Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Logo of The Spectrum
Friday, March 29, 2024
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Which vote do I rock?

When people ask me who I'm voting for during this year's presidential race, my first response is a shrug of my shoulders. My second is a quick "I have no idea." At 19 years old, I may not be as politically savvy as Anderson Cooper, but my decent handle on the candidates and their platforms leaves me wondering who I'll vote for when I step into the booth on Election Day.

I've had people tell me my parents heavily influence my political views. My father, a conservative accountant, is pro-Romney. My mother, a self-employed small business owner, is pro-Obama. Neither of them has registered with a party, and neither has ever tried to tell me their reasoning behind their voting choices.

I work in a very diverse newsroom. My coworkers are people who have experienced very different lifestyles and come from different social, ethnic and economic backgrounds. We all have different opinions about what platforms we support and what we don't like. I just can't say I side with one party alone.

Even though New York is a blue state in the election, I believe casting my vote is one of the most important things I can do in an election year. I just have to decide who that vote will be for.

Like the Democrats, I'm pro-choice, I believe in gay marriage and I think Pell Grants and higher education for all are important and should be available to those who need it.

But like the Republicans, I do believe in stricter welfare regulation and supporting small businesses and workers being able to control their retirement investments.

I would say I support Obama in office for another four years. I think people who say Obama hasn't done anything are ridiculously out of touch.

According to an article by the Washington Post, Obama has appointed the most openly gay U.S. officials - 150 so far, ranging from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers. Obama passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, an equal-pay law regarding pay discrimination, in 2009 and even launched recovery.gov, which tracks spending from the Recovery Act and allows the public to report fraud, waste or abuse.

I think the job Obama has done in office during the past four years hasn't been a complete waste. I tend to believe the problems of the nation are not solely the president's fault and no one can fix everything in a four- or maybe even an eight-year period.

But the thought of Romney taking office certainly wouldn't be a terrible choice either. I see Romney as a businessman who may have the fresh start the country needs to pull itself out of the serious debt little by little.

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney implemented spending cuts and increased fees that eliminated an approximate $1.5 billion deficit. Romney also signed the Massachusetts health care reform, which provided the country's first near-universal health insurance access.

Romney plans to lower all income tax rates by 20 percent and cap federal spending at 20 percent of gross domestic product. Because of Romney's past successes and his plans for the country if he's elected, I feel he might be able to cut the deficit of spending down.

As I try to gather all the information I can to make a complete and informed choice about which candidate to choose on Election Day, I've come to realize each candidate has platforms I do and don't agree with. But can any one candidate change the face of America completely in four years? I guess our votes will decide.

Email: lisa.epstein@ubspectrum.com


Comments


Popular









Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Spectrum