Election Day Blues

I have the election day blues, just overcome with sadness. Faced with decisions, not about which able candidate should get my vote, but is any one of them able enough to get my vote at all.

My dilemmas:

Do I vote for “the person” or “the platform”. We have become so intolerant, so “politically correct” minded that any imbecile can simply claim belief in a platform, and we numbly vote for him. Or, do I vote for a person who is intelligent and maybe even with a community service streak but who may have different views on s0me of the issues than I?
Do I vote for experience or for a new broom? Experience has become a real albatross around the necks of able public servants and yet doesn’t seem to impact the bad ones. After all, 20 years ago,they were against Issue X and now they’re pro Issue X. They’re “flip floppers”. So let’s get a new person with no experience or track record and just throw them out there?
Do I vote for a candidate who runs deceptive and false ads against the opponent? After all, all research shows that to win a close election, go negative. I see ads which claim a candidate will change something (put it in/take it out) over which his elected office has no control or even influence. And, most hateful, ads which uses a candidate’s record (that experience thing again) to nitpick statements and actions over 20 years or so.

My proposals:

Time to get rid of what I call political templates. I see so many voters who have a list of issues they measure a local, state, and national candidate against, creating a common template. So, if a candidate doesn’t fit that template exactly, they’re out. The template doesn’t have anything to do with the specific responsibilities of the office but more with a checklist of social and political positions.
Time for vote for quality candidates who are public servant minded, ethical, and respected members of the community. To me, not having a track record in any public servant role ever is an obstacle to be overcome. Where else but politics would you start in the top job? That track record, be it in elected offices, business, community roles, shows who the candidate really is. And, for me, I would never vote for a candidate who as not grown new positions or nuances of issues over the years. I have changed my positions on issues over the years, time and life move you.
Time to be realistic about elected officials and their responsibilities. Let’s stop electing people based on a template which has nothing to do with their duties. Understand that a good public servant listens to other views, learns, compromises for the better good. So, in answer to my first question, I will always vote for the person not the platform. Hopefully, I will be able to find a good candidate who represents a number of my views, but if not, I will vote for a person who will honestly try to hear all sides of an issue and act accordingly. Electing a bum with all the proper stances is always unproductive and sometimes dangerous.
Time to veto voting straight tickets. No party has a slate of 100% of the best candidates. Just read the Chronicle’s Lisa Falkenberg’s article about the scoundrels on both sides of the ballot next week. (October 28, 2013, “Judge in ‘Angela ‘Case is Poster Child for Perils of Straight-ticket Voting”. Cannot believe some of these people are actually supported by a political party.)