The November General Electrion And The American Voter

In six months the American people will go to the polls and cast their vote for a new President.  A process that is repeated every four years and in the last twenty eight years, three of the last four Presidents were reelected to a second term.

 

On the Presidential ballot will be a representative of the Democratic and Republican parties and one or more third party candidate representing their affiliations.  Third party candidates have been able to influence the out come of some past elections and no doubt hope to have the same influence in November.  The voting public has the right to vote the candidate of their choice or not vote at all.  That last option does not sit well with many Americans but those who choose to exercise that right are comfortable with their position. 

 

No one really knows how many Americans would like to see some one on the ballot other than the Democratic and Republican nominees representing those two parties, but I believe that number is probably significant.  The long primary season has a way of distracting the people and the candidates away from the issues and continuity is lost.  A shorter primary season would bring out just as many voters and would give the lesser financed candidates a chance to compete and be heard in all the primaries.

 

In my judgement and from what I see, even at this late date, If Al Gore or Governor Ed Rendell, both democrats or Senator Chuck Hagel or Mayor  Bloomberg, both independent-minded republicans entered the race and could get on the ballots in every state as third party candidates and have the financial resources to compete, the election results would be something never heard of before. 

 

The election and reelection of George W. Bush has had a traumatic effect on the American voters even though the people gave Mr. Bush their vote twice.  The voters elected the least qualified person to be President in my life time and I go back to the WWII generation.  That is spilling over to the present election and I sense the people are in a bad mood.  Senator Obama, who is the Democratic nominee for President, has much less experience than Bush had at this same junction.  Senator McCain, who is the official Republican nominee, is a veteran with years of congressional experience but has really had no significant impact concerning those things that really matter and make a difference in leading people in the political arena.  Both Obama and McCain talk about change but has not articulated what or how they would change things and has no record of change in the Senate. 

 

So the people are caught in a gotcha situation: Who to vote for, a Democratic, a Republican or a third party candidate?  We the voters have put ourselves in this situation by not holding our elected officials accountable for their actions.  We let ourselves be divided by them as liberals, conservatives, right or left instead of being just a plain American.  In the 2000 election, state officials in Florida allowed a confusing ballot be used by the voters which sure enough confused the voters and threw the election in the lap of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

 

Now we are in another election year cycle and the media and others have taken sides.  Lets see if those who wanted to short circuit the process will make their voice known in the future for a shorter primary season for both parties.  I would not hold my breath. 

 

Senator Clinton and Obama are not very far apart in the popular vote yet a wedge has been used against the people for this close race with a demand for closure months ago.  Those who pursued unreasonable demands may be disappointed in the next four years.  Time will tell.