A week from today, people in this part of the world will be exercising their right to vote for the man who will occupy the most powerful office in the world for the next four years.
National polls and trends point to an Obama victory. They may very well be proven right.
But as a lot of these electoral exercises go, different motivations and situations will drive people to prefer one candidate over another. The motivations could be any of the following: economic, political, social, or emotional.
Some people will base their decision on which candidate's campaign proposals would better address the nation's economic problems. Some people will vote upon due consideration of each candidate's resume and professional track record. Some people will vote because they share the same social experience and history with one candidate. Some people will exercise their right of suffrage and vote for the candidate simply on the strength of the endorsement of celebrities and other pop culture figures. Some people will vote for one candidate simply because his election will make history.
Regardless of who wins, the next President and Presidency will be consequential for the world if it isn't so already. The next President will either be one who was a celebrated war hero who served with distinction in the US Senate or one who has become a favorite among glitzy Hollywood celebrities and the media elite because his campaign style has been nothing short of "cool". But for many people in this world, things boil down to how a President's decision would impact their economic well-being.
For all the people's talk of how much they care for their lives; of how much they love the things that they get to enjoy in life that became possible as a result of either their job or business; of how much it means to them that future generations grow up in a morally upright environment; and of how much it means to people to have a goverment that would continue creating economic opportunities for those who seek them, it bothers me that from all indications, they will vote into office the one candidate who stands for social and economic policies that go against the very things they care about.
Oh well, as the say, "Be careful of what you wish for."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Oh Well....
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20 responses:
Good luck to the next US president. He will need it... lots and lots of it.
I seriously cant read where you are leaning towards. :D
Hubs and I turned off the tv one night last week after dinner and we completed our absentee ballot. The presidential and other personalities are easy for us, as we vote within party lines.
But the propositions, we took quite a time in reading and rereading them making sure that we are fully aware what a Yes or a No vote would mean. That was a good activity for us. After completing our ballots, we compared our selections and found out we have the same answers :)
Good luck... we just had our Canadian Parliamentary elections and I was pretty satisfied with the Conservative win, if nothing but to preserve the good stewardship of the country's coffers until the financial turmoil ebbs :)
The results here is strangely similar to that of the US. Urban areas tend to vote Liberal or Socialist and rural areas Conservative.
Sadly, people focus too much on Palin when she's not running for the presidency. As well this election is also about race no matter what people say.
panaderos, isingit mo pangalan ko sa listahan. baka sakaling manalo ako.
gisingin mo ako, plis. hehe.
who are you voting for? that is if you are eligible to vote and if you don't mind sharing it with us :D
Ah pards, from your post, I can see which political animal you prefer, the elephant or the donkey. Change is good. A lot of countries changed their form of government in a more radical way, like France. At least this one is bloodless. A lot of negative informations were bombarded on the american people regarding an "idea" that they fear it without knowing it. Who knows this man will lead you to a new form of "socialism", american style.
posible ba? o imposible?
baka ang election mauwi lang sa parehong the same...
It is really an ideal since the election process could really be based on issues, and not more on personalities, unlike in our part of town, where a celebrity smile could win everything.
Truly, the Americans choice for the next president would be ultra-significant in this very sensitive global situation at present, it could be between a very right choice or a very wrong one---war in Iraq, the global recession, international trade, all this are on the line.
It looks like Obama will win this one.
Rudy,
So true. He'll be running a country that not only remains politically and culturally divided but also economically stressed.
Photo Cache,
Hahaha Ok. I'll finally say it and I know it's not the popular view these days. :D
Modesty aside, all of my professional years have been spent on the financial side of the business world both in the Philippines and in the US. I have seen first hand how a government's tax policies directly impact business decisions on whether to expand operations or downscale them. I've also seen, regardless of the country, where most of the government tax revenues come from. It's not the middle-middle or lower classes as Mr. Obama and the Democrats would have us believe. In the US, 80% of the government's tax revenues come from 10% of the nation's taxpayers, the same revenues used to fund government programs and projects.
On a personal level, since I also do my own taxes, I've seen the effects of tax policies on my paycheck. The amount of money left as my net pay (after taxes) determines how I would behave and/or decide as a consumer.
Nobody in his/her right mind enjoys those moments when employees are informed that they're about to lose their jobs. Companies would rather hire than fire. I just feel that companies, small businesses, and individuals like ourselves would be placed in a much better position to grow and create more jobs under Mr. McCain's tax proposals than under Mr. Obama's. Mr. Obama's economic proposals may sound a lot more appealing to the layman but if he gets to pass them into law, I strongly believe that it will put all of us in a much worse situation economically.
Thus, my vote, even if it'll turn out to be a losing one, would still go to Mr. McCain.
As for the propositions you are facing in your state, they do deserve some serious study. Your state is in such a fiscal crisis that people ought to focus more on things that matter rather than on some agenda that only serves the interests of a few.
Take care.
BW,
What brings the Republicans down in the eyes of many people are the racists and anti-immigrants among its ranks. But a lot of people also like the Republican Party because it has always stood for lower taxes and more efficient government. Plus, they often (not always) are the source of ideas on how to fix government problems.
Palin's got quite a bit of flack from the angry section of the Democratic Party. People have all the right in the world to criticize her policies, qualifications, and proposals. But they do not have the right to hurl personal attacks and insults on her and her family.
Atticus,
Ano bang party ang gusto mong salihan? Hahaha
Daphne,
No problem. :) Since I talk politics on this blog, I owe it to all of you to let you know who I'll vote for in the coming election.
I think McCain's economic proposals make more sense especially at this time. Plus, he has a professional track record that shows where he stands on critical national issues. Thus, he has my vote. :)
Blogusvox,
Maybe but people have a lot of reservations against "big" government. They believe that bigger government tends to lead to inefficient bureaucracies and corruption, something that we have in the Philippines.
Obama's health care proposal tends to worry a lot of people because they are afraid that it may lead to the nationalization of health services. Americans often prefer to have the freedom to choose.
Ever,
True. It's possible but each man in his own way could change things quite a bit. I truly believe that.
Major Tom,
I am hopeful that as long as each man does not give in to the extremist elements within their respective parties, the country as a whole should still be fine.
It's the uncompromising attitudes of the extremist elements within both parties that disrupt and distort thoughtful discussion of national issues. Both parties ought to kick those elements out.
Mon,
I think Obama will.
i think so, too. it's gonna be obama.
Mari,
Yeah, the only question at this point is by how much.
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