The Year of Voting Dangerously

I'm both fascinated and disturbed at my perception of how voters are approaching this election. Most of the people I know, except for a handful, don't seem to have the time or then inclination to motivate themselves to think about the implication of this presidential decision.

Some are focusing on responsible, worthy and noble activities, such as thoughtfully and carefully raising their children. I certainly respect that, but I also contend that the single most important thing parents can do for their young ones is to do everything they can to ensure that our next president doesn't infringe upon their liberty while saddling them and future generations with unreasonable debt. But at least this is a concept I can understand.

What I don't understand are the people who can muster an obsession with American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Saturday's Georgia Bulldog's game, some random city's housewives (my own personal mindless--no, truly mindless--entertainment) or, heaven forefend, the replacement NFL referees. The Packers should've won? WHO CARES????? Unless you bet the farm against the Seahawks, a questionable call probably won't really affect your life. The results of this presidential election certainly have the potential to change it greatly.

And then there are those who will vote, but for questionable reasons. First of all, just for grins (because you'll surely laugh to keep from crying) you may want to take a few minutes to review a recent Howard Stern "man on the street" segment. Remember, when you're thinking about sitting home because it's cold or rainy on election day, your vote counts, because these people can vote too. 

The most articulate woman on the tape says she just doesn't like Romney. And, as my favorite radio talk show host so eloquently put it: Likeable? Who Cares? We're Hiring a New CEO, Not Looking For a Friend. Do you remember in high school when kids campaigned for student council? And the winner was always someone who was the cutest (eye candy, anyone?) or most popular or who made crazy campaign promises like how they would regulate how teachers could test or give homework? Have we learned nothing since high school?

And speaking of pandering with promises, shall we make a list of a few of the things Obama has thrown out there clearly to curry favor during the campaign: 

• Female voters: birth control
• Jewish voters: signing the Israel military aid bill (just as Romney was headed over for a visit...something Obama hasn't done) and ramrodding Jeruselum as the capital of Israel back into the DNC platform after they busted for trying to pull it out.
• Hispanic voters: the executive order that he'd previously admitted he didn't have the authority to do.
• The gay/lesbian community: "Evolving" his views on same-sex marriage on a convenient time line.

And it doesn't stop with U.S. special-interest groups. Let us now forget his open mic promise to the Russians, telling Dmitry Medvedev, "Let me get reelected first, he said; then I’ll have a better chance of making something happen." 

If the idea of a hidden agenda with Putin or his pandering/appeasing approach to Muslim leaders doesn't scare you into voting for Romney, we have bigger concerns that one incompetent President's second term.