Why Do I Talk About It? - If you care, you'll read this one.

INTRODUCTION:

Greetings. I receive many weekly emails requesting topics from my readers and subscribers to discuss. Most are relatively straightforward requests. I also receive emails when someone wants to express their opinion on my writing. I enjoy reading those. I do not take whatever they state, whether positive or negative, personally because everyone has a right to their opinions, and I like to hear various opinions. As a public speaker and writer, I learned many years ago that learning is a process of listening before you speak and then speaking. How else can you address any topic until you have listened to what is being said? Doesn't that make sense? In today's society, too many people speak before they listen.

This past week, I received an email—well written, by the way—from one of my subscribers who has been reading my posts since I started this blog. To summarize, her question was, since I have repeatedly stated I try to stay away from political posts, why have I been writing about politics so much lately? It is an excellent question that I would like to answer in this post.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

Looking at the past eight years, what have we faced as a nation? In order:

Less global conflict
A robust economy
Personal growth for people and business
Low unemployment
Low inflation
Energy independence
Low gas prices and general costs of goods
Stricter border control
Crime, but lower
Then a pandemic
A new election which resulted in
Three New Global Conflicts
A failing economy
Less growth for people and business
Higher unemployment
Higher inflation
Less energy independence resulting in lost jobs
Higher gas prices and cost of goods
Open border policies
Increased crime rates
Now, and now, a new election year

Does anyone see a trend here? That said, not all things the Biden/Harries administration has done are bad choices. However, many key areas, the areas that affected every one of us, were terrible choices. Every President creates some debt. The pandemic created a large debt. That was not the fault of Trump or Biden. However, the money spent that was NOT related to the pandemic and just stuck in those bills was the fault of the Biden administration.

Many people, actually most people, do not follow daily economics other than the fact they know things are costing them more. Alarmingly, a study in 2023 showed that over 50% of people believe what they hear on their favorite news media stations and what they read on social media. (REFERENCE TO STUDY)

Think about that because, in the GALLUP poll, only 34% of Americans trust the mass media. (REFERENCE) That doesn't say much about the trust and accuracy of information. We all know the news media has its favorites, and fair and equal reporting is not always accomplished. Therefore, where does that leave the American people? In the end, everyone has to decide and pick a side. Left or right, Democrat or Republican, call it what you wish. No matter what you call it, you are making a choice and choosing sides.

OTHER FACTORS:

Here comes the scary part. Although there are many correct reasons to pick a candidate to vote for, the three key factors that many use are:

Profession Experience
Personal Appeal
Party Affiliation

Many entities, including the candidates themselves, will try to influence each area by avoiding the key issues. Let's look at each one for a moment. When discussing professional experience, does their record support their choices and the platforms and values they stand for? If you do not agree with those values, why would you consider voting for them? A tiger never changes its stripes.

A candidate will have big TV stars endorse them because they feel these actors are famous and may influence people to vote for that candidate when, in fact, many of them know no more about politics than you do. This is the personal appeal factor. The personal appeal factor doesn't get the job done. Also, race, color, gender, and creed do not value what a candidate will or will not do.

Concerning party affiliation, the days of being a Democrat or Republican because your parents were are long gone. Both parties are different now than they were decades ago. We live in a new generation of thinking. More and more people are registering as Independents these days.

The bottom line is that you should vote for the candidate that reflects your values, has a proven track record, and the candidate you believe will get the job done as it relates to what is essential to you. It is not that actor or sports figure that will be running the country.

WHY DO I TALK ABOUT IT?

I am convinced this election is a critical turning point for our nation. I read and heard the rhetoric from both sides. I look past the personal insults, name-calling, and such. Although I'm afraid I have to disagree with it, it is part of the political game. Who has the better names for their opponent does not interest me, nor will that get my vote. My vote goes to the candidate with the proven track record, who I believe will do the job. We cannot ignore the facts. I know what we had under the Trump administration and what we have had under the Biden/Harrie administration for almost four years. That tiger will not change its stripes. In addition, the flip-flopping of policies tells me it is only a political ploy to get votes. Kamala Harris has not changed throughout her entire political career. I do not believe she will change now.

