ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL by T. Edwin Perry
Today was the last day of early voting in Broward County, Florida, before the official Primary Elections on Tuesday. Like every election, there are choices to be made, and it is up to the Voters to make those choices, and each of those choices will have significant influence on the Future of this country. And, each of those choices will have a significant influence on the Future of each voter.
The Former Speaker of the House Thomas Philip “Tip” O’Neill, Jr., coined an important phrase during his political career: “All Politics is Local,” and our FOUNDERS would have agreed with that. In fact, it was the basis of our “Republican” form of government. Each Member in the House of Representative was intended to be the elected voice of the constituents of their individual districts. Each member of the House was intended to be responsible to those constituents for their actions, their choices, and every word they spoke as a Representative of those voters. And when the 17th Amendment took the power to select Senators away from the State Legislators, also elected by the People of that State, and, instead, put that power into the hands of those People directly, it made those Senators equally responsible to those People as well. As a result, all Politics, no matter whether they are related to the City, the County, the State or the Presidency, are, in fact, Local!
So, today, I cast my vote. I did so based upon my own personal choices for Senate (Marco Rubio), for State Attorney General (Pam Bondi) and for Governor (Bill McCollum). Now, these choices may seem like a departure from my Previous Post regarding the Florida Governor’s Race, in which I mentioned Rick Scott in his bid for the Republican Nomination for Governor. His recent performance in the Tampa Debate against McCollum, as well as not participating in other debates after CHALLENGING McCollum himself in his campaigns cinched my Primary support for McCollum. If Scott wins the Republican nomination, I’ll be honest: I don’t know at this point if he’ll get my vote come November. The increasingly venomous and negative campaign commercials thus far have soured my view on both candidates, and my choice will be a decision yet to be made in the coming weeks. And before you challenge my stance on “It’s not about Republican or Democrat, but Principles,” keep this in mind: these were PRIMARY elections. Yes, I’m registered as a Republican. And, yes, in the Republican Primaries, I’m going to actually vote for Republicans. (In fact, it’s guaranteed that a Republican Candidate will WIN in a Republican Primary. IMAGINE THAT!)
Between now and the final elections in November, I’ll have to make my choices again. I will make those choices based upon the Candidate’s position on those issues that are most important to me. If their positions are Conservative, regardless of their party, they’re guaranteed to get my vote. If they’re not, well, the more CONSERVATIVE Candidate will get my vote. And that, my friends, is EXACTLY the way our Founders intended it to work.
All politics are local politics. Please take the time, regardless of your personal point of view, and exercise your rights.
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