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Gigi Graciette's BloGG

by Gigi_Graciette from Los Angeles

Last Post 86 days, 19 hours Ago


Partisan Politics
Feb 3, 2008 | 12:02 PM
Category: Political
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The first time I registered to vote I was 18. Not being a fan of any particular party, I signed up as an "Independent".
 
It was a dumb but very common mistake since in California the box I should have checked was "Declined to State", since as most of you know "Independent" is an actually party.
 
I have since rectified that mistake but one thing remains the same: I really dislike partisan politics.
 
I don't vote based on "parties" but on "people" -- i.e. who is the best qualified; who represents the majority of my positions on the issues that matter; whose record shows the integrity and judgment to hold that particular office.
 
I cannot imagine voting based only on what party the candidate belongs to, yet every year millions of people do exactly that.
 
I know someone who told me that they absolutely HATED their parties candidate -- they thought the person was an IDIOT and didn't agree with anything they had done in office.
 
Yet come election day, to my SHOCK, they voted for that person ANYWAY.
 
"I just couldn't bring myself to vote for the other parties guy", this person said to me.
 
"But you told me you HATED your parties candidate!", I replied in disbelief.
 
"I do, but you have to understand that I've been voting for my party all my life", they said. "I couldn't switch now."
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
 
Disqualifying someone based on their political affiliation is like not reading a book because you don't like the cover.
 
And while I'm here, let me add a quick thought (and reveal yet another dumb mistake I used to make) about voting for propositions.
 
Anytime any measure, bond act or prop included the words "will help fund POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, EDUCATION, HIGHWAYS or HOSPITALS, I voted "YES".
 
Stupid. Just plain stupid, Gigi.
 
Thankfully, I learned a long time ago to READ the measures. Yes, the whole darn boring thing.
 
Just because a worthy cause is mentioned does not necessarily mean they will get the extra $$$ I end up paying on my property tax bill.
 
And the titles of these propositions can be misleading. I can think of a few on this Tuesday's ballot right now.
 
So please, READ before you ink-blot away. Please.
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Gigi_Graciette

Gigi Graciette can be seen nightly on the Channel 13 and FOX 11 Newscasts. She is also the host of "Ella Es…Gigi Graciette", a nationally syndicated radio show – a three-hour program heard daily. Raised by her Portuguese mother and grandmother, Gigi loves to travel – she’s already visited 23 countries – and in addition to having lived in Mexico City, has spent a lot of time in Portugal, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti and England. Gigi Graciette is fluent in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Member Since: 7/4/2006


 

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