Many say that, as vice president, she didn't make the decisions. However, she is the President's closest advisor and supported every decision he made, including two tie-breaking votes that cost us trillions more in debt. That tells me she hasn't changed and will do the bidding of what the Democratic party wants, as Biden did.

These are not biased statements. They are facts. You know this because we all lived through both administrations. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know when times were better. No administration is perfect. Every President has made bad choices. However, many corrected them rather than continuing to make them. This past administration failed tremendously in that area.

This is why I talk about it now more than I ever have in the past.

Someone needs to speak the truth. We must never allow our right to free speech to be locked up. We all have the right to state our opinions constructively. Political or domestic violence, to make your point, should never be an option or considered. That said, as I stated, this election is critical. However, it is also personal. It is personal because it will affect my children, grandchildren, and yours, if you have them, for years to come. I am not afraid to state I endorse Donald Trump. Many say they don't want Trump or Harris. They feel they are voting for who is the best of two evils. I do not look at it that way.

Neither is perfect. No man or woman is perfect. Based on what I feel is important to me and our nation, it is a case of who will do a better job. For me, it is probably the same as it is for you. Our economy includes inflation, cost of living and goods, etc., the border, crime, eliminating these wars, medicare, social security, prescription drug costs, and the things that will make life easier for people and help them to reduce their debt and enjoy life with their families. I would love to see the day come when someone retires and the drugs and medical care are free for the rest of their life.

As a paramedic, I've seen too many elderly retired people die, probably needlessly and before their time, because they could not afford their medication co-pays or doctor visits. That's a shame, and guess what? Any of them could be one of us one day. Social security should not be taxed. You paid taxes on that money when you earned it and paid into the social security system. So many work after they start collecting social security for a few extra bucks. However, if they make too much, their social security gets taxed. Why? If they still work after collecting social security, they pay into the system. LEAVE THEIR BENEFIT ALONE.

In addition, don't let anyone mix your words. If you are not confident in what you are saying, don't say it. Don't sound like a Kamala Harris word salad. Nothing is more embarrassing than saying a lot of words and saying nothing.

Words are like puzzle pieces. The pieces must fit in the right places to form the complete picture.

I do not discuss these issues to sway who to vote for. I only tell you the facts. Many of them are tainted or not reported on the various news networks. I've taken the time to do the research. Watch the sound bites, video clips, and the whole speech to see how these snippets apply to the big picture of what a candidate is trying to say. Again, I do this because I believe this election is critical.

I tell people, my friends and family, as I did in 2020, to vote for who they want to. We live in a democracy, and that is their right. However, don't complain about it later. I cannot speak for the nation, but I can speak for what I know through interactions. I can safely say that 90% of people I know or who I have come in contact with who voted for Biden/Harris in 2020 tell me that if they could do it over, they would have voted for Trump.

IN CLOSING:

I hope I have answered the question of why I am talking about this year's presidential election more than in the past. Early voting has already started, which I am not a fan of. If something surfaces about a candidate at the last minute, it is too late to change your vote. As Americans, when we start voting this early, we can leave ourselves vulnerable to new information that can surface. Voting is a great responsibility that requires thought.

By September, we look back and say wow, this year flew by. Yet, living with the problems on a daily basis seems like it will take forever to fix. This is why voting is so important. Over the next four years, you may look at the end of each year and say that the year flew by. However, if you live paycheck to paycheck and carry a large debt, that year will seem like a lifetime. At the end of each year, you will have felt like all you did was work and accomplished nothing.

These thoughts don't enter the minds of the rich and famous, but they strongly affect middle-class Americans trying to pay their bills, give their families a life, put food on their tables, and wonder what the future will hold for their children. Yes, this is a critical election. Vote wisely.

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Thank you.

Please feel free to leave comments, or if you have a topic you would like me to discuss, you can email me at crondina@caesarrondinaauthor.com. As always, I accept guest blog posts. If you want to write about a topic, email your finished draft in Word format to crondina@caesarrondinaauthor.com. I will review it and contact you. Thank you.

Be safe, stay well, and focus on being happy. And remember to always: