Single Issue Voters Are a Problem
Let’s face it, there are plenty of issues that have been addressed in the run up to the Presidential election. Some of them are more important than others in 2024. In poll after poll, the two most important issues for voters this year are: The Economy and The Border. Nothing about that is a secret. In fact, Senator Vance did a fantastic job of not only reiterating this, but of tying the two issues together in his debate against Governor Walz. No one paying attention could miss the fact these two issues were top of everyone’s mind.
There are other issues in this election that have drawn plenty of attention. Taxes. Crime. Heathcare. Drugs. Wars in Israel and Ukraine. Human Trafficking. Election Interference. Censorship. The list goes on and on. As a collective, we have plenty on our minds and plenty we all know needs to be addressed by the next administration, whoever ends up in charge.
So, why are there still people determining their allegiance by a SINGLE ISSUE?
When I say single issue, I am talking about what I call the Big Two: guns and abortion. Actually, I believe it is now the Big Three when you throw LGBTQ rights in the mix.
We still have voters in America, regardless of EVERYTHING else going on, who are pledging their votes based SOLELY on one of those three issues and nothing else. Think about that. Think about the litany of other issues and then think about someone who disregards ALL of those and determines their vote based on ONE thing. That ONE thing may not even be one of the Big Three, but it habitually is.
Truthfully, I don’t care which side of these issues you sit on. Pro-Choice or Pro-Life. Pro-Gun or Anti-Gun. Pro-Gay/Trans rights or not. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have disregarded everything else going on in this country and are casting a vote based on ONE THING. And the candidate that stands for your one thing, may be the least competent candidate available and may do significantly more damage to the country, but you don’t care because you got your one thing.
I’m not talking about just Presidential Candidates, either. The state and local candidates have just as much impact on your issues as VP Harris or President Trump. As it stands right now, many gun laws, abortion laws, and LGBTQ rights are determined at the state level.
If you live in a state like California, Illinois, or New York, you could vote for President Trump solely because he is a 2nd Amendment supporter, and he could win the White House. There is a high likelihood the gun laws in your state will NOT change because of the governor and state legislature. The same could be said about voting for VP Harris because you agree with her on abortion. Well, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, so putting her in the White House is likely not going to change abortion laws down in each state, where they currently reside.
You can’t watch a television show, a commercial, or watch a movie without seeing a gay couple, a transgender person, or someone who classifies as somewhere in the LGBTQIA+ (I think that’s the right term today) rainbow. If that is your #1 concern and you vote for a candidate solely because they align with your beliefs, you may get what you want and you may also find yourself evicted because you can’t afford your rent and groceries. The mayor of your city could be a massive ally to the gay community but may also increase your taxes so high you’re forced to move. Then what?
It still baffles me there are people who are so shortsighted and so myopic in their views they will vote based on a single issue. I can’t tell if it is laziness or selfishness. Or maybe self-righteousness? I really don’t know. I do know it is a problem for America.
In the last thirty years of elections, I believe single issue voters have done more damage to the best interests of America than any other single demographic. These voters have happily slept well at night with a clear conscience because they voted one way on one specific issue. “I did my part,” they all tell their friends and neighbors, ignoring the other burning issues. They are the ones who talk only about “their” issue in social situations, because they are ignorant on every other topic. Ask them about something else and watch them quickly turn the conversation back to “their” issue.
I also know there will be backlash from me writing this because people don’t like to hear those words in reference to themselves. Many people like to believe they are crusaders when it comes to these three causes, so they forget there is a laundry list of other issues that need to be considered when they cast their ballot. It is maddening to me.
While I sit here and write, I know inherently, it is the individual’s right to determine their vote, and their reasons why, are none of my business. That’s America and that’s how it works. I get it. The beauty is, this is America, and the flipside also holds true. I have the right and the ability to say they are lazy and selfish and self-righteous.
And I have the right to say Single Issue Voters Are a Problem.