Don’t give them the satisfaction

By John M. Fisher
Published: August 26, 2008

Now that Barack Obama has announced his vice presidential running mate, the stage is almost set for the November election. Once John McCain does the same, we will know who we can vote for — or against — and we can settle back and concentrate on the issues.

But you know we won’t do that, now don’t you?

This week is the Democratic National Convention; the GOP is up next. The political rhetoric is at a fever pitch and the pundits from both camps will be working overtime. Everyone has the same basic objective — to win your soul and your vote. I would not mind this if the politicos played fair, but sadly, they won’t. Winning is everything to them and toward that end, they will crush you and me like ants to reach their goal. The real goal should be good, sound government, but that notion was forgotten decades ago in this country.

As you sit in front of your television sets and watch this political pageantry, try to remember one thing — what you and your family may actually need is of little concern to them. Winning is. That means that your job is to sift between what is true and what is a lie. Because of the unique circumstances in this contest, there will be more lies than usual.

In the next few months, the volume will be turned up to almost deafening levels. That is merely an attempt to obscure the fact that these days, every election in America boils down to a battle between hope and fear. This contest will be no exception.

That is where you come in. You have to decide what you want in your leadership, not what someone else wants for you. You have to determine which candidate has the policies and programs that will benefit you and your family’s future. You have to make decisions that are in your own self interest. This will not be an easy job, because there are those who know that in order to get your vote, they may have to try to mislead, confuse and even outright lie to you. Be prepared — they don’t mind doing any of those things if it means the difference between winning and losing.

How do you keep yourself safe from this barrage of misinformation? Simple — get your own facts. Get your news from more than one source. Pay attention and ask questions. If either side makes a claim about the other side, challenge it — until you get your own facts.

It is sad to say that the victors in this election may be the ones that can fool the most voters, not the ones that educate and inspire them. That was not the way the Founding Fathers intended for things to be. They wanted to develop an electorate of informed, educated voters, not just a bunch of chumps who will fall for anything.

This is your chance to prove that you are a free, informed voter.

Remember, when it comes down to your freedom of choice — or their ability to lead you along — they would prefer having their way every time.

This time, make it your choice for a change. This time, pay attention and do your own thinking. Too much is at stake for anything less.

• John M. Fisher of Danville is a businessman, documentary filmmaker and freelance writer, and is the former bureau chief for KDFW, a CBS affiliate in Fort Worth, Texas. You may contact him at .