There are a lot of things that don't typically make me feel uncomfortable. Running. Dancing with my kids. Wrestling with my kids. Speaking mediocre French. Cooking without a recipe. Being seen in less-than-flattering clothing.
And there are things that do make me uncomfortable. Singing in front of people who don't share half of my DNA. Buying *cough* condoms. Wearing leggings. Showing my stomach. Participating in gossip. Discussing co-sleeping with non-co-sleepers. Discussing politics.
The biggest problem for me in discussing politics is that I don't feel like I know enough. In fact, I can't imagine EVER feeling like I know enough. To me, the world of politics is so shady that it would be impossible to ever get to the bottom of it all. That's a little sad to me.
To me, someone who takes on the world of politics would have to be a monster or an angel. Not a literal monster or angel, just either a power-hungry megalomaniac or someone so selfless that they would sacrifice their privacy to the media and the public for the sake of their country. However, I just said that, to me, the world of politics is far from black and white, so I'm talking about shades of monstrosity and shades of purity.
My point is, I have a hard time putting myself in the place of a politician. I know from reading the news that the world of politics has got a lot of layers, some of them disquieting, to say the least. I also know that it's my responsibility as a citizen of a republic to try to navigate the mess to participate in the process.
Many people I know aren't shy about saying who they want to vote for and who they think everyone else should vote for. I have seen a lot of arguments that equate a vote for Romney as a vote against low-income americans, or a vote against gay americans.
If I vote for Barack Obama, does that mean I'm voting against Capitalism--for Communism? If I vote for Obama, am I anti-Christian?
I'm not sure why people are so vocal about this. I can't imagine someone's rant changing my mind or changing my vote. The way I see it is the way I see it. I guess that's why I so dislike seeing political postings on the internet that are so extreme. You know the posts I mean... Mitt Romney hates poor black people and wants to ship all poor black gay people to Canada, so everyone should hate him. Or this: Barack Obama has missed all of his defense meetings because he's out partying with his Hollywood peeps or playing basketball with his Muslim brothas.
Come on. Can we approach this like grown ups?
We have two imperfect candidates, each with a different skill set. Which skill set would better address the challenges we have as a nation? I find myself afraid of getting into a political discussion because some people seem unable to get past the surface labels. I don't want to be labeled, but I have a right and even a responsibility to assess political candidates the best I can. I'm not sure where posting extreme things on Facebook helps this.
I don't feel like I can say that I will probably vote for Mitt Romney because I have seen people equate votes for Mitt Romney as hate, intolerance, disinterest in the poor, and disregard for the needs of the environment.
I want to vote for Mitt Romney. I'm not voting against gay people. I'm not voting because I think we should pave over all the wild places after we suck oil out of them to fill up every HumVee in the US.
I was in Utah when he turned the 2002 Olympics around. His leadership took a floundering, disgraced institution and restored its honor. I don't think I'm overstating that. Of course, I never worked with Mitt Romney, but I did come into contact with people who did. Their comments about him were overwhelmingly positive.
As a Mormon, I find people's comments about Romney's disingenuousness to be disturbing and closed minded. I have come across the same accusation from non-Mormons when they visit Utah and it astonishes me. What's disingenuous about him? Is it cheerfulness? Wholesomeness?
I am around wholesome, cheerful, positive people every day. They have a lot to offer the world. They offer self-mastery, integrity, a good work ethic, a service-oriented mindset and wisdom that you may not be able to get from your favorite fantasy bowling partner. I personally want a president who is special, someone who has crafted an extraordinary life and can lead our country back to a solid foundation.
To a lot of people, that extraordinary leader is President Barack Obama. Other people think Mitt Romney could do even more good than Obama in that office. Do we really need to resort to name calling?
