Thought I'd share some personal takeaways from the mid-term elections this week. Take them
as you will! Mainly just wanted to get them off of my chest. You're more than welcome to leave feedback in the comments section after this blog if you'd like.
as you will! Mainly just wanted to get them off of my chest. You're more than welcome to leave feedback in the comments section after this blog if you'd like.
Governor Gav: The folks who voted for him seemingly overlooked his sex life (he admitted to having an affair in 2007 while mayor of San Francisco) while not hesitating to bring Trump’s sex life front and center prior to the last election. Hmm. Newsome was a bit more remorseful than Trump, which is important. But still, if we’re going to bring up all aspects of a candidate's life, can we at least hold all of them to the same standard? No double standards please!
In other words, two years from now I don't want to hear anything about Trump infidelity from the left. If it didn't matter to you now, it shouldn't matter to you then. Fair is fair!
Prop. 6: I certainly don’t have an issue spending our dollars on road repairs, but only if I get a chance to decide, like we have in bond measures from past elections (almost all of them is seems like). This prop would have required a vote for any future state fuel or vehicle tax increase, while overturning a Governor Brown signed bill in which he and our legislators conveniently decided to spend our tax dollars for us. I personally don’t go for that, and am surprised the majority of voters evidently have no issue with it. Plus there’s nothing stopping them from doing it again. See next item for more.
Political Ads: Although I can’t prove it, I get a hunch from talking with people that many voters base their vote on the political jargon they receive in the mail and see on TV. Sorry, but for those who do that: that’s not enough! Needless to say, these ads are completely biased and one-sided. There are two sides to every story and each voter needs to understand both sides before deciding! I really wonder how many people actually sit down and spend a few minutes on the internet and do that before making an educated decision. Prop. 6 is a good example of this (I think). Way more anti-prop 6 ads on TV then pro, all using scare tactics threatening voters that our roads will fall apart if prop 6 passes. Big words for something that’s barely been around a year. And many people took it to heart without researching it themselves. Sure, road fixtures could be affected, but certainly nothing imminent, and nothing an appropriate ballot-based bill couldn’t fix. Again I can’t prove it, although I’m sure there’s data out there, but I bet that the politicians and prop supporters who get the most air and print time win most of the elections. They know people are visual, want quick information, and many won’t spend the time doing actual research.
Voting for a name: Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Fred Grandy, Jerry Springer, Al Franken, Jesse “the body” Ventura, Donald Trump. What do they all have in common? All initially elected to office with no political experience (half of them in California). Why? People recognize them, and for some reason, think in some odd way that they actually know them, and as a result can trust them. They are completely inexperienced, but people don’t seem to care. It seems to me that a similar phenomenon may apply with veteran politicians as well. I can’t prove this either, but I believe there is a point when some voters see someone like Diane Feinstein on the ballot, they automatically vote for them because “they must be doing something good”, they know who they are, and take some sort of comfort in having them there. As a result, they don’t even bother to research them, or more importantly their opponent, who because of that, and the fact they can’t compete financially to promote themselves, have basically no chance of winning. And I bet if you ask a typical voter to name five accomplishments from the recent term of an incumbent's they are about to vote for, they couldn’t do it. Not all voters of course, but I suspect many. And I’ve certainly been guilty of that in the past.
Which brings me to my question. I wonder how many people took the time to research John Cox, Kevin de Leon and Lisa Remmer during this election? These are the folks the well known Newsom, Feinstein and Pelosi easily defeated yesterday. How many people voted for these three names simply because they knew who they were? I actually have no clue. But I do question that, particularly when it involves politicians who have held the same office for 15, 20+ years. Sure, it could be because they have actually done a lot of good things while in office. But I have a hunch it’s mostly out of comfort and content.
