Voting My Conscience

I have always voted according to whom I believed was the best man or woman for the job. It goes back to the way I was raised. I could not tell you then or now if my parents are either Democrat or Republican. They voted for Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy, but they also voted for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

When I was young I had asked them if they were Republican or Democrat and their answer was neither, not even Independent. Their response was, "we vote for who we believe is the best man for the job."

That sentiment is nice in theory, but in retrospect perhaps was not the wisest of ideas, ad least not for me. When I first voted, mind you the very first time, I should have voted for former President Ford. Instead, I voted for the now infamous traitor Jimmy Carter.

The reasons back then were clear, however wrong those reasons seem now, back in the '70's it was simple. Former President Ford was a Republican and the Republicans then represented the wrong party to be affiliated with after Richard Nixon and the Watergate fallout.

We all know now what a huge disappointment Carter turned out to be - we see today how horribly left he has become, wearing his faith on his sleeve like a leper.

Ronald Reagan was my next choice for president. Though he was far from perfect he was still a great man and a greater president. Reagan unlike others did not forget his humble beginnings back in Illinois and never allowed Hollywood to taint his soul.

Reagan could polarize an issue and make it become paramount with a solution that pleased all. Reaganomics was not bad at all, in fact, it was so great that Bill Clinton took credit for an economy he did not create when he became president.

Yes, I admit I voted for Bill Clinton after the lack luster presidency of George Bush, Senior. It seemed no matter how hard Bush Sr. tried there was not much he could do right. Though I voted for him and still like that man to this day - he was no Reagan. He left unfortunately a bad taste in the mouths of the American people after Desert Storm. We had expected that Bush Sr. would have gone the distance and eliminated Saddam Hussein. But instead Bush Sr. did not and he paid for that with his presidency along with having raised taxes after promising not to.

Now back to Bill Clinton. To say he was popular is an understatement. Clinton was the sort of person be they male or female had a presence, a personality, an aura that captivated almost all that came into contact with him. I voted for Clinton in the first term, but by the time second term came around his aura wore off and left a dull after glow.

Bill Clinton turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of the past century. Clinton had much promise but instead was infatuated with lust and showed little respect for the office in which he was elected to represent. Having said that, we all know he won his second term, despite my vote and others voting against him. The fact is that his second term brought to fore that he was an adulterer and also that he was neglecting Osama bin Laden's declaration of war on us.

Fast forward to Septemeber 11, 2001 we have George Bush, the son of George Bush, Sr. as our president. A man I voted for because he was unabashed about his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior - a Texan cowboy that was going to come to D.C. and do right by those that voted him into office. Like so many I believed that he would honor this by serving as a Commander In Chief who did not forget the platform on which he ran.

Bush proved to be strong and fearless in the days that followed September 11, 2001. Sadly as time wore on we saw his cronism, his stubborn demeanor, his arrogance that during his first term we all saw as resolve. Now bleeding through for what it really was is the fact that this is Bush - doing what he wants, the way he wants, despite what the facts in his face are telling him.

Hence, for the later we are now faced with insurmountable odds in Iraq, borders in our own nation that are not secure, and a president that continually is turning his back on Israel and capitulating with terrorists. Bush said he would never deal with terrorists, never give into terrorism, yet he has done so with Fatah and Hamas.

Back to my originating premise of this article, voting for the best man - that is a legacy my parents left me. Though I agree with this in theory we all have seen how this can work for you or come back to bite you.

It is obvious in this day and age we have much going against the American people. The Democratic party is so liberal it has made some liberals worried. The Republicans have become so unbending that people are afraid they cannot compromise. Being independent can work if you have something to work with, but these days that is asking for something most cannot deliver on.

At the end of the day - I will vote my conscience. We cannot do more or expect more than that.