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| Dear candidate |
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| Written by Gordon and Barbara Murdock | ||||||
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We live in a time of strong political currents. In November, we will elect people to represent us in state and federal offices, and the decisions they make will affect us for years to come. What are the issues we think most important, and where do the candidates stand on those issues? It’s time to find out.
At the St. Anthony Park Art Festival in June, St. Anthony Park Neighbors for Peace (www.parkpeace.org) placed a list of topics we considered important on a bulletin board. We had five topics in each of two categories. Under world affairs, we listed arms control, environment, Iraq, torture and the United Nations. National affairs included education, health care, housing, national security and social safety net. We asked passers-by, “Which of the following are the topics you most want to hear discussed by candidates for major national and state offices?” Some 355 people ranked their top three items: Environment 354 Health Care 351 Education 325 Iraq 243 Energy Independence 237 Social Safety Net 145 Torture 130 Housing 115 United Nations 96 Arms Control 86 National Security 48 It’s striking that the top vote-getters were what might be seen as issues close to home: environment, health care and education. National security, trumpeted by many politicians and the press, ran a dismal dead last. Many of us, of course, think that those that got the top votes are national security issues. There is much we don’t know about the opinions of those voting. If people voted for health care, we don’t know whether they support universal single-payer coverage or the status quo. We don’t know whether those who voted for social safety net were thinking of Social Security, crime prevention or homelessness. But they do want to hear candidates’ positions. So, how do you get candidates to tell you what they think and what they plan? You probably don’t want to start out by telling them what you think. Then you’re likely to get an answer tailored to your position — maybe not a falsehood, but probably something with a bit of spin. What you might want to do instead is say something like this: “There’s a lot of talk these days about health care. What do you think we should do?” After you’ve heard their piece, by all means, push them for more specific information. But if you ask open-ended questions, you may get a better sense of what they’d do in office. Think about your priorities now so that you can frame your questions. One great place to meet candidates and their staff is the State Fair. But there’ll be many opportunities in the weeks to come: radio call-in shows, meet-the-candidate coffees and the like. When candidates hear a lot about a topic, they’re likely to form a position. And if they don’t, that’s instructive too. For those not comfortable buttonholing candidates, drop a post card or send an e-mail to the campaign, stating what you want to hear discussed. Get friends and neighbors to do the same. Say “It’s important to me to hear what you think about …” Do they sound knowledgeable? Have they thought deeply and well? Do they have the facts? If they’re vague or they waffle, say, “Tell me more about that.” Soon you’ll know whether the candidate will really represent you. Then tell your friends and neighbors. And vote! Gordon and Barbara Murdock live in St. Anthony Park and are members of Neighbors for Peace.
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