they say (IE President Obama would not pass this test)
7. I would love it if they were dirt poor, or a billionaire. Sadly neither really gets into politics, so I would settle for someone with an income that is substantial but not dependant on political winds (IE Nancy Pelosi’s stock investments in wind energy)
8. No political activists. Activists that seek office tend to be fanatics, and ALL fanatics are wrong (ie Al Gore)
9. Super religious – see number 8
10. Willing to answer a question, with an answer that is appropriate and doesn’t take a roadmap and a year to receive. (ie VP Biden)
11. Owning a business is a plus. They understand what it takes to make a buck, and to pay people what they are worth.
12. Their immediate friends and family are not political activists.
13. Their friends are not CEO’s of a single sector of industry
14. They should be disliked by Hollywood and the Bible Belt equally
15. They are from the region that is electing them. (ie Who knows where Hillary Clinton is from – it seems to depend on what she was running for)
16. They have lived a decade or more in a major city – exceptions are for states like Montana, North Dakota and such. Also excepted are local elections.
17. Must be able to read – illiteracy explains the Obama Stimulus approval
18. Must be able to do math – bad math skills explains Barney Frank and the mortgage crisis
Were all these things to be found in an elected official, I’d vote for them. No matter the political party they might be with. Well depending on their platform, but it would have to be pretty screwed up to not get my vote.
Since this is a dream candidate, it would be nice if they were my friend and a person of color. But back in the real world I settle for ¾ or even a simple majority of these items. Even that is hard to find.
People in elected office that would not fit this list: Almost all of them. In fact I’m hard pressed to think of a political figure that does not violate more than 50% of the list. In either political party.
Which begs the question, Why are they in office?
Maybe voters should ask themselves this question as the election cycle starts up and the political ads of greatness flood the airwaves.
