Poll Position

Today is election day and boy am I glad.  Not because I get to vote for the person whom I think should lead our state, county, city, etc.  I am glad because all things political will stop.  Finally, no more commercials telling me who to vote for or who not to vote for.  No more election signs cluttering up the landscape.  No more jumping up to get the phone just to find it is a pre-recorded message from someone asking me to vote for someone or something.  And I have to say that due to all of this unsolicited invasion of my privacy, I am not going to vote.  It's not because I feel that one vote can't make a difference.  I believe it can.  It's because I feel that none of the people who are running for office are actually worthy of holding that office.  I refuse to vote for anyone who slams their opponent in ads.  That rules out half of the candidates.  But I have to admit their ads are effective because they make me not want to vote for the other half of the candidates.  I feel that too many people go to the polls and vote without properly educating themselves first.  It's too easy just to push the button for someone because they're male or female or you just like their name.  I've done this in the past and regret it.  Not because the person was elected and failed me but because I participated in a process that I had no right participating in.  There should be a short quiz before you are allowed to vote proving that you know what the candidates stand for.  Maybe they should do it in essay format.  You can vote for someone but you have to then write a paragraph stating why.  Don't make everyone do it.  That would surely take too long, but more like random drug testing.  Make someone do it every now and then to keep everyone honest.  A lot of people also vote for the other guy.  They pick who they don't want to win and just vote for the opposition.  A friend of mine made the wonderful point that you shouldn't vote based on the lesser of two evils.  You should vote for the people you trust.  Trust is defined as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength and truth of a person or thing.  I'm not sure about the first three but truth and politics have no connection at all.  And trust me, I am sick and tired of the whole thing.