One Issue
It's funny to me that during this election season, anyone who uses a poltician's stance on abortion as a criterion for voting is labeled a "one-issue voter." While it is true that abortion is one issue among many, I think there is a difference between being a "one-issue voter" and letting a serious issue automatically disqualify a candidate, no matter what other views they have.
Let me give you an example. When I was single, I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for in a wife. A few things on my "list" were non-negotiables. Many others were simply preferences. I wasn't basing my search on one issue, but there certainly were single issues that would have disqualified a young woman immediately. If she were a drug addict...out. If she were a stripper...gone. If she used to be a man...nyet. If she were an FSU grad...seeya. And I think everyone feels that way to an extent. There would be certain things that would disqualify a person from being your date or your spouse, regardless of what else they had going for them. Yet, we don't ever hear people being defined as a "one-issue dater."
To bring it back into the political arena, suppose you found the perfect candidate. He lined up with you across the board...economically, socially, morally, defense, healthcare. Everything is great, except that this candidate supports the selling of nuclear secrets to terrorists. Would that disqualify him? What if he supported the reinstitution of slavery? Would that disqualify him? What if he wanted to legalize pedophelia? Disqualified? I would think so.
To me, the label "single-issue voter" is a pejorative term intended to paint the accused as unthinking or simple-minded. I don't consider myself either of those, and yet, because of his stance on abortion, I cannot vote for Barrack Obama. In my mind, he is disqualified. Would I agree with him on other issues? Maybe, but he doesn't meet one of my non-negotiables. And please understand, the fact that I'm not voting for Obama doesn't mean I am voting for John McCain. I have serious concerns there as well. Who knows...I may cast a third party vote for someone like Chuck Baldwin. But I will not compromise. And I will not sit by and let myself be pigeonholed. It doesn't matter how much you get right if you get certain things wrong.
Dave
Let me give you an example. When I was single, I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for in a wife. A few things on my "list" were non-negotiables. Many others were simply preferences. I wasn't basing my search on one issue, but there certainly were single issues that would have disqualified a young woman immediately. If she were a drug addict...out. If she were a stripper...gone. If she used to be a man...nyet. If she were an FSU grad...seeya. And I think everyone feels that way to an extent. There would be certain things that would disqualify a person from being your date or your spouse, regardless of what else they had going for them. Yet, we don't ever hear people being defined as a "one-issue dater."
To bring it back into the political arena, suppose you found the perfect candidate. He lined up with you across the board...economically, socially, morally, defense, healthcare. Everything is great, except that this candidate supports the selling of nuclear secrets to terrorists. Would that disqualify him? What if he supported the reinstitution of slavery? Would that disqualify him? What if he wanted to legalize pedophelia? Disqualified? I would think so.
To me, the label "single-issue voter" is a pejorative term intended to paint the accused as unthinking or simple-minded. I don't consider myself either of those, and yet, because of his stance on abortion, I cannot vote for Barrack Obama. In my mind, he is disqualified. Would I agree with him on other issues? Maybe, but he doesn't meet one of my non-negotiables. And please understand, the fact that I'm not voting for Obama doesn't mean I am voting for John McCain. I have serious concerns there as well. Who knows...I may cast a third party vote for someone like Chuck Baldwin. But I will not compromise. And I will not sit by and let myself be pigeonholed. It doesn't matter how much you get right if you get certain things wrong.
Dave
posted by dave woodbury | 11:11 AM
1 Comments:
Very well said, my Sweet Beardless Husband.
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