my indecision 2010
The mid-term elections start tomorrow morning. I still can't decide who will win my vote. It probably doesn't help that I have a slight fever. (I even stayed home from work today to rest.) Even ignoring all of the other races, consider my indecision just for the candidate for Minnesota state governor. We have candidates from 7 different political parties!
Let start by eliminating:
I'm still left with 2 parties: Green and Ecology Democracy. Notice the environmental theme in both of them? Yay, me! I have actual choices this year! Bonus points go to each candidate for different reasons.
Green candidate Farheen Hakeem (pictured here) is a Muslim woman running for state governor who favors GLBT equality! How's that for progressive? Stereotypes are clearly inappropriate as hard rules.
Ecology Democracy candidate Ken Pentel (formerly of the Green party himself) mentions the "Infinite growth economy on a finite resource base" which should be familiar language to anyone reading my rants on the necessary crash caused by exponential growth.
I would vote Ecology Democracy on this familiarity alone... except that I wish I understood why he isn't running under the Green banner this year. Did he throw a tantrum like the Democrat who failed to get his party's endorsement? For what it's worth, Ken Pentel has the endorsement of Ralph Nader. If I can find the reason why he split from the Green party, Ken Pentel can easily win my vote tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I may stick with the Green party just for its long familiarity in politics.
And I still have 20 other races to investigate (with 76 candidates). *sigh* Minnesotans are certainly involved in their political system!
Regarding my icon for this post... I still made the correct decision. Yes, I'm disappointed with some of the results. The main choices in 2008, however, were between Mr. hope-and-change or Mr. the-fundamentals-of-the-economy-are-strong. I clearly made the right choice about who can intelligently recognize and address the nation's economic crisis. Faced with the same candidates today, then I'd make the same choice again, regardless of any other disappointments I feel.
Let start by eliminating:
- bigots who delay my civil rights: Republican (homophobes "are good people") and Independence ("more debate is needed");
- opportunists who use private wealth to buy their way into politics: the Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate who wouldn't accept his own party's endorsement of a different candidate during the primary; and
- ideologues who rant about their personal issues: Resource (AmerIndians are bad) and Grassroots (legalize marijuana).
I'm still left with 2 parties: Green and Ecology Democracy. Notice the environmental theme in both of them? Yay, me! I have actual choices this year! Bonus points go to each candidate for different reasons.
Green candidate Farheen Hakeem (pictured here) is a Muslim woman running for state governor who favors GLBT equality! How's that for progressive? Stereotypes are clearly inappropriate as hard rules.
Ecology Democracy candidate Ken Pentel (formerly of the Green party himself) mentions the "Infinite growth economy on a finite resource base" which should be familiar language to anyone reading my rants on the necessary crash caused by exponential growth.
I would vote Ecology Democracy on this familiarity alone... except that I wish I understood why he isn't running under the Green banner this year. Did he throw a tantrum like the Democrat who failed to get his party's endorsement? For what it's worth, Ken Pentel has the endorsement of Ralph Nader. If I can find the reason why he split from the Green party, Ken Pentel can easily win my vote tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I may stick with the Green party just for its long familiarity in politics.
And I still have 20 other races to investigate (with 76 candidates). *sigh* Minnesotans are certainly involved in their political system!
Regarding my icon for this post... I still made the correct decision. Yes, I'm disappointed with some of the results. The main choices in 2008, however, were between Mr. hope-and-change or Mr. the-fundamentals-of-the-economy-are-strong. I clearly made the right choice about who can intelligently recognize and address the nation's economic crisis. Faced with the same candidates today, then I'd make the same choice again, regardless of any other disappointments I feel.