That’s nonsense. Who you should vote for depends on what you want from that candidate. We see many articles about legislators and their “pet projects.” If a candidate’s “pet project” is my pet project, then I’m going to vote for him or her. So, you need to decide: what are your pet projects; which candidate supports them; and can this candidate be trusted to keep his/her word?
Voting wisely starts with the voter’s, your, self examination. What do I want? If you don’t know, it is impossible to vote wisely. For me, I want a law-abiding, clean, friendly CNMI. I want legislators that will not pass laws for the sake of personal aggrandizement. I want public leaders that will carry-out our current laws; who will not lie or steal from the CNMI; who will lead us to a better, law-abiding, clean, friendly CNMI. I will vote wisely for candidates who have gone on record, publicly, as vowing to do things to bring about a brighter future for the CNMI. I don’t care if they are or are not my friends or family. My only source of information on the current politicos and would-be politicos is the media. I welcome more information from the candidates. I am frustrated by reading political ads that tell me nothing about what the candidate intends to do if elected. I cannot vote for them. If I know a candidate; have seen that he or she is my kind of leader; trust the candidate; and have been promised that, if elected, he/she will work towards my goals for the CNMI, I will vote for them. I will limit myself to voting for only those who meet my criteria. So far, I have identified three candidates that will receive my vote. Hopefully, there will be more by Election Day. There are a lot of people running for office during this election. Voting wisely means: YOU DO NOT NEED TO VOTE FOR SOMEONE FOR EVERY OFFICE. If you have not decided who will be the best for a given office, VOTE FOR NO ONE for that office! Not voting for a specific office means that the number of votes in favor of those candidates will be low. That indicates that the person, even if elected, has little public support. A successful candidate with a low total will then know that the public does not really trust him or her. That office holder should then recognize that many people will be watching his/her performance very carefully. If that successful candidate is smart, the candidate will proceed with caution in his/her leadership activities. Let the numbers send a message. Be sure to vote and VOTE WISELY!
ROGER N. LUDWICK
Sadog Tasi, Saipan
