The power of the vote

Let me just say that I am no political wizard.  I am a "concerned citizen".  By concerned, I mean I try to get involved in the political process, but working three jobs and mothering two boys leaves me little time to do the things most political organizations ask.  What's more, I don't really like research or attending political meetings.  I tried it and it's just not me.  But I am concerned.  I don't like the track our country is taking.  I don't think either of the major political parties have the answers to get us out of the economic mess of our own making and I don't think the health care bill is going to work ultimately.  It seems to me that my political passion really lies in the use of my vote. When I was a registered Independent, it was frustrating to not be able to vote in any primary.  I had to wait until the general elections and use my precious vote on a choice between 2 candidates that I could not wholeheartedly endorse because I had philosophical differences with both.  And so I registered as a Republican because the party platform was the least offensive to me.  Still, it was disheartening to be stuck with the large number of Republican presidential candidates in the 2008 primaries, and even more disheartening to see that the front runners were the big spenders and not the ones with a decent message.  What is an average everyday citizen who just wants our idealistic system of government back, to do?  Enter Big Brother, Monte (really, he's my big brother).  He's had some success with his organization iCaucus.  What interests me most about this organization is not that it is run by my big brother and his friend Frank, but that it has found a way to let me use my vote at the very beginning of the political process without needing to have a party affiliation.  I get to help choose candidates along both party lines who I think should run for office based on who they are and what they stand for and not what the Democrats or Republicans think they should stand for.

If it were up to me, there would be a way to get elected without being a billionaire.  The decent, everyday folks who care about their neighbors would be up in Washington running things.  Politicians would not be able to vote on their own pay raises and the back-scratching brotherhood of the Senate would be broken up because no one would stay in Washington long enough to become a back-scratcher.  The minute they did, they would get booted out by informed voters who use their voting power thoughtfully and responsibly.  Idealistic?  Yes.  Am I living up to my own words?  Not yet.  Are you?