Last night was the first Republican Presidential Primary, the Iowa Caucus. The caucus is the first election stop for Democrats and Republicans in a presidential election year. That’s why they make such a big deal about it on every media outlet. And this year, since we President Obama is already the presumed Democratic candidate, the primaries are all about the Republicans.
But here’s why Victorious Woman thinks it’s important today:
First of all, more than 50% of the US population thinks the country is going in the wrong direction. Maybe you are one of them. Maybe you’re out of work and can’t find a job, or your health care premiums are way up or you’re tired of the federal government wasting your tax dollars while wanting to raise your taxes. Maybe you have other reasons.
Secondly, too many voters are too busy or too jaded to believe their vote counts.
But last night gave us all a wake-up call. While Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucus by beating out the 2nd place winner Rick Santorum, it was only by eight votes.
EIGHT VOTES!
In my hometown I’ve seen those kinds of numbers in elections, like in the 2006 election when Democrat Barbara McIlvainne Smith won her State Senate seat in Republican-held Chester County PA by just 23 votes.
Today’s Victorious Woman MUST pay attention to politics. In the past women had given these reasons for voting for one person or another:
- I was vote my party (party-loyalty – and it doesn’t matter who’s running and what they stand for)
- I voted because s/he supports a woman’s right to choose (single issue)
- I heard on the news that s/he said/did/believes [X] (believing hearsay – check it out for yourself: many people thought Barack Obama’s mother died and that’s why he was raised by his grandparents; President Obama was an adult when he mother died at age 52)
- I like the way s/he looks
- My spouse/union/partner/friends told me to vote for him/her (my mother always voted the way my father told her to vote – and she believed that all politicians were crooks and it didn’t matter who won)
As a Victorious Woman, you need to take control of your choices by knowing the issues, what a candidate is saying about them, and how they have voted in the past. You should try to find out if your elected person typically votes his/her party, ideology, as a thank you for some lobbyist perk or what’s best for the constituents. And if isn’t the latter, take a stand.
Our elected officials are making decisions that seriously impact your life and lifestyle and in ways that most of us can hardly believe. Do you remember when you could just turn on the TV and, using an antenna, get all the major stations for free? Thank Congress for the deal they made with the cable companies. Was your elected official one of congressionals who cast a vote that resulted in costing you $500/year or more for cable? What about the mandate to use those dangerous and low light curly lightbulbs?
And those are just the tip of the iceberg. Companies pay lobbyists six figure salaries so they can cozy up to senators and representative to promote a company’s agenda. Those lobbyists job is to sway your elected representative and get them to vote for their benefit, which may have nothing to do with what’s good for you and yours.
You can go to government websites to find out how your Congressional representatives voted. Look also to other non-partisan outlets for discussions on votes
EIGHT VOTES!
If you lived in Iowa, and were part of last night’s caucus, your vote made a huge difference. And, in your state, you’ll have a chance to do the same. Get informed now.
