"Vote Smart"

I suspect that when each of us votes, we assume that we are voting smart, but our vote is only as smart as the information we base it on is true. One of the basic requirements of political information is that it is unbiased. This rules out primary sources such as Fox News or MSNBC. Fun to watch, but each of these sources gives you a single view point and it is certainly biased. I have found a reliable, unbiased source of information and have been doing my research on political candidates there for many years. I also rely on it for data used in my blog. The source is votesmart.org. The site is free, but relies on its support through voluntary user donations. Information is organized into six categories.

Bio: This section is a biography of the candidate you have chosen to search. It is a very complete history of: education, family, work history, positions held, birth place, religion, political experience, favorite entertainment, favorite quote.

Votes: This is the candidate's voting history in reverse chronological order. This of course is valuable information on how well they will represent your positions. It is a laborious review, so regulate your time wisely on this section.

Positions: This section is an effort toward consolidating the positions of the candidate by offering them a series of questions to respond to. It has been my experience, in using the site, that most of the major candidates do not care to respond to this effort. I'm not sure that a candidate's positions are necessarily the major determinant of how they will vote. Their vote is heavily effected by their political party (the “rubber stamp” directive of both parties) and by their funding sources (follow the dollar). I see their positions as the weakest of the three determinants of their vote.

Ratings: Ratings are very indicative of who the candidate is. It is the opinions of various special interest groups of the candidate. They score them on a percentage scale, the higher the score, the better the group rates the candidate the better they like their voting record and position statements. This also relates to candidate funding.

Speeches: This area also contains letters and articles by the candidate. It gives you a much more nuanced position than a voting history on any given issue. However, as you have seen in watching the news, a representative may vote neither their opinion or their wisdom.

Funding: Funding should be first, but you choose the order of your search. Most candidates elected have the larger bank roll. So, they pay a lot of attention to the wishes of their major donors. The donors expect a return on their investment. This section features: The Campaign's Financial Summary, their Top Contributors, Top Industries and Top Sectors. If you think the money pulls the strings, pay attention to this area.

I can not emphasize enough how reliable and unbiased this information source is. To me, as an independent, it is essential. It is fast and easy to use, not at all complicated. The “I SPY”, first section of the site that I have just described is a pleasure to use. The creator of the organization and president is Richard Kimball, a man who stepped away from politics to bring truth to it. Such a rare and valuable thing. votesmart.org Try it, you will be glad you did. The smartest vote possible is based on truth and wisdom.

Cheers, Old Buz 8/22/2020

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