Who I voted for and why

To get everyone excited for election day tomorrow and to pad my Day 1 NaNoWriMo count (I'm doing great, thanks for asking and yes, this counts, because it's my novel and I say so) I am going to write a quick post about how I voted this election and why. Last election (2008), by no intentional design, I voted exactly 50/50 Republican Democrat (excluding when a Republican ran unopposed) with one Libertarian. This election I voted for only one Republican (excluding when a Republican ran unopposed and mainly just to avoid voting for only one party) and Libertarian and all the rest Democrat. Some of this, I'm sure, is due to the fact that I am becoming more liberal in my old age. No need to go into why here. But part of the reason is because Republican's in Utah have shifted too far to the right. I like to think that more than a Republican or a Democrat I am a realist and a conservative (old sense of the word again). Meaning, I want to elect officials who in a meaningful way will try to represent their constituency by building on existing laws in a meaningful and productive way. This generally excludes any member of the Tea Party.

And so, my explanation on almost all my votes goes like this: The Republican candidate was much too "conservative" by which they meant radically anti-government. Many vague claims about "restoring the constitution" and "a Christian nation" were backed up by little real policy. Okay, talk about Obamacare all you want. It might end up being expensive, but certainly will never be a major factor in the overall budget. Are you going to privatize social security? Will you make major cuts in education funding? Eliminate Medicare? Those are the real big ticket items. An honest libertarian will make a stand against them, like Rand Paul. The majority of tea-party republicans running are willing to make no such concessions, because, people love social security and education and Medicare. The democrats running know they don't have money to spend and won't spend it willy-nilly because there is no faster way to lose their job. And, get this: they offer solutions. The true conservative choice in this election is democrat all the way.

Exceptions: I considered Herbert for Governor. He has established enough conservative creds that he doesn't have to bow to the Tea Party. He's done some good things, some things I don't like. But I loved Carroon's campaign. He had a Republican running mate, which was the deal-sealer for me. If Bishop had been running in my district I would have thought about voting for him. Chaffetz, not so much. He was just an early leader in the tea-party movement. This doesn't really count, but I really wish I had been in district 63 so I could vote for Don Jarvis. He's the man.

I do, however, realize that no one but the lone Republican I voted for will win. That's okay. I still had to cast my vote for common-sense, not empty idealism.