Why I Didn’t Watch the Presidential Debates

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to watch the presidential debates this season. People who know me tend to be slightly surprised at this fact, but I had good reasons. Usually I was involved in some sort of homework or visiting with friends or family. It’s not that I don’t care about the election. On the contrary I care quite a bit about the election. The truth is, I already know which candidate I’m voting for this time. I’m not going to declare it here, but most of you can probably guess.

So why didn’t I watch the debates? Let me answer that in a roundabout way. I have an idea of what I want the country to look like. It maybe isn’t like the vision that others have. My vision involves lots of freedom. It’s of a country where people are free to work and help to create their own future.

So for me, it’s simply trying to determine which candidate is going to work to make the country the most like I see it. It’s not about talk. It’s about action. It’s not about parties or political groups. It’s not even really about power. It’s simply about casting a vote for a candidate that sees in the country the same things I do.

I respect and appreciate our right to vote. Unfortunately, in this American Idol age, we don’t realize what a privilege it is to really vote for a political leader. I’ll challenge anyone to really think about where they want this country to be in the next decade, then vote for the candidate that is most likely to get it there. Even if your candidate wins, they’ll disappoint you in the future. But all you can do right now is vote. Please don’t make it about debate performance, who has the best campaign commercials, or which candidate has the best personality. Make it about putting the person in office that will help realize your vision for this country.

Frankly, I’m sure that even if the candidate I want to win does indeed win, he won’t do everything I like. And I have no guarantees of what either candidate will do should they win. Fortunately, I’m not voting for a savior though. I’m simply voting for a man who believes in an idea, and is willing to work to make the idea a reality. So which candidate’s vision for the future of America is closest to yours? I would recommend you vote for that person. For all the glitz and glamour and mud and dirt, this is really what elections are about – voting for the candidate that most closely shares your vision.