February 4, 2008 - PPM - Political Endorsements

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY concerns POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS.

Every day we are inundated with “NEWS” that someone “important” has endorsed a candidate.

The Hill.com lists which members of Congress support which candidates: Ted Kennedy is for Obama. Charles Schumer is for Hillary. Joseph Lieberman is for McCain. Orrin Hatch is for Mitt Romney. And Ron Paul is for, well, Ron Paul.

It is even worse when a “Hollywood type” endorses a politician. There has been incredible backlash reported from the Oprah endorsement of Obama. The candidates are lining up for that important Britney Spears endorsement. It’s too bad that Dennis Kucinich got out of the race.

You know what all of these people have in common? They all get ONE VOTE. Why should their opinion count? Why should we care?

I’m actually more likely NOT to vote for someone who has been endorsed by Ted Kennedy (at right).

I love the fact that both Republican Senators from Maine (Snowe and Collins) endorsed John McCain yet Romney beat McCain 52% to 27% in the Maine Carcass (caucus) this past weekend.

Knowing that I am somewhat knowledgeable on the issues and the candidates, people have sought my counsel on the choices still available. I tell them to make up their own minds.

I also direct them to the VAJoe.com web site. This site allows you to enter your position on 24 key issues. It then generates a ranked list of what candidates are aligned with your views.

It includes the top issues like:
- Abortion
- Iraq War
- Universal Health Care
- Same Sex Marriage
- Gun Background Checks

It also includes non-mainstream issues like the Kyoto Protocol, Internet Neutrality, and No Child Left Behind. If you are unsure your stand on the issue, it will provide you more information to provide an informed choice. If you are still unclear you can simply state “Unsure.”

Surely it is better to form an opinion about candidates based upon the relevant issues, then to choose a candidate because you like Chuck Norris movies.

I suggest we should enact a law that if you tell us who you are voting for, you no longer get to vote. It is supposed to be a private process. Let’s keep it that way.