FREE NEWSLETTER
Go to main Forum page »
How many of us can proudly say we can cut through misinformation and disinformation, personal bias or prejudice?
As we enter the last month of a new election year, I’m wondering how many voters are truly informed. How many voters actually delve into the politics and issues put forth by the candidates. At first glance, some may sound good, but what are the calamitous consequences of their proposed policies, if enacted. Have you studied history and educated yourself about the problems some of the policies that they have put forth have wrought?
Some folks feel that it’s become a popularity contest. They may not like a certain candidates personality, and therefore disregard his/her Policies. While this may seem foolish, Too many surveys have proven This likely. To illustrate, while President Joe Biden was still in the running, I heard someone remark that they would vote for him. “even if he was in a casket”, rather than vote for the opposition, no matter how good their policies were.
Have the candidates put forth their policies with clarity— and can we trust them to be sincere? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. We have a clear view there— Kamala Harris has been vice president of our country for nigh on four years and Donald Trump was a former president four years ago. What were their individual accomplishments?. We have a good perspective from which to form our opinion based on the records of each. Neither one is new. Have you checked out their records and the policies they espoused?
Don’t listen to what the candidate say. Look at what they do and have done. Try to ignore the propaganda and surface level baloney that prevents us from forming educated opinions. Are they just selling a lot of sizzle? Where’s the steak?
Some candidates reverse, in words only, The ideology they have built their entire political career on, in order to appeal to a wider audience. I have heard this strategy referred to as pragmatic. Is this a new way of describing deceit?
Are we on the precipice of losing our freedom? It happens slowly and people who are not informed get used to losing freedoms, little by little, and even vote for it. It has become more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. The media doesn’t help, and politicians employ Hollywood coaches to enhance their performances with both scripted words and empty emotional phrases and mannerisms.
But choose we must, in this perilous time, when we are not even sure who is running the country.
I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I am an American. I hope we can preserve our culture and make it even better. We are not Australia, Germany, France, or the UK. The United States of America is a Republic. Not purely a democratic government. The individual has been granted unalienable rights under our constitution. How precious— Our freedom.
The challenges are enormous. Will you vote this election with knowledge and information?
Disappointed this forum seems to be trending towards a political blog. I see some comments about how this discussion is necessary due to its impact on your portfolio. Poor excuse for airing political grievances on what is supposed to be a retirement blog. Folks, are you not getting enough political opinions/arguments on TV, online and in the mail from this current election cycle. Do you all really want to argue about your political opinions here when many of us just want a place to talk about retirement issues? Also do you really think you are going to change anyone’s mind on who they are going to vote for? Take a deep breath, life will go on regardless of who or what party seems to have won the next election.
I agree — which is what I wrote 24 hours ago — and others have made the same point. I prefer not to play the heavy, but I may delete this thread if the conversation doesn’t peter out.
Very sorry to see this post on HD as it is nothing but veiled MAGA propaganda.
I think Marjorie did a good job of avoiding the all too familiar political rant we see everywhere. As I read it, she simply expressed a hope that voters would make a sincere effort to make a well informed vote. As she correctly states, the challenges we face are enormous. It’s hard for me to see how anyone with an open mind could view this as MAGA propaganda. If you like, please convince me by sharing which of her comments are propaganda (not true).
Thank you Jay.
Peter, please don’t hold Humble Dollar accountable. The country is in chaos. My only intention was to encourage others to discern and assimilate the facts.
The only ones who believe the country is in chaos is MAGA, thank you for making my point. How about comments like “perilous time, not even sure who is running the country” there is only one candidate who daily tells how awful our country is. “Do not listen to what a candidate says?” Really? That would only benefit the candidate who says something stupid and untrue every day which was gleaned from the latest conspiracy theory. I could go on and on. This is the greatest country in the world with amazing technology at our fingertips, untold wealth, wonderful medical advances. We should thank everyday that we are alive now. There have been crises in human history but now is not one of them.
The only chaos I know about is the aftermath of Helene, and both federal and state governments have rushed assistance to the affected areas. As soon as the state governors asked for federal disaster declarations, they were issued. Another 1,000 federal troops have just been sent to the NC mountains.
I just read your post now and thought it was very good and only encouraged people to research. I was interviewed recently for a local tv station and my comment was that I was grateful for the right to vote and thought we should all be grateful and respect the outcome, whomever is chosen by the people.
Thank you, Linda. We shouldn’t let it get under our skin. Once we do, it’s all over. Cooler heads do prevail and make it all a little more palatable.
