Primary Election Day
The other day was the first Primary Election Day since we moved to South Carolina. Normally we are the type who always vote. In fact my general belief is that if you choose not to vote, you forfeit your right to complain about the politicians in office.
However in this election, I did not vote. It had been my intention to vote. I had done some preliminary research on the candidates. But admittedly I was having trouble.
I lived in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. for 38 years. Up there I knew how politics worked. I understood what kind of information was available, where to find that information, and I had a whole system set up for how I decided on candidates. Voting was never something I took lightly. In addition, in metro DC, it seems that everyone has some kind of political experience. If you haven't held an elected office, you've probably worked for either the Federal government (or a state or local government), or a contracting company to one of the above. Politics is local news.
In South Carolina, it's different. Not bad, just different. I need to learn the new system. This is not the hot-bed of political activity that we had in DC. (Frankly, that is one of the reasons I like it here!) It's not as if most people have worked for the government or been involved in politics. The incumbant may have political experience, but the challengers may not. So I need to find a new way of evaluating candidates.
In addition, the resources I used to turn to for the candidates platforms were not as concise as I was used to. I am used to the nice grid systems in the Washington Post (and local papers), where each candidate answers specific platform-related questions. I had a much more difficult time finding that information in the newspapers and online news sources. That doesn't mean it's not there; it just means I couldn't (or didn't) find it.
Funny thing is that even the candidates television ads were of little help! They told me who the candidates were, but little about their platforms. I don't recall seeing any negative ads (which actually could have given me some idea of their platform in a weird way!). It was all so friendly.
I intend on voting in the General Election this fall. Hopefully in the coming months I'll be able to learn more about South Carolina politics and where to find the information so I can make the best decision about the candidates.
After all, lots of people have fought very hard so that I have the right to vote. I think I owe it to them to do my best to make an informed decision that best represents what I feel is best for me and my family.
However in this election, I did not vote. It had been my intention to vote. I had done some preliminary research on the candidates. But admittedly I was having trouble.
I lived in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. for 38 years. Up there I knew how politics worked. I understood what kind of information was available, where to find that information, and I had a whole system set up for how I decided on candidates. Voting was never something I took lightly. In addition, in metro DC, it seems that everyone has some kind of political experience. If you haven't held an elected office, you've probably worked for either the Federal government (or a state or local government), or a contracting company to one of the above. Politics is local news.
In South Carolina, it's different. Not bad, just different. I need to learn the new system. This is not the hot-bed of political activity that we had in DC. (Frankly, that is one of the reasons I like it here!) It's not as if most people have worked for the government or been involved in politics. The incumbant may have political experience, but the challengers may not. So I need to find a new way of evaluating candidates.
In addition, the resources I used to turn to for the candidates platforms were not as concise as I was used to. I am used to the nice grid systems in the Washington Post (and local papers), where each candidate answers specific platform-related questions. I had a much more difficult time finding that information in the newspapers and online news sources. That doesn't mean it's not there; it just means I couldn't (or didn't) find it.
Funny thing is that even the candidates television ads were of little help! They told me who the candidates were, but little about their platforms. I don't recall seeing any negative ads (which actually could have given me some idea of their platform in a weird way!). It was all so friendly.
I intend on voting in the General Election this fall. Hopefully in the coming months I'll be able to learn more about South Carolina politics and where to find the information so I can make the best decision about the candidates.
After all, lots of people have fought very hard so that I have the right to vote. I think I owe it to them to do my best to make an informed decision that best represents what I feel is best for me and my family.
posted by Susan | 4:30 PM
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