Sorting out a political choice

Sorting out a political choice is confusing today – perhaps more than ever.  Computer aided technology has helped get more and more clear about exactly what America wants.  What we want is a centrist candidate with good morals who can be trusted to uphold the American Constitution and who will provide a solid front to foreign officials.  Each party has their slant on what exactly that means. To the traditional Republican it means having someone who is for Gun’s rights and against abortion and gay marriage.  To a Democrat it means someone who is willing to make social change happen at the same time managing to allow more freedoms to the individual. 

“Good Guys” versus “Bad Guys”

But inside all of it the process seems to be about figuring out who is the “Good Guy” and who is the “Bad Guy”. 

McCain’s choice of Palin as his running mate managed to put him more in the “Good Guy” column to a lot of women voters.  Thus turning him in to a “Good Guy” for women voters looking for an avenue for women to gain access to the Oval Office. 

Obama gets to be the “Good Guy” for all those people of color who have never made it to the Oval office, too.  Of course, his naming Biden as his running mate made him the “Good Guy” to all those Jewish citizens who have never made it to the Oval Office either. 

This race seems to be as much about who can be the best “Good Guy” for the most discriminated group as anything else.  Even McCain’s age is a factor in that he will be one of the oldest presidential candidates (Reagan was 73 when he ran).  Seniors are yet another disenfranchised group. Older people will see him as the poster child for growing older and still fully participating in life and the world.

As the race for the 2008 election continues we will undoubtedly hear some quickly thrown together stories about why each candidate is not really the “Good Guy” and in fact, is the “Bad Guy” we all fear.

For McCain, the issue already (pardon the pun) heating up, is the issue of his temper.  He has quite a quick fuse and there are 40 videos of his temper flaring that have been viewed more than a million times. 

For Obama there is the ridiculous claim that he is a Muslim “fundamentalist”.  Just calling him a Muslim puts him into the “Bad Guy” category for many ignorant voters thinking that Muslim equates with terrorism.  (The Muslim faith has many of the same basic tenets as the Christian faith and neither are proponents of murder and terror). 

What is behind this simplification?

So what is up with this need to find a “Good Guy” or a “Bad Guy” all the time? I think its part of how our brains are wired.  We have to assess a potential threat with the knowledge of what is “Good” and what is “Bad” so that we can quickly determine the right course of action.  It’s a primitive response that comes from our old brain, the part of our brain that is similar in structure to reptiles.  The impulse is: if it’s a threat to us it is “Bad” if it is safe it is “Good”.  So we view threats this way.  Swing voters go back and forth looking to figure out who is this weeks “Good Guy” and “Bad Guy”. The “Swift Boaters” of the last election were able to sway this group to win the election for George Bush.  Now, I wasn’t a big Kerry fan, but now who is the “Bad Guy”? 

The important take-away

The important thing I hope you will take away from this tirade is that simply allowing or primitive reactions and looking for the simple “Good Guy” versus “Bad Guy” decision making process can get us all in a world of mess.  (Look what happened the last time!)  We need to use our higher brain functions, put on our thinking caps and make decisions based on the real issues and not whether one is perceived at this moment in history as a “Good Guy” or a “Bad Guy” in whatever category we are interested.  Getting out of the black and white (no political reference intended) changes everything!

It's an illusion!

The “Good Guy, Bad Guy” image is all illusion anyway, that should be clear by now, manipulated by the media and each man’s political campaign.  Dig deeper, discover for yourself what makes each of these clearly GOOD men tick.  Choose based on whether you fundamentally agree with what one of them is saying they believe, and how they have VOTED in the past.  Look at the things they have done, not just what they say, and make a choice based on how closely they match your values.  Don’t allow the media’s appeal to our reptilian brain dictate your thinking.  You are smarter than that!

Comments Please!

Let me know how you see it. Have you seen the “Good Guy/Bad Guy” thing happening in other areas? I’d love to hear what you think. Comment below.