The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Read!

As my husband watched the news I heard someone says, “The presidential election in 2012 will be the most important election in our lifetime.”

.
Really?
.

Didn’t I hear that in 2008? (Obama versus McCain)

I know I heard it in 2004 (Bush versus Kerry)

I definitely heard it (a zillion times) in 2000 (Bush versus Gore)

And 1996 was important! (Clinton versus Dole)

And 1992 (Bush versus Clinton) was the most IMPORTANT election ever! I should know, it’s when I voted for the first time. (I was 27 because it took a few years to shift gears after being raised in a strict Mennonite world where voting was strongly discouraged for men and forbidden for women)

The first few years after becoming a registered voter, I educated myself about politics and who was running for what office and what they stood for. I was intrigued with the whole process and read everything I could about all the candidates. 

'What's important?' photo (c) 2006, Valerie Everett - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

But 20 years of hearing each election slated as the most important one has made them lose some of their value for me. I find myself ignoring election news on TV and online. But yet I don’t want to be that person … the one that doesn’t know what’s really happening in my country.

So I try to stay informed enough to not be an idiot when it’s time to vote. I live in Pennsylvania, so that means I don’t have to get serious about staying informed as early, because I’m registered as an independent and independents can’t vote in our primaries. (if we seriously want fair elections, that law should be changed)

But what’s with the obsession each election season with the most important phrase? Why do so many reporters, journalists and talking heads fall into that trap? Do they seriously think we will become more concerned if they say it one more time?

I’m not saying elections aren’t important … they are important. And who gets in office can have a major effect on the country, but most times when someone says this is the most important election in our lifetime, they are focusing on a few select topics that are most important to them … and they hope to make them important to others as well.

Politicians, media, leaders … stop it!

Seriously!

Stop telling us what to think.

And especially stop telling us what is most important.

All voters are adults (unless you somehow got your two-year old registered) so just give us the facts and allow us to decide what is most important to ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That’s my armchair advice from the peanut gallery … what election advice do you have that everyone should hear?
Share it … because you know, it’s the most important thing!


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  • http://www.alise-write.com Alise Wright

    Totally agree – most important = stupid.

    To me, the most important thing is to be informed and to vote your values. But know that other people are ALSO voting their values and that what they value more might be different from you, and it doesn’t mean that you’ve got the corner on the values market. 

    And in the theater of the absurd, a few years ago when a new season of American Idol was starting, my hubs and I heard the best line ever. And it seems to go with this whole idea of everything being the most important. 

    “Once a year, you get to experience the thrill of a lifetime!”

    Perfect.

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      Exactly! Vote your values … but know that others are doing the same and they might be different than yours. 

      How cool … every year we get a new life :) 

  • http://kclanderson.com KCLAnderson (Karen)

    The most important election advice I have is to NOT watch television, listen to the radio (especially “talk” radio) or read any magazines or newspapers. Go to the source (the politician him- or herself) to find out where he/she stands. Otherwise you’re not informing yourself…you are being manipulated. That said, I also believe that politicians themselves are manipulating us. To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible to know the truth about any of them or any of the issues, so I basically go on instinct. How sad is that?

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      I don’t think that is sad … I think that is wise … use the brain you have to find out what you can, then use your instincts to help you decide. That sure beats being manipulated!

  • http://www.facebook.com/VincentDonnachie Vincent Donnachie

    Good post Janet. I have thought the same thing and have watched in disbelief every election cycle when people get sucked into the emotion of it all and fail to see that they are allowing themselves to be manipulated by the media on both sides of the political spectrum.

    The only advice I have (that is most important :-) ) is – if you feel strongly about particular issues and feel yourself leaning to one side – seek to understand why the other side feels the way they do! Read opposing view point from writers who are not given to emotion easily but give well-thought out arguments. This will either help you to see past labels and appreciate aspects of other view points or at the very least, enable you to know your subject even more thoroughly.

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      Love your most important thoughts :) Finding out more info about our own viewpoints and about opposing viewpoints is so crucial … thanks for sharing!

  • Fahnmamma

    My Dad was a Mennonite minister.  Ronald Reagan got his first vote because he felt strongly for what RR stood for. When President Obama was campaigning, there were things my Dad admired about him. I never asked him who he voted for that year. Could be…..how about that?!!

    I also vote according to my values. I will not think badly of those who do the same but vote differently from me. I have a FB friend whose political views are opposite from mine. Her friends share her views.  After an election I read comments that seemed to disregard my views, even seemed to call me stupid (they didn’t know how I voted, I was just included in the group of voters whose values differ from theirs). I had a comment all ready to go…..but chickened out. Decided to let it go. Still wonder if I should have said something….

    Once again, a very though provoking post!

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      Yea, it’s tough to know when to speak up and when to let it go. I’ve written and deleted a number of facebook and blog comments I was going to leave because after I wrote them, I was scared they would offend. 
      We teach children not to meddle in other people’s business unless they or someone else is being bullied. We don’t want them to endure it themselves or to walk away if they see it happening. We want them to do something and/or talk to someone about fixing the situation. Bullying back isn’t the answer, but addressing the situation is. So could us adults practice the same thing in politics … not meddling in other people’s business, but yet addressing situations where we or others are being bullied/disregarded/etc. … but doing it in a kind way?

  • http://peterpollock.com Peter P

    When I read the title, I was sure this was going to be a plug for your new book….

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      True … should have saved this title for posts about that :) 

  • Anonymous

    You go girl. I would like a whole lot of people to stop telling me what to think. Just sayin!