This is written for the millions of us REALLY struggling with this decision.
I have worked painstakingly hard to create a non-partisan guide to help YOU decide who to vote for this year.
I don’t feel right about pushing a political agenda with this site, but for those just dying to know the conclusions I came to after answering the questions below you can email me and i’ll spill it.
I know I will catch some flak for NOT pushing an agenda, but, if it helps just a few people sleep better at night after voting, I’ll say it is worth it.
Oh and if you love one of the candidates, then this article really isn’t for you, but feel free to pass it along to your undecided friends.
Who should I vote for? Trump or Hillary?
Sorry, this is not an article that will tell you who to vote for either, but it is an attempt to help you if you are wrestling with this decision like I am.
I have watched the presidential debates and rather than pointing me solidly in one direction, they have just made it more difficult to figure out who to vote for.
But this was one redeeming thing to come out of them:
My Party Affiliation
I don’t really have a party affiliation.
So, like I said before, the goal of this article is NOT to tell you who to vote for.
But, while I don’t consider myself a Republican, I find myself lining up with a slightly higher percentage (definitely not all) of conservative values.
All of the candidates disappoint me, and as a result, I find myself tempted (for the 1st time in my adult life) to NOT vote at all.
But, I will definitely be voting.
Far too many of our ancestors paid with their lives to give us the rights we have in this great nation, and I want to honor that by showing up on November 8th.
Questions to ask when deciding
When I voted for the first time, I said “Dad, who should I vote for?”
And, it was easy. I didn’t even have to shed an ounce of thought. All I needed to do was remember the guys name, and not forget my voter registration card and I was good to go.
Then as I got older, I began asking more questions which ultimately led me away from just ALWAYS voting for the party that my family did.
That wasn’t nearly as easy.
In addition to actually having to think through issues and matters of conscience, I had to occasionally NOT make the same decisions as my wonderful parents.
And live with that.
And hope that I wasn’t being dumb.
As I have gotten older, I have found that the more questions you ask, and the more angles from which you approach a problem, so much more begins to be revealed.
Things are simultaneously not as simple as they appear, yet not as complex either. As odd as that sounds.
So with that, here are 7 questions that I am asking myself this year.
7 questions to help you determine who to vote for this year
1. Putting all the mudslinging aside, where do these candidates stand on the issues that matter to me?
It is easy to get drawn into all the attack ads, leaked documents, or other mudslinging and completely forget about the issues.
It is insulting to me that they (both parties) think that we are that simple minded that we won’t even consider the issues and that we will just make our decision based on the last negative ad we saw.
You can see where all the presidential candidates stand on the issues here: (listed alphabetically)
- Clinton (Democratic Party)
- Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- McMullin (Independent Party)
- Stein (Green Party)
- Trump (Republican Party)
2. Who is their running mate?
Both Hillary and Donald are getting up there in age. She is 68 and he is 70.
Statistically speaking they both have enough of a chance to not finish their term that the possibility of their running mate becoming president should at least be considered.
So, we should probably be paying attention to the running mates and asking what would it look like for them to take over.
3. Who will do more irreparable damage to our country?
This obviously is very subjective, but factors to consider are:
- Supreme court appointees
- Foreign policy
- Religious freedoms
- Economy
- National security (and handling of Nukes)
- Environmental factors
- Health care
- And really hundreds of others
4. Which one will help get my 2020 candidate elected?
There tends to be a pendulum effect with politics and the presidency. It tends to swing one way for a bit, then things get a little too out of balance and then swings back to the other party.
You can check out the back and forth of the last hundred years here below:
Source: EnchantedLearning
Since this is the case, and it is unlikely that one party is going to rule for the next 50 years, maybe the opposing candidate may just help things swing a bit further the opposite direction and thus help get our 2020 candidate elected.
Painful, I know.
But something to consider nonetheless.
5. How would the balance of power be affected?
Who controls (or would control) the senate and the house? How would that affect our voting decision for the president?
For a visual look at the historical balance of power in the U.S. Government check this out:
Source: WiredPen
6. Which candidate has a similar worldview to me?
As a Christian, all things being equal, I would prefer to vote for a Christian.
Just like I also prefer someone who understands business because I am a small business owner, or anything else that we have in common. I think you naturally feel more comfortable with a leader who has a similar world view as yourself.
Ideally we can find those areas where our world views align with a candidate.
After all, they will be shaping the direction of the country for the foreseeable future. You can’t always find common ground, but it is something to think about.
7. Can I defend my decision to those whose opinions I value most? God, my wife, children?
Even though our ballot cast is ensured to be kept private, I want to be comfortable defending my voting decision to those who I love most. I imagine explaining to my (now 2 year old) son who I voted for and why.
Unfortunately, with today’s state of politics many of us are faced with a “lesser of two evils” approach, rather than a “just can’t decide because they are both so great” approach.
I never thought I would quote John Mayer, but he said it well:
“You can tell that something isn’t right
When all your heroes are in black and white”
If you are like me, it can be disheartening and definitely NOT ideal circumstances, but…
One thing to remember:
The President of the United States is still referred to as the Leader of the Free World, but remember…
“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it whichever way He wishes.”
-Proverbs 21:1
God bless America.
What other questions are you asking yourself as you decide who to vote for this year?
And comments are open, but don’t make me regret it. Any disrespectful comments will not be approved. Let’s keep it civil – deal?
