The Election

I've probably been listening to too much NPR lately, cause it seems like I hear at least two hours a day of crap about the presidential election. Yep, crap.
From what I hear on NPR and read in other sources, people are basing their decision of which candidate to support on a variety of things. One gentleman said he is a “single-issue voter”. The IBEW is supporting Bill Richardson because of his favorable position on unions. One listener on NPR said that he didn't support Giuliani because he seems to always want the last word, while another said he was disappointed in Romney because in the last debate, he was not as eloquent at times. I remember another person commenting that they supported a certain candidate because he is smarter than Clinton.
It's amazing how rarely someone says “I support so and so because I feel their stance on the issues is correct.” Isn't that what is really important? Yes, it's important that a president is able to keep his mouth shut. Yet, it is important for a president to be able to speak well enough to express his thoughts. Yes, it is important for a candidate to be intelligent. But isn't it much more important for a president to have the correct political viewpoints?
As Americans, we have the responsibility to at least have a slight understanding of, at the very least, the roots of our country, the constitution, and what the true intentions of our founding fathers were. If we don't have this knowledge, how can we possibly make an informed decision when voting? We tend to know just enough to be harmful, like the kid who goes out and picks a fight after his first week of karate classes.
We need to understand what is good for us and what is bad for us, as a country. We need to understand that the government works for us, not the other way around. We need to understand that the federal government's money is actually our money; when they give money away, or waste money, they are wasting OUR money. Nothing coming from the government is free. Good intentions in no way define wisdom.
When we understand these things, and begin to look past ourselves, we will begin to see the candidates, and voting, in a new light. We will begin to vote for what is truly best for our country, not just for what best serves our own selfish interests. We will eventually have candidates who respect the citizen more than money.
I have heard it said that empires are lost due to poor economics, rather than invading armies. However, I would say that a democracy is lost due to the lack of interest and lack of knowledge of the people.