Choosing candidates in the primaries
This is year we will be voting in the 2014 mid-term election and before we get to the general election in November we must vote in the primaries when they are scheduled in our respective states. There may be several candidates for a number of offices and as such the votes we cast will impact the political makeup of the government entity to which the candidate we choose may be elected. Our votes and the process we utilize should not be taken lightly as our decision can or will impact the philosophy of the government entity involved associated with each candidate asking for our vote.
Voting is a privilege or right we have in this country and as such we should not squander this opportunity each time it presents itself. The importance of each election may vary dependent upon the candidates or issues for which we must make a choice. The importance of the mid-term election and the process of choosing candidates for the general election in November must be understood by all those who make the decision to vote.
During mid-term elections the percentage of voters casting their votes varies it is never a 100% participation by all registered voters which raises many questions as to why this occurs. The choices we make as to whether to vote or not are our own but given the economic nature of our economy and the rate of unemployment it is important that all voters exercise this privilege.
Up to and including the day our respective primaries are held we will see many political ads for the many candidates running for office. We will also see many individuals come out in support of some of the candidates. This is the process as it has been for years but we should not base our candidate choice on sometimes well-known individuals who come out to support specific candidates.
We as voters need to be well informed about the candidates, their position on the issues, their ideas to address the issues and the principles by which they live. This is in addition to the fact that a candidate must be truthful in responding to questions about their positions and should not change their stance dependent upon the group to which they are giving a speech. Candidates who appear to change their philosophy or approach to issues from one group of supporters to another should raise questions as to how truthful a candidate is being. Candidates who state positions on issues because they are popular may be doing so to get elected and make a complete shift in their position. Positions on issues should not change.
Candidates who are asking us to reelect them to their respective office have a record of their actions on issues which they have faced during their tenure and should be able to support and explain their position to the voters. Individuals who can identify their positions and why may be a viable candidate for reelection to their respective position whether or not we agree with the position does not make a difference. The last sentence may not make sense to some individuals but I have come to learn we will not agree with every position or decision an elected official makes. If a candidate or an incumbent can support their position or decisions on the issues they may well be worth considering voting for them.
Individuals who are running for office to unseat an incumbent of which there are many between the House of Representatives and the Senate along with those in our respective states have a difficult task. Unseating an incumbent in the political process is difficult to say the least given the fact that many incumbents are reelected to their respective offices. Candidates hoping to remove incumbents must make the case why they are the better choice than the present office holder. The record of an incumbent are up for scrutiny in terms of their actions and decisions but the record of those hoping to replace them are also up for scrutiny. Some of our choices may be clear given the comparison between individuals running for the same office but other times the choice is much more difficult.
Choosing candidates in primaries to face a candidate or candidate (s) of other parties in the general election is an important decision to make as we as voters and citizens want the best individual to represent our interest. While we are limited to choose a candidate of one political party we must make a valiant effort to properly evaluate the approaches each candidate has toward the issues with which we care. This should also include critical issues facing our state and our country to determine if their analysis of the situation at hand projects the proper effort to address each issue.
