You not voting gives me more power

With the election just a few days away, I am not going to preach to try to guilt you into voting. I don’t care if you vote. I am glad you don’t. It gives me more power. I love that my vote counts for more than it should because you don’t vote. If you and some of your friends voted I could be outnumbered say 4-1 (Have you read my editorials?). You might like that. Instead, my vote counts 1-0.

I have been voting since I was 18, that’s almost 40 years. I have always voted for the correct candidates and issues. So don’t blame me for the country’s woes. Even though you don’t vote some others out there shouldn’t, and they do anyway.

Of course I’m being facetious, but I’m trying to make a point.

I am a true Independent, something many Washingtonians say they are, but seldom back it up at the polls. I find myself usually voting 60 percent Democrat, 40 percent Republican, but sometimes it’s closer to 50-50. On issues I try to be fiscally conservative, but liberal when it comes to social problems.

Yes, that creates a conflict of interest between the two parties. That is what I like. I don’t think either party is close to being right all the time. A middle ground often is the best compromise to get things done, instead of banging their heads against the wall trying to get the other party to go to the extreme.

The middle ground often is what is best for the country.

As a voter I get discouraged, so I know how you feel. You feel like your vote doesn’t count — and it doesn’t, if you don’t vote. It does count if you do vote. I know personally that every vote counts. When I was the city editor in Port Angeles one race we covered was decided by two votes. That’s right, only two votes. If just a few more people went to the polls the result of that race would have changed.

Like you, I get discouraged by the ballot measures. The wording can be so tricky. “Would you like to undo what the Legislature didn’t do?” That is what some of them sound like. What does that mean anyway? Why can’t they be honest and upfront about what we are voting on? It’s criminal because many people vote differently than what they want because of the wording issue.

When it comes to candidates many of us don’t like incumbents because they aren’t accomplishing anything because of the deadlock. But we vote for them anyway because who are these people running against them? They criticize their opponent but don’t have any specifics. Or they seem to agree with everything the incumbent is doing. Then why make a change? Others run because they feel it’s their civic duty. That’s no reason to elect someone. Tell us why you would be better. Otherwise, at least the incumbent knows where the state Capitol is.

What’s really frustrating is when the person you wanted to win is voted in, but then can’t get anything done because of gridlock. Or, worse yet, they change their mind on a political measure important to you because they don’t want to go against the rest of their party. Or, worse yet, they change their vote because of a political action committee or other donations.

And politicians often stretch the truth. They can be part of the gridlock, but when it comes to a final vote they go with their party so they can say they helped pass this most-important measure of all time.

It’s also crazy when voters do approve laws, such as the one passed by 72 percent of voters a dozen years ago that wanted smaller class sizes and more pay for teachers. But then the political games begin, and it never happens. So here we are dealing with it again with Initiative 1351.

It can be maddening. I certainly don’t love politics the way I used to.

But I’m still going to vote. I appreciate this country’s right to do so. And if I don’t vote and you do, then you have power over me. I certainly don’t want that. And you certainly don’t want me to have power over you. My wife doesn’t even agree with me on most things.

You should vote.