In Washington state, the election season is upon us. Our primary election is just a few weeks away and political advertisements, robotic phone calls, mailers, rallies, and all of the other accoutrements of modern political life are in full shout and display. Social media are replete with commentary of one kind or another, both pro-this and anti-that, where “this” and “that” can variously be people, issues, events, or any combination thereof.
In short, we are in the middle of the pre-election silly season.
Pelted as I am with constant pre-election hysteria, I have come to the conclusion that I need to articulate a set of personal political precepts to guide my voting habits now and in the future. I am greatly upset by the nature of the politics that grips the Other Washington (Washington DC) and worry that its gridlock may find its way into our local government which has, so far, largely avoided the rabid partisanship that is the Other Washington’s hallmark. I am convinced that reform starts with each individual voter, and that if each of us adheres to certain shared precepts of good voting, we, as a voting electorate and regardless of personal affiliation or belief, will be much more likely to elect responsible local, state and federal officials with the ability to govern rather than naysayers who cannot.
Given this preamble, I have created my personal voting manifesto to govern the exercise of my constitutionally guaranteed, and constitutionally and critically important, right to vote. I invite each of you to create your own manifesto and to comment as vigorously as you wish on mine – but always with civility, thoughtfulness and rationalized, articulate reasoning. Manifestos of any sort may seem silly to some, but if American voters wish to have viable, working governments rather than ones frozen by politicized, gridlocked negativity, we must share some basic precepts about how each of us exercises our vote.
So, without further preamble, here is my personal voting manifesto, with the precepts listed in order of importance:
1. Always Vote in Every Election – Voting is not a privilege; it is an obligation of an informed electorate. To fail to vote is to allow irrationality to prevail among our elected officials. I will vote in every election.
2. Do Not Sanction Zealotry in Any Guise – Fanatical devotion to any issue at the expense of common sense and civility is not a sign of rational thought. No issue is so easy of resolution that there can only be one right answer for which an adherent is willing to fight to the death or brand someone with opposing ideas as a traitor or an idiot. A matter would not be an “issue” if it were so easily capable of solution. I will not vote for a zealot of any stripe or sanction ballot measures that embody any form of zealotry.
3. Character Matters More Than Party or Other Affiliation – A candidate’s character is critically important to civil discourse. I shall only vote for candidates who:
- are civil to others;
- are thoughtful in their responses to criticism;
- understand that there is more than one side to an issue and that by politely, carefully and thoughtfully listening to the rationale and arguments of the opposition they might learn something of value even if initially doubtful this will prove to be true;
- are full of common sense, possess a systemic urge to get things done, and demonstrate an understanding that compromise is not a sell-out of an ideal but a rational realization that there is more than one side to any issue;
- understand that offering solutions to problems is a requirement of rational debate and colloquy when differing with another’s approach, and acknowledge that simply saying “no” to every differing opinion is never an appropriate means of finding resolution to a matter under discussion;
- are able to speak articulately, rationally and effectively about things that matter to them, and to give good reasons to support their beliefs.
Given a choice between a candidate of the party to which I normally adhere who does not meet these criteria and one of the other party who does, I will vote for the candidate of the other party.
4. Civility is an Especially Important Marker of Good Character – I will only vote for those who demonstrate the ability to be civil to others. At a minimum, civility in a candidate requires that he or she:
- usually and regularly treats everyone, regardless of status, with the same good manners as he or she would treat a friend or a visitor to his or her home;
- is moderate in speech (but not in the passion for his or her ideals or beliefs), whether that speech is intended to be partisan, political or statesmanlike;
- recognizes that opponents are people who simply disagree as to principles and who are not demons, monsters, traitors to any cause, or un-American;
- never engages in the demonization of entire portions of the populace and never falls prey to believing that “they” are always acting deliberately in a manner that is evil, bad or un-American;
- understands the concept of “a worthy opponent” and possesses a strong and measured sense of fair play and sportsmanship.
However, civility does not require that a candidate accept rudeness from others, and he or she may fight rudeness with strong or blunt words as long as those words are leavened with humor, honor, and integrity.
5. Vote With My Heart and For My Beliefs – Because I have opinions and beliefs that have been crafted over a lifetime which I belief to be fundamentally important, I will only vote for those candidates and ballot measures that (a) share or demonstrate similar opinions and beliefs to mine, and (b) who meet the requirements of the precepts listed above, for my opinions and beliefs include an urgent sense that the above precepts are critically important to a robust society, the principles of good governance, and the success of our political institutions and our society.
