election 2008

my presidential voting record is not very good- i've voted in every national election i've been eligible for, but have never voted for the eventual winning candidate. that doesn't really bother me as much as the fact that my previous presidential votes have been cast on an opinion mostly formed from what i saw and read in the media. i, like most americans, made my choice based too much on sound bites and images- both things selectively presented to me by someone else and occasionally taken out of context.

this year, whether i vote for the eventual president or not, i'm determined to vote for the candidate who most closely represents my values across the entire spectrum, and to educate myself by thoroughly researching the issues without the help of the media. when i make my decision, i will do so by using only the candidates' own words, whether they be in print or live. no sound bites or video clips, but rather entire outlines, essays or speeches to give context to every comment.

i'm going to take you on my electoral journey. every so often between now and november 4, i will post about one of the major issues being discussed in this campaign. i'll link to the candidates' websites and give a brief interpretation about what their own words mean to me. i will watch every debate in its entirety (either live or recorded) and post about it a day or two later.

with each post, i'll let you know how i feel about the particular issue at hand and which candidate i feel more aligned to. my posts will not be meant to influence your decision in any way other than to encourage you to read more on each topic with an open mind.

this blog has always had an open comment section, and these posts will be no exception. feel free to comment however you want, including lobbying for one candidate or another. i only ask that you respect the opinions of others and cite anything you quote with a link to wherever you found it. after all, there's no better way to make your point than to educate others further on it.