We don’t vote for people.
We vote for their votes.
That’s the truth about elections. But we’re not supposed to know it.
Campaign managers, political analysts, and newscasters have trained us well. Come election day, most of us cast our ballots based on a candidate’s character, personality, even accent. We vote for the one we like best. Our media has turned elections into popularity contests rather than the serious expression of our policy goals.
We need to know a candidate’s voting record. And choose the votes, not the person. Otherwise, those smiling, likable candidates get into office and transfer our tax money to friends, corporations, and projects that are not on our list of priorities. They may even start an illegal war. Every voter should follow the roll call.
Know your reps and how they vote. Every citizen is represented at the local, state, and national level. We all have one Congressperson, two Senators, State Senators, and State Assemblymembers. That’s a lot of work. But it is essential if we want to hold the people we elect accountable for what they do—and if we want to know when they need to be replaced.
Filed under: follow the roll cal, rolls
