Shopping for Good Leaders

My husband and I recently bought new furniture for our home office. This project involved several research missions to examine the selection at every furniture store in town as well as online and in catalogues. We compared prices and quality and debated the best configurations for our needs. All told, we probably spent 8-10 hours making this purchase.

We follow a similar process for all major buys and I suspect most Americans are the same. We want to get the best quality for the best price, and we are willing to invest some time doing so.

This year, we will be making a “major purchase” for our nation -- electing a new president and countless other leaders on the national, state and local level. These people will wield incredible power to affect nearly every aspect of our daily lives – our safety and security, personal freedoms, healthcare and how much money remains in our paychecks. The impact these leaders will have on our kids through the policies they pass stands to be even greater.

Knowing this, how much time will you spend researching this “purchase” and doing your part to obtain the best quality leaders? Studies suggest the answer for most Americans is very little. In the last presidential election, nearly 45 percent of eligible Americans didn’t even take time to vote much less examine candidates’ credentials, experience or positions on key issues.

In a recent conversation, a new friend was taken aback when I said I love politics. “You do?” she exclaimed as if I had just confessed to enjoying the smell of bad breathe. She is completely disinterested in politics because, as she put it, she can never really figure out who is telling the truth and she doesn’t think her voice matters. “I just feel like they are going to do whatever they want anyway so what difference can I make?”

This woman is a smart, friendly, optimistic person who is a mother, wife and hard-working member of our business community. And unfortunately, she reflects the feelings of millions of Americans regarding politics. Who can I believe? What difference can I make? Why should I care?

I’d like to offer three thoughts. First, for those who struggle to determine who to believe, skip the traditional news sources and political ads and go direct. The internet has resources for researching candidates, analyzing their skills and experience, and determining who best mirrors your beliefs. Check out www.vote-smart.org, www.2decide.com or just Google “2008 presidential election.”

Second, recent down-to-the-wire elections and recounts should be evidence enough that every vote matters. In 2006, one North Dakota legislative race was determined by only four votes.

But participating in the political process comes down to more than a vote. It’s a modest investment in the freedom and opportunities we enjoy as Americans and a recognition that millions of people have died to preserve these. It’s a vital act of preserving for future generations the same privileges we enjoy to think and work, worship and play freely, everyday, with barely a second thought.

And finally, why should you care? Every election is important – this one seems particularly so. Our elected leaders will be forging new ground on issues such as national security, tax and economic policy, healthcare, immigration and many others. Their decisions will establish a direction for our nation and world for generations. I want our country to step strongly in the way of promoting personal responsibility and keeping terror-minded extremists on the defensive.

Some people protest that it’s way too early to worry about an election that is nearly 10 months away. That might be true for state and local races, but we have an excellent opportunity this month to get involved in the presidential selection process. With North Dakota participating in Super Tuesday events on Feb. 5, we all have a chance to advocate for a favorite candidate among a broad slate of choices.

Now is the time to begin shopping around for our nation’s next leader. I urge you to invest some time in the process, get familiar with the products available, compare the quality, question the claims. You and your family will feel the affects of this purchase every day for many years. Good or bad, all sales are essentially final.