Advice for Young Voters

After my last , my editor asked me to tailor the remarks for young voters.  I'd sum up the post by saying that you need to understand the politics of the issues that are most important to you, vote for the person who mostly shares your values and in whom you trust to get "the job" done right - even if you may not agree on all issues, values or what "the job" entails.  Ignore parties and labels because parties and special interests are in pursuit of power - not good governance.

Young voters (18-24) were a big part of Barack Obama's victory in 2008 and the editor's supposition is that their outlook might have changed.  Frankly, I'd start with the advice above… it isn't special and you might even argue that young voters need this less than older voters who strongly identify with one party or another.

One thing I know about 20-somethings is that they come to the world with significantly more knowledge, tools, information and worldliness than previous generations.  This makes it difficult to impart wisdom because the subtle difference between worldliness and wisdom is often lost on a generation that comes to the world so well-equipped.  Here's the best I can do to define wisdom:  wisdom is the understanding and world view that is acquired by applying critical analysis and judgment to one's life-experience.  A prerequisite to obtaining wisdom, therefore, is life-experience.

With this, I point your attention not to the issues of the day but to the lens through which I view the upcoming election.  Here's what I'd offer to young voters, especially those who, with youthful enthusiasm, bought into "hope and change" in 2008 and those who will be voting for the first time this year.

First, "hope and change" is a slogan - powerful for sure - that distracted us from the candidate's lack of experience.  "Hope" is not a plan for making things better and no candidate ever ran for office without a sense of optimism.   "Change" without a plan is a word without meaning.  Over the last 3 years Washington has become more bitterly partisan and less transparent than ever and this is due in large part to how the president has governed and to characterize it I'd say he has expanded upon the worst of Washington's characteristics and attempted to change nothing about how things are done.  My advice:  Don't be distracted by slogans, watch what candidates do and evaluate what they have done.

Second, as I have said many times in my blog - we get the government we deserve.  In 2008 we elected a junior senator who hadn't served a full term in Washington and who had no previous experience of note; a guy who rarely took a stand to vote on anything of value and who had never led an organization other than his campaign.  Why did we expect he would be an effective leader of the free world rather than a party hack?  (By the way, when this guy runs a second time on the value of the experience he  obtained in his first term, it becomes necessary for us to evaluate his performance.  This will take up many more columns and, I fear, not be very positive.)  My advice: Don't vote for someone based on what they hope to do and be.

Finally, the president spent his first two years blaming his continuing failures on the depth of a recession caused by George W. Bush.  This is not leadership.  Once elected the president has to be bigger than that and looking backwards (except to learn lessons) is a distraction.  Lately he's begun his campaign by criticizing the various Republicans still vying for the right to run against him.  Again, regardless of what he says this behavior is distinctly small and here's why it matters:  During those two years with super-majorities in both houses of congress Obama failed to pass a budget.  A budget!  The most basic of government functions and, without opposition, the president failed to make one.  Today he will tell you it's the Republican's fault (blame again) but the Republican House DID pass a budget for 2012 and the Democratic Senate refuses to consider it.  If the president wanted them to deliberate on the budget they would.   Despite all his activity and all the big things he's stuck his nose into, he's not meeting the basic requirements of the job.  (I can't help the simile this brings to mind:  a kid who doesn't do his homework and fails a class but goes to the teacher begging for extra credit!)  My advice: Vote for a president who has demonstrated real leadership.

I'm sad to say that my advice to young voters comes off as being partisan.  It saddens me because I don't want to be shut off by Democratic partisans.  My hope is that thoughtful young people of both parties who are eager to debate the issues of the day will set those issues aside for a moment to observe and understand the context in which the issues are debated.  You can make up your own mind on the issues and the values each candidate brings to the table but first, be critical about who gets to the table!