All Things Political!

[Patsy Underwood]

I am new to this political stuff. I've been a voter since I became eligible to vote and tried to keep up with the candidate that stood for the same values I did. But, I became involved in the tea party movement when I learned about the push for socialized medicine. The more I read about it the more frustrated and mad I became until I was at the "explosion" point. The First Coast Tea Party was my way to vent, to learn ways to make a difference and get educated on what was happening in Washington.

For the past year I have read and attended meetings to learn more about the workings of our city, state and federal government. And, in the past few months, I've read, searched on line and attended meetings to learn more about our political processes.

Now, as we face the primaries tomorrow, I'm still not sure about all the candidates on the ballot and the various parties they represent.

Why would a political party, prior to the primary, endorse or cater to a particular candidate? Wouldn't you think that the political parties should stay silent until the candidates are selected by the citizens of the local area or the state? Then, and only then, should they completely and wholely fall behind that candidate? What if the candidate that the political party endorses isn't the one that wins the primary - what now? Does the political party just say, "oh, well". Or, do they then say, "we were just kidding and the candidate who won the primary was really our choice all along"? Remember, I'm new to all this and definitely not privy to insider information.

Oh, and speaking about insider information - what about rumors that candidates endorsements are for sale? Is that the norm? Does this happen more frequently than we know? If an organization or a political figure endorses a candidate, is that a reason to vote for them?

How do we learn what a person is really about - what she/he really believes, what is in their heart, how they plan to make the changes that we all have "screamed" for this past year.

Tomorrow when we go to the polls to vote think about the words you've heard spoken by the person you're voting for. Were they sincere? Did they say one thing one day and another the next? Do you feel in your heart and mind that the person you are marking for your choice is the right person to help the First Coast, the State of Florida and the U. S.