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Presidential primary ballot an example of many choices we face


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Do you know Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente or Bill Weld? Would you vote for Joe Walsh, even if he doesn’t play the guitar solo from “Hotel California?”

Of course not.

All three are running against Donald Trump for the Republican Party nomination in next month’s Florida Primary.

There are a lot more names on this year’s sample ballot for the March 17 election than the handful of names generally trumpeted by the 24-hour news cycle. Officially, there are 16 names on the Democrat ballot, although former Representative John Delany, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former San Antonio Mayor and U.S. Secretary of HUD Julian Castro, attorney and Venture for America founder Andrew Yang, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former Representative Joe Sestak and spiritual leader and activist Marianne Williamson all have suspended their campaigns.

We’re entering a political season like we’ve never seen before – and one we hope we never see again. Sides are so deeply entrenched in their ideology that they’ve stopped trying to find middle ground. Maybe it’s time we start asking the right questions – and demanding answers instead of soundbites. I shudder to think what kind of political climate my grandson, who will turn 7 on Saturday, faces by the time he’s an adult. Maybe his generation will be the one that gets it right. The current generations certainly aren’t doing a very good job of it right now.

We’ve been lured into too many half-truths – which really are lies – and unsubstantiated statements. Marketing companies have taken control of our campaigns. They tell you eating carrots will help you vision, swimming is dangerous after eating, eating turkey makes you sleepy, drinking alcohol warms you up and sharks can smell blood in the water. It’s called “illusory truth effect,” an anomaly in the human brain that associates repetition with truth. In short, tell the same lie often enough, it seems believable.

The Florida Primary ballot is a reminder we have l lot of options. It also proves we have to do our due diligence to study the candidates and not surrender to what the mainstream media tells us to think.

While there are no local primary decisions to be made, we certainly face a lot of decisions between now and November’s general election. We face a wide-open race to replace Ted Yoho in District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Our local state senate and house seats are open. And closer to home, nothing will be more important than electing a sheriff and school superintendent. Remember, all politics is local.

It appears we have some very capable candidates. In the next few months, we will allow them to lay out their plans for making our lives better in Clay County. Let’s hope our candidates tell us why they are the best fit for Clay County, not why they’re a more-tolerable pick compare to somebody else. Elections shouldn’t be a choice between mustard or mayonnaise on a flip-flop. Our futures are too important to be force to a candidate who will do the least damage.

I believe our candidates will rise above the noise. When they do, it’s up to us to ask pertinent questions and listen to answers.

If a response starts with “With all due respect …” the answer will be anything but respectful. That’s politics.

We invite you to take a look at this year’s Presidential Primary sample ballot on page 15. Then start asking questions and listening for answers.