Politician stances must be carefully evaluated
In the history of U.S. politics, states are typically classified into two categories: “red” states and “blue” states. While this concept is relatively new — it first appeared in political vernacular during the 2000 election season — it helps divide the country into two camps: Republicans and conservatives (red) versus Democrats and liberals (blue).
No matter which team you root for, this delineation makes for great political theater. Politicians, especially those running national campaigns, love this because it makes their jobs so much simpler. Instead of wasting precious time and energy trying to “convert” other states to their color, all they have to do is energize their base and ensure their color goes out on Election Day and votes.
Needless to say, this division does not help our nation. Pandering to one’s own people inhibits the birth of new ideas or new thoughts. It reinforces the status quo, which is something we don’t need in light of the economic and social challenges our country faces. At its best, it creates an insular bubble that makes it challenging for people to reach across party lines, but at its worst, a hostile environment is created in which nothing productive can be accomplished. This trend is alarming and needs to be addressed.
Lately, there is a new color presidential candidates should look out for. Purple, the end-product of a red and blue mixture, has and will continue to become yet another division in American politics. As its name suggests, purple describes moderates, or states and people not quite red and not quite blue. These states are toss-ups so, in theory, the presidential candidates have a relatively equal chance of winning that particular state. Therefore, each candidate has an incentive to compete to ensure he or she wins that particular state’s voters.
Competition, as seen in other realms such as business and technology, is the mother of innovation. Purple states foster a competitive spirit among candidates while also promoting moderation in their policies. For example, we’ve seen Mitt Romney swing to the far right during the primary season (i.e., when he was campaigning toward red voters) and slowly creep back toward the center as the general election date draws closer.
However, even with the addition of purple states, the system is not perfect. It still has flaws that must be addressed. As voters, we need to carefully examine whether our chosen politician is genuine in his sayings or if he is just trying to get voters. No matter what color the state in which we reside is, or what color vote we cast, we need to make sure we are voting for our nation’s future, not for what team we root for.