Election could have major repercussions for years to come
Today is when every publication will announce how important it is for every able individual to vote in Tuesday’s election. It is not only important — it is vital.
Typically less emphasis is put on midterm elections, but following Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential victory, there has been a massive political shift in this country. Tuesday, the country decides the ultimate direction and intensity of this shift.
There has been a groundswell from the far right, with vocal and well-documented dissent toward the current government from neoconservatives and so-called Tea Party groups. Tuesday will be the day where it is decided whether these are movements with staying power, or knee-jerk reactions to ultimately non-revolutionary government.
Around the country, this will be the election that decides what direction legislation takes in this country and the results could be radically different. If Republicans capture the majority in Congress, there will be a massive change in the type of legislation being passed.
Similarly, a Democratic win for Congress majority could solidify their control over the Capitol and invalidate the momentum of the conservative movement over the last year.
The election in Michigan could have even more intense effects.
Electing Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder would result in an intensely different direction for the state than Democrat Virg Bernero. From economic policies to education to taxes, each will try to guide the state in a significantly different direction.
Even more significant could be Proposal 1, which if passed, could call for the Michigan Constitution to be completely rewritten from the ground up. This could result in significant changes in Michigan’s tax structures and laws.
As it is in a democracy, it is ultimately not up to Snyder or Bernero or any legislator or any constitutional convention participant as to what direction this state and nation head in. That power rests with the voters who show up to the polls Tuesday.
The votes that are cast will have a significant ripple effect through the U.S. and Michigan, and the more people that vote, the more the results accurately represent the will of the people at large.
This is how our country was designed to work, so step up and be a part of it, or risk being subjected to unwanted consequences.
