Today’s entry: Hello Brian. It is the eleventh hour and I have no idea who to vote for. I have been extremely busy at work and home so due diligence has not been an option for me. Have you done an analysis or comparison of the Republicans running in our primary? Please, help me with the most streamlined method by which I can be assured that I will be making intelligent choices next week. Thank you very much.
Bottom Line: This is one of many similar requests I’ve received over the past week plus as we’ve been approaching tomorrow’s primary election day in Florida. While I’ve been fielding the most questions for non-partisan races, which is typical, a few of the highly competitive primaries in state and congressional races across South Florida have left many wondering what candidate is best suited to represent their interests as well. And here’s the thing. I get it. A lot of this isn’t easy to sort out. And by the time I’d done my due diligence there were two races which still weren’t easy decisions for me. So that’s the first thing to know. It’s normal to have questions and feel a little indecisive. And I truly appreciate that as a listener you may respect my perspective enough to suggest how you should vote. I know some hosts feel it's their place to issue candidate endorsements, as a standing policy I’ve never thought that was my place. That’s for two reasons – the first is I’ve worked far too hard over the course of my 25 years to put my name and credibility on the line with any candidate. If you’ve ever felt let down by a politician you’d supported – you get it. I put my faith in God, not in candidates. The other is that I don’t feel it's my place to tell you who to vote for. What I do is all about information and education, establishing facts and drawing deductions based upon them. It’s in that context that I offer up this guide, which is how I go about making my own decisions, that’s hopefully helpful to you.
Partisan races
What issues are most important to you pertaining to the race for that specific office? Once you define those issues clearly you can specifically seek out answers to those questions and see if one candidate stands out the most to you on those issues. Even if multiple candidates seem to be similar or saying the same kinds of things, I often find that if I prioritize what matters most to me and seek those specific answers starting with the candidate's website, I'm able to notice differences in those issues or at least the priority of those issues with those candidates. If that doesn’t do the trick...
Ask the question. Every candidate’s website has a page to contact the candidate or the campaign. If you still aren’t clear on the specific issues that matter most to you, ask the candidates/campaigns. Feel free to email or call. If they provide information for you to contact them but aren't responsive – that also could be a tell about the candidates and how responsive they’d be to your concerns if elected. If all else fails...
Check the endorsements. If there are specific organizations or individuals that you respect the opinion of – look for them on the endorsement pages of the candidates. You’ll likely spot names and organizations you’re familiar with that could help you if you’re struggling to decide.
Non-Partisan races
These races are often the most difficult for voters and often receive the fewest votes. Many people simply aren’t sure of whom they want to vote for, so they don’t. That’s not a good answer. First up, look for the issues once again. Where do they stand? How prominent are the issues they’re raising as key concerns to you? If you find that they’re focusing on issues you care about – you might find your candidate. If you find that they’re prominently focusing on issues that you don’t think are highly relevant or you disagree with – you might be able to rule them out. The process of elimination is a very much a thing for many conservatives in South Florida. While we’d all love to identify candidates which we want to vote for – sometimes the reality is that you might find yourself in a situation where you’re trying to find the candidate you disagree with the least. Attempting to be altruistic is a bad idea. We’re living in an era where socialists are winning offices in this country. I’d much rather have someone who’s left-of-center win a race over a socialist. Especially when we’re talking about school board races and judges.
Endorsements have the potential to be especially helpful in non-partisan races. This is the reason Governor DeSantis began endorsing candidates in certain school board races across the state this year. Again, look for organizations and individuals and see if you can identify any that you view as significant – one way or another. Sometimes it can become clear quickly how potentially partisan many non-partisan candidates are in rea. Hopefully this is helpful. I know you’d said you’d been busy and hadn’t had the time to do your due diligence. This doesn’t have to be laborious. You’ll likely figure this all out in under 30 minutes, and you’ll be far more informed about the candidates at the end of this process regardless of who wins – which I also think is valuable for all of us to know. As I’m inclined to say, every election has consequences, however it's those closest to us which often have the biggest impact in our daily lives.
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