When considering the implications of the 2008 Presidential Election and all the media coverage given to Barack Obama and John McCain, it is easy to understand how one could to lose sight of the other governmental positions that will be filled as a result of the November 4th election. It almost goes without saying that the President of the United States is the most powerful political figure in our country and is the captain of the ship on which we, as Americans, all sail . Just because we are selecting a new captain , however, it does not mean that we should not give careful consideration to the candidates for the ship's empty officer positions. Although these positions are not as glamorous, each position plays a vital role in determining the course and direction of the ship and how the ship, itself, operates.
As a resident of New Jersey, I chose to register in Pennsylvania because of its status as a "swing state". Since New Jersey has long voted along Democratic lines and is considered a lock for Senator Obama, I felt that a vote in Pennsylvania could go a longer way in deciding which candidate would earn the state's seats in the electoral college. Although I registered in Pennsylvania to have my voice be heard in greater volume in the Presidential election, it would be naive of me to simply vote along a certain party line for the rest of the open positions. As a voter, I have a responsibility to educate myself on all the candidates for all the positions of a particular election. While I am not a Pennsylvania resident and the decisions made by many of the candidates in this election will have no real bearing on how I live my life after I graduate in the spring, I feel that I have the obligation to the inhabitants of this community and this state to critically analyze each candidate and put the most qualified person in office. Regardless of what the average voter may think, every vote counts and to vote based on a party line without knowing any information about the respective candidates is plain irresponsible.
Below I have provided links to each candidate's website for the office of President/Vice President, House Representative, Attorney General for PA, Auditor General for PA, State Treasurer PA , and State Representative. Although it could take a few minutes to educate yourself about each candidate and their stances on the issues, to not do so would prevent you from making a truly informed decision on November 4th.
President/ Vice President
Democrat Barack Obama/ Joseph Biden
Republican John McCain/ Sarah Palin
Green Ralph Nader/ Matt Gonzalez
Libertarian Bob Barr/ Wayne A. Root
Representative in Congress 15th District
Democrat Sam Bennett
Republian Charles Dent
Attorney General
Democrat John Morganelli
Republican Tom Corbett
Libertarian Marakay J. Rogers
Auditor General
Democrat Jack Wagner
Republican Chet Beiler
Libertarian Betsy Summers
State Treasurer
Democrat Robert McCord
Republican Tom Ellis
Libertarian Berlie Etzel
Representative in General Assembly 133rd District
Democrat Joseph F. Brennan
Green Guy M. Gray http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=47096
http://www.northamptoncounty.org/northampton/lib/northampton/northamptonvote/proclamation.pdf
1 comment:
I completely agree that the importance of other elected offices is largely ignored in a presidential election year. Reading the newspaper and watching CNN often, it's rare to actually see coverage of other candidates in these last few months leading up to election day. It's scary that people are willing to forego informing themselves about the people who will ACTUALLY be running their respective states. Yes the president represents us on a grand scale (in international politics) and has the power to profoundly impact our lives but more local candidates are more salient to our everyday lives. I have to say though that being home this weekend I saw dozens and dozens of yard signs for a wide array of candidates for all seats of government all over the towns in my area. This could mean that the tide is changing in terms of responsibility in all facets of government and an increase in the understanding of the importance of these positions.
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