There is a financial point where our country is spending billions on elections that could be used in a better way for the good of all. Everyone is exhausted with the long term elections, particularly as the 2020 one never ended for the loser. We want it to be over! I rather like the Harris campaign for its short term. I have found that some columnists (Heather Cox Richardson, Steven Beschloss, Jennifer Rubin) are the best information as to what is happening; always can google other sources to find the primary information. What is amazing to me is that one party is complaining about real time fact checking and censoring their comments. I do the research, vote but in a red state, I feel like I am ineffective as a single voter. With winner take all, each precinct wins by being the majority, rather than proportional. I am Independent, mostly to stay off the donation lists.
The Brits do it in six weeks, with limits on how much can be spent. They don’t vote for everyone including the rat catcher either.
Ratcatcher is probably a compliment when it comes to talent level of some of our recent PMs.
I skim most opinion columnists (and skip Rubin completely), but I stop and read carefully anything Ruth Marcus, Karen Tumulty and Thomas Friedman have to say.
Beschloss and Rubin are a couple of partisan hacks. I’d take their opining with a large grain of salt.
Rick, The question of whether we are a democracy or a republic is an important one which unfortunately has become somewhat of a conundrum. I could go into a lengthy explanation but, But strictly speaking, The United States is a representative republic, not a democracy.
As I have answered my Government students for the last 30 years. They ask, “How can you tell when a politician is lying to you?” My answer has always been, “Their lips are moving.” And the US has not truly been a republic since 1824.
See reply above your post. Thank you.
I’m going to push back a little on the idea that this isn’t the proper forum for this discussion. After all, what we discuss here every day is the financial security of our families, and other forms of familial security are valid topics as well in my view.
The deliberate or incidental targeting for terror of American families by national politicians or their supporters pushing political agendas that overflow into personal hate impacts security far more than a drop in the markets. The persecution of an Atlanta family of innocent poll workers, mother and daughter, by an outgoing president in 2020 is mirrored by the current experience of a business owner in Springfield, Ohio who publicly defended the quality of his immigrant workers and is now dealing with the impact of death threats against them, him and his own family.
Certainly the experience of my family never remotely approached those horrors, but it’s a simple fact that we now live near Seattle because when my wife returned to our Oregon beach house in 2020 after six months of pandemic lockdown with her family in Wuhan, a few neighbors in our small coastal community greeted her with anti-China banners and yells. She didn’t feel welcome anymore. So we left.
Disinformation and prejudice are spewed by certain prominent politicians to win elections, but they have a very personal impact on individual families.
I think the post is relevant since many people are voting based on perceived economics and lifestyle changes, disregarding the real societal changes from the pandemic and other events.
This is disappointing. I would have thought a post like this would get dozens of down votes. I guess this site isn’t what I thought it was.
My greatest concern is that one of the candidates will win.
I’m with you, Bob. Can’t they both lose?
I will never, ever, put my faith in any politician , at any level, to ensure my well being. I do not feel Harris or Trump, et.al., will ever consider the general population as a priority.
The primary goal of politicians is to get reelected, and whether in Washington or, in my case, Boston, the elected officials will always do their best, for themselves.
I am holding my nose and voting for ____________ haha
This is a great retirement forum and while I think politics are obviously important, I think political discussion should be pursued in other places. Some of you couldn’t help making your own political opinions known. Don’t we have enough of this in our lives?
Philip, on balance, I agree with you. On the one hand, I appreciate that commenters are pulling their punches a little, and that says something good about the HumbleDollar community. On the other hand, the discussion seems a little tortured and I don’t think this site is the right place to have this (non) debate.
I come here for personal finance discussions. Too many threads seem to focus on how to solve the world’s problems. It’s getting tiresome.
Yes keep it all finance related in some way.
you articulated my point better than I could. thanks
Dicey subject but well said Marjorie.
Marjorie you wrote, “Are we on the precipice of losing our freedom? It happens slowly and people who are not informed get used to losing freedoms, little by little, and even vote for it.”
If people are more interested in this topic I recommend two books I recently read: 1) How Democracies Die, and 2) Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Very enlightening, and scary.
David…I have another book for you…Risks and Returns by Wilbur Ross. It applies to all aspects of life.
Added: The above mentioned book is about creating success in business and in life. It was written by a successful businessman who was the former secretary of commerce from 2017 to 2021.
I heard this on npr: a reporter who covered Britain and lived there for 10 plus years. He came back to the US and was asked if he saw any difference in the way politics played out in Britain vs. the US. He said the biggest difference was the fact in Britain there is a set of facts that all political parties believe in. In the US this doesn’t exist giving the example of who won the 2020 election.
