Yesterday morning I posted the following Facebook status:
- Without starting a political debate... I'd like to take an unofficial poll of my facebook friends about the upcoming Presidential Election. Out of registered voters - people who have already voted or are certain that they will vote, who is your choice for President? If you don't mind sharing... will you also give your age and the State where you live? Just those three things, no commentary or explanation... I'm interested to see how my friends, acquaintances, family members, blogger babes, game buddies, etc are voting. Thanks!
By last night
I had 62 responses.
51 voted for Romney
1 voted for Johnson
1 is leaning Johnson
8 are voting for Obama
1 is voting for Carter (Jimmy, I presume.)
Out of my responders
46 live in Georgia
2 live in Pennsylvania
1 lives in Ohio
1 lives in Massachusetts
1 lives in New Jersey
1 lives in Maryland
1 lives in Virginia
2 live in Tennessee
2 live in Mississippi
1 lives in Louisiana
1 lives in Florida
3 live in California
Yes, my demographic is white, middle aged, somewhat conservative and Southern. So certainly, my facebook friends would fall along those lines. I do have a lot of friends who are much more diverse and much more liberal and I'm surprised that more of them didn't stand up to be counted... especially in the requested format of no debate, no commentary, no explanation.
Realistically, I knew that there were gonna be a few who colored outside the lines and that's ok. The only comment that was really abrasive to me came from someone who is a friend of a friend, who I don't know a thing about - and who likewise, doesn't know a thing about me. Or Southerners.
I believe the State of Georgia WILL go to Romney this year but I believe the Atlanta area will not. Atlanta is typically solidly Democratic, regardless of the candidate.
I love that my friend Christy pointed out that she votes based on candidate, not party. I wish that more people examined the individual and voted on their strengths and weaknesses in line with what our country needs. Do we need a Community Organizer / Law Professor or do we need a businessman? For me, that's the bottom line.
I disagree with Obama's socialized policies, primarily Obamacare. Yes, as a partially disabled, single female without health insurance, I need help taking care of my medical expenses. You know how I handle it? I pay them myself. Fortunately I'm in a position where my living expenses are mostly covered and I know that few people have that luxury, however, I have had to pick and choose what kind of medications I can afford to take, what kind of treatment I can afford to use, etc because of the limitations of my budget. Mandated health insurance, putting demands and requirements on businesses, putting out a program that our country cannot afford is not the answer for me and others who are in the same (or worse) circumstances. The audacity of "pass the bill and then you can find out what's in it" didn't sit well for me.
Taking away the freedom of religious groups to determine that they don't want to cover birth control for their employees when it is against their moral beliefs to me, is a slipperly slope to taking away religious freedom. If you go to work for an employer who YOU KNOW is against birth control then, in my opinion, you have made the choice that if you want and need birth control, you're going to pay for it yourself.
For that matter, I don't think birth control should be a part of Obamacare, just like for years it was not covered under most health insurance plans. What you do with your reproductive freedom is your business and your responsibility, in my opinion. As a young married woman, it was up to me and my husband to determine if and when we had children.
I think government assistance is out of control. My kid lived for a few months with people who don't work and live off of the government... so the first thing they did was get Austin signed up for food stamps. His money came in this week and the first thing he did was go to the convenience store and get a red bull. Seriously. I believe in a hand up, not a hand out. I think food stamps should cover real, honest nutrition - not stimulants.
I think taxation is out of control. I think the small percentage of people who actually pay taxes are carrying a burden that is too heavy. I think raising taxes "on the rich" won't be enough to take care of our current debts and certainly not enough to cover this socialized medicine debacle. I think there are too many people who are able to avoid paying taxes. I think there should be a nationalized sales tax instead of income tax. That way everyone in this country, regardless of how they got here and how long they're staying will have a hand in building roads, bridges, providing national defense, paying for nationalized healthcare, etc.
I don't appreciate the mentality that if you're not for Obama you're racist, homophobic, "Southern" or any other such pigeon hole. There are a lot of things about Mitt Romney that I'm not crazy about but I feel like he is the better equipped candidate when it comes to sorting out the mess that Obama "inherited". I feel like over the past four years Obama has bellyached and whined and complained about how things were so much worse than he thought. He was a Senator. He was involved in the budget process. When he campaigned for President four years ago, it was incumbent on him to be aware of the job requirements and challenges. If he didn't know how bad things were, then that tells me he didn't do his homework, therefore, he doesn't deserve four more years.
And as far as I'm concerned (and I'm no economist) a huge part of the major economic fail that happened at the end of the Bush administration was the result of the mortgage crisis which was the result of laws that were put into place in the Clinton administration. And regardless of who caused it, we need a shrewd businessman to step in and right the sinking ship that our country has become. At some point it stops being about who caused it and starts being about who can fix it.
So... that's my hardcore, political rant for today. I understand and respect that people disagree with me. I can only vote my choice and my conscience and I hope that you will all do the same.
IN OTHER NEWS... I'm pretty sure I have an ear infection, having had several over the past few years and being familiar with the symptoms. My left ear is clogged up and mega painful. I've made it through work all week (I say "all week" like that's been a big hairy ordeal - I've worked ten hours so far this week) but I have come home and tucked into the nest and really, really felt rotten. I feel rottener this morning. And yes, I know that rottener isn't a word. I don't miss work, though, because it's just a couple of hours and I really do enjoy being there.
I came into work yesterday to find a lumbar support cushion in my desk chair. It came from my boss. His chiropractor thought it would help me. It's the little things like that that make the difference for me. Instead of being vilified for physical limitations, I'm getting a lot of encouragement, understanding and support, both figurative and literal. That makes me feel like part of the team. As a matter of fact... that was what I was told last week, "you may be part-time but you're still part of the team". My contributions are valuable and validated and that helps give me the extra push when I'm not feeling 100%. It helps me go the extra mile with each and every customer because as a valued member of a team, I want to do everything I can to strengthen our team. I love my job.
Early in my tenure with this job, I was asked to type a letter for the boss. He dictated, I typed and made small, slight suggestions on wording. The next time he needed a letter, he dictated to my direct supervisor and had her bring the information to me to transcribe. Yesterday he gave me the points he wanted to make and had me actually write the letter. That's what I love about my office... not everyone has the same gifts and abilities. The mark of a good leader is being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your team and using them in a way that strengthens the team as a whole. It's so simple but such a morale boost for an office when everyone knows that what they do matters.
Anyways... I have a later schedule today and I think that will help me get my ducks in a row before I go to work. I hope you have a great day and that wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whether by voting or working or just being a citizen of your community, that you will feel valuable and valued. *hugs*
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