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I think that this is a silly question. Is America ready for change through the hands of either a Mormon, an African-American, or a woman? Why should this matter one iota? I am not voting for a Mormon, an African-American, or a woman. I am voting for the person I believe best represents my moral, social, and fiscal principles.

Every element that I look at falls into one of these three categories to greater or lesser degree of priority. As I look at the potential presidential candidates I want to know if they are men or women of integrity who will actually follow through with what I hear them say from their mouths. I want to know that they represent my ideologies. I could care less about their skin color or their gender or even their religion.

The people in this country that scare me the most are the people asking this question because they have missed the mark by such a long shot that they don't deserve the right to vote. They've turned the election process into nothing more then a popularity contest. Popularity contests are fine in high school but have no place for a leader of a country.

Several years ago, Michigan elected Jennifer Granholm, a woman governor and I heard so many people say the only reason they voted for her was because she was a woman. It didn't matter her politics or her views or her philosophies and values. All that mattered was that finally Michigan was ready for change and to have a woman governor. Not only is this a sad reflection of what is most important to people but it is also an insult to a leader who wins an election for this reason alone. It would tick me off if I knew the only reason I won an election was because of my gender and not because of my values.

When you vote for somebody for no other reason then their ethnicity, gender or religion, you are taking a step back and not a step forward. The only change that comes with that is regression and we are no better then people who refused to vote for someone simply because of the color of their skin. All we are doing at that point is saying we are too dumb to look at someone more then skin deep. All we have become is racist or sexist in another way.

So stop asking questions of whether America is ready for a woman president, a Mormon president, or a African-American president and ask whether or not the person who is running best represents your values and principles. Any other question demonstrates that you probably are wasting your time and the time of this nations on Election Day.

Learn more about this author, Jason Austin.
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