The Countdown Begins. . .Points to Consider as You Ponder Which Herd to Join - the Elephants or the Donkeys

As I perusing one of my Facebook friend's posts, I noted, yet again, a somewhat volatile discussion regarding politics. I am not a highly political person, nor do I seek out conflict, so I generally steer clear with regard to commenting on such posts.  Neverthe less, I started thinking about the whole issue, and here are five questions that are worthwhile to consider.

Is politics really a deal-breaker when it comes to friendship?  Throughout the political season, I have witnessed several FB friends threaten to "unfriend" people because of a particular political opinion or sway. Therefore, if one can answer "yes," to the aforementioned question, then it would follow that you weren't really friends in the first place. I have a couple friends who are on the opposite end of the political spectrum from me. Generally, we agree to disagree, and if we can't do that, we avoid the topic altogether; politics, in its very nature, is rhetoric, and it is certainly not worth me losing a friend over.

Is politics an appropriate Facebook discussion? Several Facebook users try to abide by the "no politics/no religion" policy. While I admire their goal of a Little House on the Prairie sort of Facebook environment, I am not entirely sure I trust them. Don't get me wrong; I don't want to be a part of a contentious, depressing battleground, but I do think the whole point of a social networking site is to network socially, which means be who you are. If religion and spirituality are a big part of who you are, then your posts will probably reflect that. If politics is important to you, then your posts will probably reflect that passion. What's wrong with that? The problem is not with the post-er; it seems the focus should swing to the post-ee and why s/he so vociferously avoids or gets so upset about either topic. To my way of thinking, if the topic (politics, religion, or whatever) opens a forum in which respectful discussion can take place, then why not discuss it? Discussion often leads to debate (which, for some, leads to hives). In order to debate intelligently, one needs to know his/her facts, which leads to inquiry. From what I see, it's a win-win situation for everybody involved.

Which political party is to blame for America's current status - Republicans or Democrats?  This is definitely a "fun" issue that has been debated ad nausem this year. In my observation, this has been a very heated which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg argument, from which no clear conclusion has been drawn. (1) The end result has been elementary playground logic (Well, my candidate is better than yours, so nyeh!) and contentious wordplay, which has lead the discussion/debate away from the real issue to be debated. To explain, the "who" is to blame does not matter as much as the "why" the country is the way it is. The real question is which candidate will promote bi-partisan decision-making and who will be better at uniting both parties to resolve the issues at hand? (2)

Which candidate will provide strong leadership and wisdom should another intense foreign situation arise (and I believe there will be another one soon)? The whole Libyan crisis has been polarized toward the end of the campaign season. While it is good that the issue is being discussed, it is sickening because the tragedy is being exploited in the name of campaign politics. Again, the motivation behind the attacks should be of utmost importance and consideration with regard to our nation's future and security. The smoke and mirrors of campaigning has caused us to lose focus, which could be a deadly miscalculation. There has been discussion in the news of the US making a treaty with the Taliban. While it sounds great (I am all for peace!), it does not sound realistic.  In considering the caustic history of the relationship, negotiation and compromise seem to be a Pollyanna-esque pipe dream. What happens when the lines of communication break down?  Whom do you believe would be the best choice/candidate to represent the US in such a situation?

Finally, what are America's biggest issues right now? If you had to narrow it down to three, what would you choose? In my opinion, out-of-control overspending (3), out-of-control entitlement programs, and a general laxity of morals and values are destroying our country. Once YOU decide what our country's greatest needs and issues are, it is your privilege to choose the candidate whom you feel will best address these issues. Naturally, that means you have to get educated about the candidates. Don't rely on political information from your dad, your pastor, your hair stylist, etc; the information will have the informant's bias. Find out for yourself. With the privilege to vote comes the responsibility to be an informed voter.

Just my two cents, tho. . .

Personally, I believe that in order to answer this question, one has to leave the epochs of the 80s and 90s to examine carefully the err of our country's ways in the 30s and 40s.  End sidebar.

(2) In my opinion, neither candidate appears to be very bi-partisan. Unfortunately, I think this will be a loss for the American people as party divisiveness will continue to impede progress.

(3) Our national debt is a serious issue that, for whatever reason, people seem to be largely ignoring. Have you seen the national debt clock? Do you know how much we are in the hole to China? According to financial analysts, the infra-structure of the U.S. economy is on track to meet with its demise at the end of this year. Are people just going to poo-poo this and write it off as another Y2k/Mayan calendar situation?