The Birth of Another Blog

After spending a day working at the polls for the "off-year" elections in Virginia, where I was collecting signatures to get Mitt Romney's name on the ballot for the primaries in March, I found myself angry at the uninformed and misinformed public. So I am starting this blog with the intention of wanting to 1) better educate about the political process, 2) who Mormons really are, and 3) bigotry.

I live in a "swing state," one of those peculiar few states that doesn't lean completely right or left when it comes to national elections. Supposedly these swing states make all the difference thanks to our unpredictability, which is exactly why I think it is that much more important that we are educated fully about the candidates and issues.
Why read my opinion over all of the others out there? Well, first of all, don't take my opinion over the others. Just consider it along with all of the others. But as for the reasons I have any room to talk- I grew up right outside Washington, DC. All I have ever known is the political process. My earliest memories include making GOTV calls when I wasn't even old enough to dial the phone (Mom dialed, I talked), and being the baby that kissed at rallies my dad help organize. I interned on Capitol Hill 3 different times. I have seen first-hand how the political process really works. I've worked as a full-time paid staffer on a presidential campaign. I've worked for lobbyists and trade associations. I've lived in 5 different states. And let's not forget my journalism background. I know where reporters and writers are coming from and why they word things the way that they do. In short- I get it. My not-quite-an-insider point of view is unique and not made up entirely of bias from the media. Instead of reading or seeing politics on TV, I've lived in it, and sometimes that can change everything.

So what happened out there at the polls that I would want to take on another blog? 

Straight up bigotry!

There I was, just a girl holding a clipboard, standing in the cold, outside of the polls. As voters passed me by, I stayed on the correct side of the little line drawn on the ground telling me where 100 feet from the polls were, and yelled out, "Excuse me, I'm collecting signatures to get Mitt Romney's name on the Virginia primary ballot! Would you like to sign?" Many people did the head tuck and turn, pretending they didn't hear me. Some came over and signed it for me! Some shook their heads and said no. And then there were the rude bigots. The ones who YELLED back at me, "I would never vote for that Mormon!" or "This is a Christian state that will never vote for Mitt Romney!" or my favorite, "Mitt Romney is a member of a cult and is going to Hell!" 

Wow, a polite "no, thanks" would have sufficed. 

Realizing there are people who might jump party lines instead of voting for Mitt Romney, is when I decided I wanted to help flesh out issues, and open up some discussions. Let it be known, I am LDS, and I am leaning towards voting for Mitt Romney at this point. Truthfully, he does not fully represent my views, but then, none of the current candidates come close to representing my views. For now, Romney is the candidate I feel best understands international relations (his Olympics experience), politics (former Governor), business, taxes, and money. I like that, so he gets my vote. But I am still very open-minded about who I will vote for- like I said, no one is currently representing my views well. I do intend to be an unbiased as possible in discussing the issues here. 

It is true that I already have 3 other active blogs - Story of a Nice Mormon Girl, Cutting Back and Going Green, and Jobs By Erin - so why would I want to start a fourth blog? Three isn't enough? It is because I want to keep the topics separated from each other, and because I hope others will want to contribute to this blog. If you have something to say (politely and without anger) on the subject of the 2012 Presidential, House, and/or Senate Elections, I welcome you to send it to me!