So, I was trolling the internet a couple of weeks ago when I came upon a website where you could take a quiz to see with which Republican primary candidate you were most closely aligned. So I took it. I was 99% sure for whom I was going to vote, but what the hell. Imagine my surprise when the candidate they chose for me was Michelle Bachman. Now I’m sure Ms. Bachman is a lovely person—that’s a lie—but we are not exactly on the same page politically. When I reexamined the quiz I realized there were not any questions about social issues—my more liberal arena—so that might explain the selection. The real question is how much do we really know about these candidates and do we really care?
It seems to me that republican voters are looking for the candidate who can beat Obama. That’s not an insult or a bias, I’m sure democrats do the same thing. Would I vote for a candidate who differs with me on gay marriage, if they can beat an incumbent who differs with me about bigger things? The answer is absolutely. Moderates almost always get the shaft when it comes to big elections. The obvious reason being malaise. To their credit extreme conservatives and extreme liberals are motivated, and that motivation drives them to vote in the primary. So the moderates, like me, who were watching last week’s Project Runway marathon during the primary have to choose between opposite ends of the political spectrum in the general election.
I can sit at a table with six friends three of whom voted for Obama and three of whom voted for McCain and yet we are all on pretty much the same page politically. The reason for choosing one or the other was simply a question of priorities. That’s why I am stunned that for the first time since Reagan, a moderate (I don’t want to jinx it) is probably going to win the republican primary. So get up off the couch moderates, there are plenty of candidates that fit the bill. I’ve chosen my candidate. I don’t care what the stupid quiz said.
Leave A Comment