My voting standards for my politicians

My voting standards for my politicians

The America I live in is a constitutional republic.

By a Constitution I think of a document that says in writing what my rights are as a common citizen.

Having lived in other countries, too, I recognize that while things are still not perfect here, they are considerably better than some other places I have lived.  Such are my standards. For example, I would not want to be a woman in Saudi Arabia.

By a republic I think of an elected politician who uses his or her ethical judgment to vote the way they think the majority of those who elected them want them to vote.  Now that is a difficult process I suspect for most. The usual friction between group rights and individual rights and education is constant. But my standard is be represented, and if I don't like the politician's performance I can vote for someone else. Our judiciary can keep us honest, I expect and hope.  I also accept the voting time tables in our Constitutions as the standard. I understand we the people can change these time tables by amendments if we choose to go that route. For example, we formerly elected our federal Senators in state legislatures.....now we use the popular vote to do so (the 17th Amendment to the Constitution). Even the advertisers and marketing American people will respond in their own way, I also suspect.

I do not expect a politician to vote his or her own consciousness as a priority. That idea invites the concept of a politician using chicanery to get elected.  The concept sounds appealing in many ways, but also invites chaos and the present mess we as a country seem to be in these days. But I also think many politicians still do it, like use chicanery.

I do expect them to try represent me, the citizen and voter, as best he or she can. "Taking home the bacon"  and chicanery is a lower priority to me.

Of course, self interest drives me, plus my love of country and dedication to our collective future, mostly our children's future.

We have something special and unique in human history in our America, in my opinion. It is worth fighting  and voting for.