Election Day

Election Day seemed to be of more importance this year than ever before, at least as far as I can remember.

But, I, like millions of others, didn't vote. People preached to me about it, people bombarded me with different reasons why I should vote, but I still didn't listen. The reason why I didn't vote? I didn't like either of the men running for the presidency.

Sure, there are many other issues I could vote on, but none that I would really make a difference in. Yes, I realize there are many other people out there with the same belief as me, making it millions of people who didn't vote. I don't think of it in terms like that. I think of only me, and that my one vote wouldn't do a whole lot of difference.

If I would have voted, I would have voted for Kerry. Did he win? No. So, my one vote wouldn't have made a bit of difference, considering Bush won by quite a bit. I don't see myself as being millions and effecting the future of our country.

Sure, I don't like Bush, but who, honestly likes politicians? Not one single one of them is completely honest and we are voting these type of people in office? Well, thanks, but no. No matter what way I vote or didn't vote, it's always going to be wrong to someone else. None of us will ever be alike and so one person in office isn't going to make everyone happen. It's just the consequences we have to pay, I suppose.

And, the greatest reaction to me not voting? Don't complain. And, I try not to. It isn't my place. If I really wanted to make a difference, I would get out there and vote, and do even more to make this country a better place. The only thing that I would complain about? Gas prices, only because my car gets horrible gas mileage and I drive to school everyday. But, despite prices being so continously high, I complain quite less than other people.

So, I can only hope that Bush does a good job and not complain if he does a bad job. Because, hey, I didn't vote. So I don't complain.

Who's leading the polls?

Who is really leading the polls since the last presidential debates. Bush, but by how much? Different sources are saying different things and taking it in different ways. I linked to this sight, http://campaigndesk.org/


In this blogger, the author is saying how different newspapers and other media sources are interpreting Bush's lead at this point in the campaign race, this having extreme exigence with the election just a few short weeks away.

I really liked what he had to say, when talking about the US Today article. The blasted a headline declaring that Bush was leading by 8 points. The headline seemed to act like we had captured Osama bin Laden, or something of that nature according to this blog. They then proceed to tell us that the 8-point lead of our president in the polls could be slightly different because is on the verge of the margin of error.

I agree with this blog, because, US Today, even says themselves that this really isn't as big of a deal as the headline makes it. Sure, people who support Bush are going to be elated that their choice for a candidate is leading by a more significant number than 2 or 3 points, but when the newspaper even says that the margin of error is great, why should Republicans be that excited for something, really, so minor?

He also compares the blaring headline of US Today to the everyday coverage of the polls from CNN. There is no need for a newspaper to declare something so trivial in this tight of a race. When it all comes down to it, people are going to vote how they want, and it's going to end of being a pretty tight race, as that we've seen the polls being pretty well cut down the middle. Republicans and Democrats would both like to see some sort of indication of who is going to end of leading our country in the next four years, but the simpleness of it is that we are going to have to wait to see who WE elect, come election day. It's only a matter of time, only a few weeks to be quite specific. So, we all need to quit getting excited about who is leading the polls when it could quite possibly be in the "margin of error".

Presidential Debates

I linked to this sight by Joshua Micah Mitchell. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_09_26.php#003542


In this he is talking about the presidential debates. Now many people in America have seemed to conclude that John Kerry was the winner of this debate. Most people have thought that Bush didn't answer questions to their liking. In short, it seems that Kerry has won this debate. In this post, Mitchell tells us that he thinks that Kerry needs to continue to be like he was in the debate, to really make an impact on the votes for him.

This post seems to really blame Bush for a lot of things and didn't really talk about what Kerry did wrong, only what Kerry should do, so that he will end up clenching the win in this upcoming election. I don't care for either of these candidates, but I like Kerry a little bet better than Bush, but I don't think one should place all the wrong-doing or stupid comments all on one person, because we all do them. I think he does use very good logos in proving that Bush is out of touch with American people and that he shouldn't be elected for another four years.

I do think that Kerry will need to step it up in the next debate to really clench it. Yes, after the first debate, he definately closed in on the polls, but isn't the country still about half and half? He needs to focus on this next one, and close in on Bush, keep making him look bad, but also he needs to show that he is solid on what he believes, so that people are confident in Kerry doing a good job, or at least a better job, than Bush has done in the last four years.

Term for Definition

Leadership
One thing that we, as American people, tend to take for granted is the term leadership. What makes someone a leader and what makes them have the leadership qualities we are looking for? Of course, we aren’t always looking for the same qualities every time. With the upcoming election, it’s important for the American people to go over what leadership actually is and how our candidates match up with the leadership qualities we believe that they should have. Here are three big qualities that a leader should have.
When one thinks of leadership, we think of someone who takes charge of a situation. We want someone who will be the first to stand up and show us the way. The kind of person who is a leader will always volunteer to head a new group or activity or be the first to share their thoughts in a discussion. A leader isn’t someone who is too shy to say what they believe in. A leader isn’t someone who is a hypocrite.
Secondly, as a leader, we want someone who is going to be truthful and honest with us. It isn’t always the best thing to ask from a leader, especially in politics. But, in the long run, the American people want someone who is going to be completely upfront with them and not beat around the bush. One of the best liked presidents was, of course, Abraham Lincoln. After all, his nickname was Honest Abe. He is one of the few examples of a truthful president and even he, I’m sure, had his moments. It isn’t always easy for people to be completely and utterly straightforward, but we respect people more for their honesty than for the deception.
Lastly, a leader should be someone who can communicate with the people. Not just the rich people, not just the middle class, and not just the poor, but someone who can relate to people on all levels. We want to someone who understands the people and what it is that they want. The president, as an example, is their to serve the people and carry out things that will help the people. In order to serve, he must understand them. He shouldn’t shove the people aside who are on welfare and focus on the rich. He shouldn’t forget about the middle-class, while trying to concentrate on the rich and poor. He must be able to able to balance all these things together and communicate with them to come up with an idea to accommodate everyone.
Leadership is an important quality to have, but within that, one must know how to be a leader. They have to take the initiative on a situation. They need to communicate with people so as to help everyone and not just themselves. Most importantly, they need to be able to lead with truthfulness and honesty. These three things sum up what it takes to have leadership and what it means to be a leader.