Politics stink

The ads on TV keep getting more and more mean-spirited. Whether it's for president or dogcatcher, the ads are simply vicious. There are attacks based on personality, record and mere distrust. It's frustrating and sad to see.

After watching some of these, it really makes me wonder why anyone would ever get involved in politics in the first place. Opponents drag your name through the mud, often only telling half-truths as to what you believe and what you stand for.

I started thinking about this as I filled out an intriguing form called Candidate Match on the Columbus Dispatch Web site. It asks you a number of questions and, based on your responses, tells you how closely you align with each of the two mainstream presidential candidates as well as the Libertarian and Constitution party representatives.

The trouble is similar to what you see in the attack ads. You can pick a point of view, but you seldom get a reason to explain why. Take, for example, #4 on their survey: "Public schools across the country should be held accountable for their students' ability — or inability — to meet national achievement standards."

This is a two-pronged question, really. Are you speaking to the right of the national government to set standards? Or are you speaking of the accountability of local school districts to turn out good students who are ready for the modern world? These are two different questions that create two different answers in my mind.

My political leanings are a bit atypical. I classify myself as a Libertarian, which is to say I believe more in personal responsibility and smaller government than the role of the government to be a safety net for its citizenry. Similarly, I don't believe the government should have much control over what the people do and that we've unnecessarily ceded many rights to the government.

People hear Libertarian and think you're some sort of fascist or ultraliberal or ultraconservative, simply out of ignorance. I truly believe if more people took the time to read about the basic principles, they'd realize how moderate this point of view really is.

I discovered the party when I was in college, in a political science class. Having attended a state university, the professors all rushed past Libertarian and Constitution parties so they could spend more time uplifting the liberals and damning the conservatives. The ideas intrigued me from the start. Then, my first job was in a Libertarian-based newspaper chain (Freedom Communications), and I had a chance to see the real-world implications. I liked it even more.

I suppose this gets back to something that's bothered me about this election. It's turned into such a negative atmosphere. In the news-gathering business, there's no doubt there are a number of liberal-leaning individuals in the profession. It's bothered me to no end the amount of flak I get for not wanting to vote for John Kerry. One guy even offered me $10 to either switch my vote tomorrow or not vote at all.

One of the things I like about Libertarian belief is the thought that people should just do what they believe is right and just. I may not agree with you, but I'll respect your right to believe it. I think this basic belief is lost nowadays, though. It's certainly turned into a more "us against them" attitude in the world. It's been that way since the last election.

That brings me to another gripe about this election. There is obviously some anti-Bush sentiment in this country, and that's your right. The most common reason I've heard for it, however, is because "the majority" voted for Gore in the last election. Perhaps the people in the country need a government refresher course. We don't popularly elect a president in this country. It's not a direct election. We use an electoral college system. That means it's possible to win the popular vote and not win the electoral college. It's happened before, and it's by design. (For fun political reading on the electoral college vote, click here.)

If these people don't like the electoral college system, they need to rail against that, not the sitting president. All it will take is a constitutional amendment, and it's such a popular idea I'd be stunned if it didn't become law within an election or two if we acted now.

I'm reminded of something my high school football coach during my sophomore year used to say: "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has them, and usually they stink."

So what's this come down to? You don't need my endorsement to make up your mind. You should consider the facts. You should vote with your heart, your conscience and your mind. You should have informed opinions and really consider what you think this country should be and who will take you there.

Most importantly, you should vote.