Pelosi: Her winning, although not a surprise, is still very alarming to me. She’s made it very clear, even this week, that she wants to see the Republican party ruined. First, that will never happen. She is extraordinarily naive if she thinks otherwise. Neither party is going anywhere. And since that’s the case, the best thing is to set up an environment where both parties can work together to help America and it’s citizens prosper. I like to think that most Americans actually want that. But with destructive attitudes like Nancy Pelosi’s, Hillary Clinton’s and others on both sides of the fence, this will never happen as long as they are in office. Yet people continue to vote for them. I don’t get it. Ugh!!
In other words, two years from now I don't want to hear anything about Trump infidelity from the left. If it didn't matter to you now, it shouldn't matter to you then. Fair is fair!
Prop. 6: I certainly don’t have an issue spending our dollars on road repairs, but only if I get a chance to decide, like we have in bond measures from past elections (almost all of them is seems like). This prop would have required a vote for any future state fuel or vehicle tax increase, while overturning a Governor Brown signed bill in which he and our legislators conveniently decided to spend our tax dollars for us. I personally don’t go for that, and am surprised the majority of voters evidently have no issue with it. Plus there’s nothing stopping them from doing it again. See next item for more.
Political Ads: Although I can’t prove it, I get a hunch from talking with people that many voters base their vote on the political jargon they receive in the mail and see on TV. Sorry, but for those who do that: that’s not enough! Needless to say, these ads are completely biased and one-sided. There are two sides to every story and each voter needs to understand both sides before deciding! I really wonder how many people actually sit down and spend a few minutes on the internet and do that before making an educated decision. Prop. 6 is a good example of this (I think). Way more anti-prop 6 ads on TV then pro, all using scare tactics threatening voters that our roads will fall apart if prop 6 passes. Big words for something that’s barely been around a year. And many people took it to heart without researching it themselves. Sure, road fixtures could be affected, but certainly nothing imminent, and nothing an appropriate ballot-based bill couldn’t fix. Again I can’t prove it, although I’m sure there’s data out there, but I bet that the politicians and prop supporters who get the most air and print time win most of the elections. They know people are visual, want quick information, and many won’t spend the time doing actual research.
Voting for a name: Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Fred Grandy, Jerry Springer, Al Franken, Jesse “the body” Ventura, Donald Trump. What do they all have in common? All initially elected to office with no political experience (half of them in California). Why? People recognize them, and for some reason, think in some odd way that they actually know them, and as a result can trust them. They are completely inexperienced, but people don’t seem to care. It seems to me that a similar phenomenon may apply with veteran politicians as well. I can’t prove this either, but I believe there is a point when some voters see someone like Diane Feinstein on the ballot, they automatically vote for them because “they must be doing something good”, they know who they are, and take some sort of comfort in having them there. As a result, they don’t even bother to research them, or more importantly their opponent, who because of that, and the fact they can’t compete financially to promote themselves, have basically no chance of winning. And I bet if you ask a typical voter to name five accomplishments from the recent term of an incumbent's they are about to vote for, they couldn’t do it. Not all voters of course, but I suspect many. And I’ve certainly been guilty of that in the past.
Which brings me to my question. I wonder how many people took the time to research John Cox, Kevin de Leon and Lisa Remmer during this election? These are the folks the well known Newsom, Feinstein and Pelosi easily defeated yesterday. How many people voted for these three names simply because they knew who they were? I actually have no clue. But I do question that, particularly when it involves politicians who have held the same office for 15, 20+ years. Sure, it could be because they have actually done a lot of good things while in office. But I have a hunch it’s mostly out of comfort and content.
Pelosi: Her winning, although not a surprise, is still very alarming to me. She’s made it very clear, even this week, that she wants to see the Republican party ruined. First, that will never happen. She is extraordinarily naive if she thinks otherwise. Neither party is going anywhere. And since that’s the case, the best thing is to set up an environment where both parties can work together to help America and it’s citizens prosper. I like to think that most Americans actually want that. But with destructive attitudes like Nancy Pelosi’s, Hillary Clinton’s and others on both sides of the fence, this will never happen as long as they are in office. Yet people continue to vote for them. I don’t get it. Ugh!!
