Everyone knows my political leanings, so it's no surprise who I am voting for. What I am genuinely surprised about is how many people I know are voting for Romney. Here's why. No matter what you think about the economy, whether or not Mitt can do any better than Obama, it's the social issues that get me. I know and love all of you, so when you get behind two men who seem to genuinely loathe a good portion of the United States, including people I care deeply about, I can't understand. Here are 2 people that have no problems taking health care away from the poorest children, taking away women's power over their own bodies, refusing equal rights for our gay friends and our women friends. waging war handily, severely damaging the only safety nets our parents have (and we might have) while taking advantage of said programs for themselves, firing teachers, and allowing insurance companies to deny care to sick people, letting us be one of the only industrialized nations where people can go bankrupt from being sick. I could be way off base, but for the most part, I think most of you also care deeply about these issues (anti-choice aside-that is a deal breaker for some and that's fine-I'm talking to people who are pro-choice, in that case).
What I want to know is, how do you reconcile your social values with your economic values? How can you say, I am voting for the economy but I disagree with most everything else this guy stands for? How can you vote for someone who is against gay rights if you have any gay friends or family? How can you vote for someone who thinks it's just fine for the government to tell a woman what to with her own body if you have women in your life? If you've ever worked in a community where the poorest of the poor rely on help from the government just to survive, or in an emergency room, or in a school, or anywhere there are people who need help, how can you support a man who wants to eliminate these programs? I'm not trying to change minds here, I am just really trying to understand. Cuz I don't. Understand, that is.
Of course, if you agree with Romney on his social views and his economic views, then it makes sense to vote for him.
But, what do you do if you don't? What's the "thing" that allows you to not worry about those things?
What I want to know is, how do you reconcile your social values with your economic values? And, on some level, aren't they the same? If you look at where they will each put their focus economically, it just seems that socially progressive economics support socially progressive issues.
So, any answers?