Hey – it’s voting day – get out and vote – if you don’t, you aren’t allowed to bitch about what’s wrong with America!  If you do vote – Democrat, Republican, People who wasted their vote on a 3rd party – go ahead and bitch away!

I always find it funny when people refuse to discuss certain things – how they vote is a huge one, salary is one, etc.   I’m in HR and Recruiting so I talk salaries everyday with folks and you tend to get pretty comfortable with it.  I’m also very open politically and I have fun with it, and I laugh when someone judges you based on a label you give yourself.  “Oh, you’re a Republican – you must hate women and just love money” – well, I love women and I love money – I also love puppies, my kids and Diet Mt. Dew – not sure how republican that is – but there I said!

I get it – there are a bunch of people who are just idiots and are unable to see beyond who you voted for, so you stay quiet.  It’s lame and shallow of those who are judging you – but welcome to adulthood and reality.

Here’s my voting record since I was old enough to vote:

1988 – Bush, Sr. vs. Dukakis – I voted Bush (I was 18 and Dukakis didn’t seem presidential to me – plus I didn’t know what presidential was or any of the platforms – but MTV wanted me to vote)

1992 – Clinton, Bush and Perot – Perot fascinated me because he was so quirky, but he also scared me liked a creepy uncle.  I was in college (University of Wyoming – Go Pokes!) and I voted Clinton.  I supported woman’s right to have an abortion, I didn’t have any money and I was paying my own way through school – Hello, Democrats!

1996 – Clinton, Dole and Perot – Perot still creepy uncle, but I understood him more. Dole was death walking. Clinton was the guy you wanted to take with you to Vegas.  I voted Clinton – I’m a personality guy and I was doing very well at the time in my career – God Bless America, I wanted four more years of the same.

2000 – George W., Gore and Nader – Gore seemed very intellectual, but was totally different from Clinton. Nader seemed like someone who would bomb a federal building. George W. was likable and owned a baseball team – what more do you need from a President!?  I voted George W. – I was doing very well financially and I wanted to keep more of that money.

2004 – George W. and Kerry – This was the 2nd election in a row where the Democrats bombed on bringing someone “electable” to the table.  4 more years of George W.  – Big Government scares me, lower taxes are good, I hate unions.

2008 – Obama vs. McCain – Some will find this hard to believe – but I totally voted for Obama.  I bought into his message and quite frankly into the whole package.  The country needed someone who could turn the country around and I really thought if anyone could do it – he could, especially over McCain.  I was wrong. Many of us were wrong.

2012 – Obama vs. Romney – I’m voting Romney – I’m traveling out of state today, so I voted early. My hope is when I land they’ll let me vote twice in a new state!  Government spending is out of control.  Obamacare will kill our healthcare system – I know doctors, PT’s, nurses, etc. that just feel this is the totally wrong direction – taking away the cost aspect. Plus I still hate unions and Big government!

So, there you have it – a Republican who votes like an Independent and has social Democrat tendencies.

For the record – I wish we had a true 3rd party option – both the Democrats and Republicans don’t want this because they know all those independents would jump in a heart beat – a true party in the middle. My 3rd Party would have planks to support better education funding at all levels, women’s rights to make their own choices, more states rights and less federal government, a simple tax structure without all the loopholes and a foreign policy that focused on figuring out how to stop making us the world’s police department.

Now go Vote!