I've paid closer attention to politics during the current election season than I ever have before. I'm learning a lot about the process, the candidates, and just how we end up with the politicians that we do in this country.
The more I learn, surprisingly, the more I appreciate the country we live in. We get to support, mock, hate, love, or refuse to care about our candidates and can say anything we feel about them and their policies. That is a great privilege and it's one that i haven't appreciated enough.
I've also learned to respect politicians that run for office - especially those who run for President - because every sin, real or imagined, is made public and they have to account for them in front of national media. Could you imagine being questioned about every misspoken word, every regrettable action, every time you did someone wrong? I mean, there are entire campaigns made up of hundreds of people whose objective is to find dirt on the opposing candidates. Yikes.
I also am learning to appreciate the rules that our country has set up to preserve the election process. Part of this process is the agreement between all states to abide by election rules. When Michigan and Florida ignored the rules regarding their Democratic Party primaries, their delegates were stripped from the nomination process.
Now, with the Democratic nomination likely coming down to a difference of just a handful of delegates, MI and FL want their votes back.
I came across this article from Glenn Beck and thought I'd pass it along:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/14/beckfloridamichigan/index.html
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3 comments:
I also enjoy the democratic process by which we choose the people who lead our country. Good note. Criticism of candidates may be rough, but the open forum for discussion and debate (even slander) is a great example, I think, of our freedom of speech.
My country,' tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!
My native country, thee, land of the noble free, thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.
Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song; let mortal tongues awake; let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.
Our fathers' God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our King.
As much as I dislike Glen Beck personally, I guess I have to agree that it would be irresponsible to have the elections count as they currently stand.
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