So the VP debate starts at 9 tonight. The talking heads begin talking at 8. It’s like the Super Bowl pre-game. Instead of those network talking heads I’d like to see Pee Wee Reese, John Madden, Terry Bradshaw, and Charles Barkley cover the festivities.
This is the point I was attempting to make in an earlier article:
I know some people who have never met a conspiracy theory they didn’t like, and who sometimes make financial and other important decisions based on them. And many of us, including me at times, are prone to confirmation bias, only seeking out information that mirrors our own thinking. Whether it comes from the loudmouth at the end of the bar, or that pundit you follow on cable TV or social media, too often we let such people influence our thinking.
The reality is most Americans are easily manipulated based on their own already formed beliefs and prejudices and won’t be swayed by facts.
I recently called out a woman who I know for posting false info on FB. I asked her why she would do that? She said she didn’t have time to check the facts.
Some of what is said is so obviously observed and yet it doesn’t seem to matter. It doesn’t even raise the alarm something might be wrong.
Look up how a propaganda strategy works and you will see what is going on is right out of the playbook. Goebbels would be proud.
I often read what I consider outrageous claims and ask the originator to please give me their source. Not once has that happened.
These are scary times in my book. The world is watching. My friends in Europe think we’re nuts.
I’m going to vote for the only candidate for President who believes in facts.
I have un-followed many Facebook peeps for posting political garbage.
Dan – I have both relatives and ex-relatives (still on good terms in spite of the ex-wife) as friends on Facebook and/or Instagram. I try very hard to ignore some of their political posts because it’s my only way to keep up with them. I wish I could un-follow specific political rant postings, but it’s all or nothing. Sometimes I just hold my nose and scroll by the post.
Dick, you make a lot of sense. People believe what they want to believe, even if it is propaganda—as long as it aligns with their political leanings.
As far as facts are concerned, I don’t think a back and forth is necessary, unless it involves one’s integrity. I try to make a point fairly with as much appropriateness as I can. I may not always succeed, but respectful discourse is my goal.
Chalk it up to motivational reasoning.
Hmm risky topic. I won’t articulate my view. I will say the world is watching. It matters to them. Don’t screw it up.
bb..this is not my most comfortable subject to write about, but I tried to keep it non partisan.
call me a Patriot but I love my country and take a keen interest in politics.
I just hope everyone will be able to cut through the smoke and mirrors and vote for the right candidate.
There is an argument that it isn’t even politics in any traditional sense but pantomime.
This election, when it comes to the President and the NC Governor, I’m voting on character. It is a remarkably easy choice. This is unfortunate, but saves a lot of time. Meanwhile, I have to figure out how to choose between three people I’ve never heard of for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, which is ridiculous. Fortunately two have web sites and the third is on Ballotpedia, but this shouldn’t be an elected office.
Kathy – We’re in agreement. Additionally, the NC attorney general and head of the department of education races are also easy choices.
Very true. Especially the latter! Secretary of State as well.
Kathy, thank you for reading and commenting.
we all have to follow the dictates of our conscience.
i don’t know where in NC you live, but I hope you are safe from the disastrous effects of Hurricane Helene.
Thank you for asking. I am fortunate to live in the RTP area, which is usually either too far east or too far west to be badly affected by hurricanes (but see Fran in 1996). This time there was one tornado east of me, and quite a bit of rain, but nothing remotely like the devastation up in the mountains.
Majorie, excellent and thoughtful analysis!
I have just one vote out of millions when it comes to the Presidency. I try to vote the way I think is best for America.
In local elections I have one vote out of thousands, or even, sometimes, just a few hundred. I try to vote the way I think is best for my community.
Thank you, Winston. I think you are
wise in your choice. We are all subject to character flaws. I dislike self righteousness, but if we are to vote on character or moral ethics, both candidates are on shaky ground.
Added: On the other hand, character will not stem inflation, reduce the crime rate, or lessen the influx of illegal immigration. We desperately need strong leadership.
Inflation is getting close to the Fed’s 2% target, which is why interest rates are coming down. The rate for violent crime is back at 2019 levels, which in turn are dramatically lower than the rate in the 1990s. The Senate produced a much needed bipartisan immigration reform bill, but a certain person told his supporters not to vote for it.
We have good leadership. What we don’t need is a would-be dictator.
I cannot believe that anyone who has paid even minimal attention can consider the candidates for President remotely comparable when it comes to character, morality, or even basic honesty and decency.
Obviously 1/2 of the country agrees with you. Then again, so does the other 1/2.
Kathy. I respected your opinion and I will not respond with tabloid worthy facts.
in the words of Jane Austen’s character, Elizabeth, from Pride and Prejudice—“my father was a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter.”