The primary election in our state is August 2 and the mail-in ballots have already arrived at our house. We have read through the official voters guide with the statements of the candidates and are just about ready to vote. We have a bit of research yet to complete so that we can cast an informed vote in the race for a non-partisan judge position. Other than that, our minds are pretty much made up about our votes for this primary.

The candidates and their representatives are busy, canvassing the neighborhoods. We’ve had several ring our doorbell and hand us flyers with information. Some have asked us to participate in a “survey.” I declined that invitation, even though I wondered what kind of questions they might ask. Usually those kind of questions are an attempt to determine how people plan to vote. That information will be used later as part of a get out the vote campaign. Years ago I worked on passing a school bond measure and we canvassed our neighbors to see who was in favor and who was opposed to the measure. Then, on election day, we called those in favor, reminded them to vote and made sure that they knew where to vote. We did not contact those who were opposed. Getting out the voters who agree with your position is a powerful political tool.

One candidate appeared at our door, introduced himself, and handed us a flyer about the size of a large postcard. As he did so he said, “Here is some literature.” I’m never as quick with my thoughts as I wish I were. I didn’t say anything, but what I later wished I had said is, “Do you really think a card with perhaps one hundred words is literature? I write ten times as many words every day in my journal. Maybe that is a reason why I shouldn’t support you. I’m in favor of strong schools with lots of opportunities for children to learn. Calling a few sentences of self-promotion literature is a demonstration of ignorance. Have you ever read The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird or One Hundred Years of Solitude? Those are literature. Why don’t you go home and read Ulysses and Don Quixote, Moby Dick, Hamlet and War and Peace and then come back and we can discuss literature.”

I admit that I am an educational elitist. Having had the opportunity to complete college and graduate school degrees and engage in high quality continuing education, I have a bias in favor of those who are educated. I know that the traditional academy is only one way of teaching and learning. I know that there are some very intelligent persons who haven’t had the educational opportunities that I have had. Nonetheless, I value education and I hope that the candidates for public office have invested at least some of their lives pursuing education.

Reading through the candidates’ statements in the official voters guide gives me additional clues about candidates and which ones will gain my support. Education is not my only bias. I also value experience. There are, on our ballot, candidates for statewide office who have listed no prior public service. There are times when a fresh opinion and an alternative to a governmental insider can provide much needed leadership, but a lack of political experience isn’t exactly a qualification. There are candidates who seem proud to declare that they have no experience. It makes me wonder how effective they might be. Policy in our system of government comes though a political process and one must understand that process in order to accomplish anything in government. These are candidates for positions in government. Being opposed to government isn’t a qualification for the jobs they seek.

These are trying times for democracies. All around the world democratic governments are being challenged by those who don’t believe in majority rule, who are willing to cheat the system in order to gain power, and those who put their own interests ahead of the needs of others. Old fashioned values like integrity and honesty seem to be in short supply. The capacity to think critically and make informed judgements are qualities I look for in leadership. Calling an advertising flyer literature does not inspire confidence in me.

If a candidate wants to impress me, a good starting point would be a list of places where that person had served others. Is the candidate a volunteer in community service? Has the candidate worked with others to come up with solutions to real world problems? Is there substance behind the rhetoric of campaigning?

I’m not paying attention to word count on election flyers, but I might notice the size of the vocabulary used. I’m much less interested in a litany of dissatisfaction with government than in practical solutions to pressing problems. If you want my vote, tell me what you favor. Don’t just give me a list of things you oppose. Show me that you are able to work with those with whom you disagree to forge practical political solutions.

I’m taking my vote seriously and will continue to work to be a thoughtful and informed voter. The people who are ringing my doorbell these days aren’t particularly helpful to that process. It is probably a good thing that we don’t invest much time talking with those who stop by. An argument probably wouldn’t change my vote and it would consume a lot of time that the candidate might better use handing out flyers at other doors in the neighborhood.

I suppose that I have become a bit of a curmudgeon as I age. I suspect that some of the campaigners have identified my house as one where it is best to drop off the flyer and leave as soon as possible. I won’t feel bad if they think of mine as a place where there are challenging questions.

Years ago, I watched as eager missionaries from a church worked our neighborhood and simply skipped my house. The word had gotten out that I have religious convictions and am not likely to be converted. I wouldn’t mind having my house skipped by a few campaigners. It is a house where there are political convictions and the people who live here aren’t likely to abandon their convictions.