My First Presidential Election

This is the first presidential election that I am eligible to vote in. I missed the 2008 election by only three months! This time around, I am completely ready and excited that I will finally get to cast my vote.

Election season can be infuriating at times. I'm not sure that there is any other instance in which people react the way they do about politics. People can get downright mean. Amidst all the bickering and name-calling, you can sometimes find valid arguments and logical reasoning. Underneath all the animosity (deep, deep down underneath), people simply care. I think that's what causes politics to get so heated. People genuinely care about their government. I try to keep that in mind when I find myself frustrated with people who hold different opinions than my own.

As a relatively new voter, I have tried very hard to keep an open mind about everything. I differ pretty radically from the majority of people in Oklahoma, and instead of getting annoyed by this fact, I've tried to use it as an opportunity to see where people are coming from. My parents are fairly conservative Republicans and I truly value their opinion. However, after many conversations and lots of questions, my views have not altered much.

Today I came across an article online from The New Yorker that does a fairly good job of reflecting my own personal opinions about our two candidates. I'm so frustrated with the lack of progress our country has shown. On social issues, I am appalled by how we still treat each other. It seems, at times, that the rest of the Western world has gotten over these archaic social problems that we are still wrestling with. I often think that my generation will talk about our parents' homophobia like our parents talk about their parents' racism.

J.K. Rowling was recently on the Daily Show, and I've always admired her. I was pleasantly surprised to see that aside from being a spectacular writer, she seems to be socially and politically aware. She made very intriguing points about her government as compared to ours and I would strongly urge you to take the time to watch her interview online.

  

I really enjoyed the last debate, and I look forward to the one tonight. Everybody, regardless of their political views should take the time to watch.