Weekly Opinion Editorial
VOTE SMART- VET
CANDIDATES!
by Steve
Fair
Let the sprint begin!
Most voters don’t really start paying attention to the November election
until after Labor Day. In the next 60
days, the intensity level will increase in politics- candidates and campaigns will
become more visible, and mailboxes will start to fill up with campaign
material. Just some suggestions when
vetting candidates:
First, all candidates tell you their
strengths, but not their weaknesses. You
will see words like experience, leadership, character, integrity, honesty, reliability,
and accessibility on campaign literature. The one attribute most candidates’
check at the door is humility. Being
honest, reliable, and having experience are important, but knowledge of the
duties of the position, the issues, and why they are running for office are far
more important than positive attributes.
Most voters are fed up with their government. A recent NY Times poll found that over 50% of
Americans are disappointed with their elected officials. In a self-governed system of government, we
only have ourselves to blame. Until
voters vet their candidates, the blame lies with the voters. Unfortunately, the most qualified person
frequently doesn’t win- it’s the candidate with the best marketing plan, but until
the general population gets engaged in their government- and stays engaged- we
can expect more of the same. Buy a
bigger mailbox.
Second, ask candidates tough questions and
hold them accountable. No matter what
some elected officials believe, the position they hold belongs to the public-
it is not theirs. They are public
servants- they work for the people. Any
candidate or elected official unwilling to answer a tough question or who lacks
the temperament to handle criticism is unfit for office. Candidates and elected officials shouldn’t
publically spar with constituents. They should
be respectful and be willing to justify their position on an issue. To do otherwise defines them as unfit. As Harry Truman said, “If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
Third,
a candidate’s worldview will guide their decision making process. A worldview comprises one's collection of
presuppositions, convictions and values from which a person tries to understand
and make sense out of the world and life. A worldview is how a candidate consciously
or unconsciously place or fit everything they believe and by which they will
interpret and judge reality. How a
candidate views the fundamental nature of man is critical. If they believe that man, by nature, is born
with an inherent sin nature, they will govern differently than someone who
believes man is born with a spark of divinity.
If an elected official presupposes that truth is not absolute, but
relative, they will make decisions far different from those with a definitive
truth worldview.
Candidates spend their money and resources
to ‘define’ themselves in the voter’s mind.
It’s the meticulous, thorough voter’s job to cut through the fluff and
determine how a candidate will perform as an elected official. Will they govern consistent with your
values? Can they handle pressure? Do they have a proper temperament? Can they handle criticism? Do they believe that truth is absolute? What guides their decision making process? Don’t vote solely on personality or likeability. Vote Smart- vet the candidates.
Candidates and elected officials come and
go, but our government goes on. One of
the most disappointing things is when former elected officials ‘drop out’ when
they leave office. That simply sends the
message that it was all about them and not about the cause. As Jefferson said, “Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty.”
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