Vote early, vote often. Just not in the same election

A lot of people on the internet are putting up posts about the upcoming elections. They all have some kind of voting "strategy" that they are pushing. Vote the party line. Vote against incumbents. Vote anti-war. Vote moral issues. Vote immigration stance. Don't vote at all, in protest. They all have a "system". They all have an ax to grind.

I have always thought voting is a more or less private matter but since everyone is being so vocal, I guess I'll throw my 2 cents in.

What I say is this. Vote for candidates who love our country and who are interested in making life better for all of us here. Vote for people who are interested in building consensus, rather than accentuating differences. Where consensus cannot be reached, look for office seekers who want to allow people to follow their individual preferences to the greatest extent without impinging on the lives of others. Politicians who tout entitlement programs or budget earmarks that benefit one group at the expense of others are to be suspect. Politicians who play on our fears and stoop to name calling are not qualified to serve. Vote for candidates who believe freedom, democracy and the rule of law need to be fostered at all costs, here, at home, in our own country, now.

Minding your own business is not isolationism. Pensions that allow anyone to live at a level above genteel poverty are too high. Government funded healthcare coverage that provides unlimited services without regard to cost are foolish. A business climate free of oversight or accountability is not in our best interest. An educational system which attempts to force education on those apathetic or actively antagonistic to learning is criminal. The rich, the poor, the young, the old, the sick and disabled all cry out for special treatment but special treatment is special interest and special interest is the slipperiest of slippery slopes. Government is a framework, within which, we may strive for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is not an uber-nanny which provides us with protection from the realities of life and the fulfillment of all of our perceived needs.

Liberal/conservative, religious/secular, race, gender, sexual preference, economic status, drug use, age, disability, all of these things and others, we have allowed to divide and fragment us as a society. It is not necessary to like another person, or respect the choices they make, or believe they are morally correct in their beliefs, to coexist. We need to begin, among ourselves, and through our elected representatives, a national discourse on establishing rules that allow us, as a society, freedom to live as we choose and are able and for others to do the same.

There have to be laws. Some behaviors have to be proscribed. Enforcement and punishment for violators have to be implemented. Nobody gets a free pass in a free society. We need to elect people who are willing to honestly approach the problems, from the standpoint of the good of all.

Look for prospective office holders who are insightful, empathetic, humble. Don't worry about a lot of the other "important" stuff, at least not so much.