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Has a politician ever asked you to grant him/her 'power'over you? ?
But that is exactly what politics is all about. Power.
During the primaries candidates usually are easily identified as 'left' or 'right'. They repeat the 'Party Line' to rally party core voters. However, after the primaries, everyone drifts more to the 'middle'. What is the middle ? In reality, the middle is a void. If you go to the middle, you will find yourself all alone. Why ? Because everyone is really left or right, some further from the middle than others. Everyone has their own level or measurement of integrity, and when governed by stark truthfulness, no one is really in the middle.
So what about the politician ? They have to appeal to the voting public to be able to prevail on election day. Do they actually come right out and tell us they want 'power', or, and this is a big ?or?. do these candidates actually 'pledge' integrity in doing what is right for all of us, and the country, as that may be different from the ideology of a particular political party.
Does anyone really believe that a Democrat or Republican elected to office will actually do what is right for the people and the country rather than support the Party Line ? They were campaigning for votes to give their party 'the power'. Are Independents in the middle ? Absolutely not. Independents will vote across party lines and vote for those candidates who they believe will do what is right once in office.
Many people look at the political parties today and think of the Republican Party as the party for the rich, and the Democratic Party as the party for the poor. Exactly where is the dividing line between rich and poor ? If my memory of history serves me, the Republican Party was formed supporting the issue of freeing the slaves, among others. This was in response to the inaction/opposition of the Democratic Party of the time (controlled by the rich landowners and business tycoons) to these issues.
I think it also a fair assumption that the military community is predominately conservative in nature, yet we see liberal candidates ?showing off? their military ribbons. Although nothing to be ashamed of or to hidden, in my opinion this stands to dilute any impression that they are too far left.
No one political party should be granted 'the power' to the exclusion of all others, particularly for a long period of time.
Your vote grants 'power'. Political Parties have no integrity. Only Individuals have integrity. Listen to the candidates in a campaign. Listen for what they?re not saying, as much as to what they do say. Make sure you grant 'power' to someone with integrity.
Don't join the simpletons and radicals in voting a straight party ticket.

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