How to Select Our Candidates?

Post #8 

Yesterday over lunch, a group of Rockville activists were discussing the upcoming Mayor and Council elections.  One wondered aloud how diligent voters could get the information they want before choosing their candidates.  One colleague suggested attending and listening to the debates for answers to questions of special concern.  Another recommended monitoring endorsements by organizations with similar values.  There's also a candidate's campaign literature, web page, blogs like this one, and other sources of personal position statements.

All of those resources are valuable and important.  The reality is, however, that as elections approach, the generalities can make it hard for voters to become educated.  Everyone is for motherhood and apple pie; a balanced budget, affordable housing, and a clean environment.  Who actually takes a stand when it's hard to do?  Who has a record of volunteerism in the community on issues of interest to you?  Who practices what they preach... versus mouthing the platitudes they think voters care to hear?

Candidates have an interest in not alienating voters.  Voters have an interest in specificity.  It's not always easy to mesh those sometimes competing needs.  It takes diligence, a bit of time, and a refusal to accept generalities.  But it can be done, and we must before we vote!

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  How do you select the candidates you support?  Are there resources you find most helpful?  Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#8) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.