The Sunday news show pundits all shook their heads about the difficult choice voters face in the upcoming election.  They said most voters don’t really like either of the two presidential nominees.  How on earth will voters decide?

If you, or your friend or relative, are unsure how to vote, there is a pretty simple solution.  My wise wife, the primary decision-maker in our family, says, “Make a list!”

What do you really want?  What is most important to you?  When you have to make a choice, just list your priorities in order and it will point you to the right decision.  Hillary, or Donald?  (There is no other choice – one of them will win, so failure to vote for one is a vote for the other).

If your top priority is your job, income, and financial security, which candidate would be better for your pocketbook?  Who would increase or decrease government spending, and your tax bill?  Who is more likely to protect your job from being taken by a legal or illegal immigrant?  Whose economic policies – government and court interference in business, fair trade practices with other nations, support for manufacturing and energy industries, etc. – would cause our economy (and your finances) to improve or decline?  If you rely on government handouts for your income, you might prefer the candidate who would give you more money and free stuff.  Keep in mind, though, your children, relatives and friends are paying your tab.

You might be more worried about the health and security of your family.  Which candidate supports law and order and police departments?  Who believes our national defense requires a strong and well-organized military and secure borders?  Who would defend your right to own a gun for your own protection?  Who has a better long-term solution for improving the quality and reducing the cost of health care?

Some voters’ top priority is one or more social issues.  You might be upset by racial division, gender discrimination, global warming, abortion, freedom of or from religion, or the academic drift away from functional knowledge and toward “social enlightenment.”  Which candidate is more likely to pit groups of Americans against each other, causing more friction, anger, and crime?  Who has the right take on education?  Who is more likely to “live and let live”, and not try to control our personal behavior?

A common complaint about both candidates is their apparent lack of “likeability”.  If you think “niceness” is the most important job requirement for a president, put that at the top of your list.  The same applies for trustworthiness.  Both are pretty hard to quantify, but each candidate has a history that can be judged.

If you are already settled on the Hillary vs. Donald question, please pass this advice on to anyone in your circle of influence who is struggling with the decision, perhaps even to the extent that he or she is frozen and refuses to choose.  Tell him or her:  Make a list!  Prioritize what you want from your president.  Then decide, issue by issue, who is on your side. You might prefer either candidate on a given issue. That’s okay. Apply weight to the top part of your list, and ignore the bottom.

See?  Decision-making is not so tough.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Make a wish baby, and I will make it come true
Make a list baby, of the things I’ll do for you
Ain’t no risk now, let my love rain down on you
We could wash away the past, so that we may start anew

Ambrosia – Biggest Part of Me

God, I love live music!  Please check out this fantastic amateur video of David Pack (Ambrosia) and smooth-jazz saxophone goddess Mindi Abair at a little winery, singing and playing their butts off for a small but appreciative audience.  This is how it’s done!