Yesterday I was discussing the upcoming election with a co-worker, specifically fiscal conservatism.  She was saying, "Yeah, but who isn't fiscally conservative? Who says, 'Please take my money and waste it?'"  As we began debating what fiscal conservatism really means, I made a comment that ultimately, how we spend our money is sort of up to the American people, as we're the ones who choose the folks who do the spending.

"I'm afraid of the American people," she said.  "Have you seen the sort of decisions they make?"

It gave me pause. 

The decision that bothers me most is when my fellow Americans decide not to vote at all. 

The majority of the American people (if not the popular majority, the electoral college majority) disagreed with me in the last two elections.  So yeah, I have some issues with the American people.  But a disturbingly low percentage of the electorate actually voted.  And that drives me bloody insane.

Whether or not you agree with me, I want you to vote.  I want you to exercise your right to add a voice to what goes on in Washington.  I may completely disagree with you (John McCain) and think you do your gender a daily disservice with your views (Sarah Palin), but I STILL want you to vote.  I know, it's a contradiction. I should want only liberal Dems to vote.  But if that happened, we wouldn't really have a democracy, and I need to believe in our form of government fundamentally to get me through those moments when I completely disagree with it ideologically (the last eight years). I need to believe the people had a say in which moron is running the country. Not corporations, not lobbyists, not national committees, but the American people.

Why? The American people are capable of growth and change.  The American people are capable of getting pissed off and voting folks out of office, as they did in the past mid-term election.  The American people are capable of saying "enough is enough" in a way lobbyists and national parties never will.  The American people can change their minds, they can stay the course, they can do whatever they damn well please. The American people don't owe anything to anyone, and ultimately, the American people DO GET TO DECIDE.  If they vote, that is.

Whether or not I agree with you, I hope you vote.  I need to believe in our system after the last eight years.  I need to believe whomever is elected this November is the candidate the country's majority wanted.  I can't deal with another round of knowing over half the people stayed home and waited to see what would happen. 

Elections are one of the very few times in our society that every citizen of voting age is equal.  No one knows how educated you are, what your race is, where you grew up, what gender you are, whether you're pretty or ugly. No one cares.  All they care is how you cast that ballot, and yours and mine weigh the same.  What a gift. 

I'm not afraid of the American people disagreeing with me.  I believe in the American people's ability to learn from our collective mistakes.  In the end, though, if my choice for president is defeated, I need to believe it was a group decision made by a majority of the country. So please, get out and vote.  Otherwise special interests will make our decisions for us.