Virginia Not Ready to Go Blue Just Yet

T-minus six days and counting. Barring a 2000-like weeks-long Supreme Court decision, that is how long we have until a new leader of the free world is elected. With its 13 electoral votes, Virginia has emerged as one of the most important battleground states in the nation. All four presidential and vice presidential candidates have made multiple stops across the state over the last few weeks in a last-minute attempt garner a few more votes. Virginia has been solidly Republican for the last 10 presidential elections, but current polls show Obama with a lead in the state. So should Republicans be worried? Absolutely not.

Americans have shown throughout the election that we are so ADD that we are completely and utterly incapable of focusing on more than one issue at a time. This time around education, national defense and a myriad of other issues have taken a backseat to the economy. The only time any other issue is even discussed is when talking about how it relates to the economy. So give the people what they want.

Polls have shown that McCain has gained ground by talking about the economy at a time when talking about anything else doesn't seem to work, which reinforces the idea that we can only think about one issue at a time. Does anyone know or care what the candidates' views are on other issues?

During a debate I participated in Sunday for a program at the Landings, one undecided student said she picked who she was going to vote for using a Web site. At first I was appalled. Letting a computer choose for you who the next president will be? Thinking about it, though, it's not really such a bad idea.

Millions of Americans will head to the polls Tuesday not knowing who they will vote for until they pull the lever. Most of these people have only the information the media have pounded into their heads: economy, economy, economy. They will blindly "vote for change" with no idea what they are getting into. Ask the average person what his candidate's views on abortion are or what the person she votes for thinks about our policy towards Cuba. Nobody knows. At least by taking an online quiz about which candidate most closely matches your views more than one issue is examined.

So I decided to check out one of these sites for myself. The quiz asked 12 questions about things like Iraq, health care, abortion, social security, ethanol subsidies and gay marriage. There is also an option to choose how strongly you feel about each issue. So I answered the 12 questions and hit the 'Find your Candidate' button. And - big shock - my political views say I should vote for McCain.

Instead of focusing on only one issue like the media do and the way liberals would like to with the economy, this quiz allowed me to explore a much wider variety of issues. While the fact that I should vote for McCain didn't come as an earth-shattering revelation, these quizzes are a good starting point for voters who are lost or who still haven't made up their minds. But that's only the first step.

If you're one of the people whose mind still isn't made up, take the time to get informed. Those quiz sites can be a good starting point, but go further and get as much information as possible. Use the Internet as a tool and a resource, but don't let it make the decision for you. Do everything you can to make an informed decision. The presidency should not be decided on a single issue or the media's perception that one candidate has a better plan, a perception with which they indoctrinate unsuspecting viewers and listeners.

I know we're all sick of hearing it, but this is an historic election. The next president will be charged with stopping the financial crisis, negotiating an end to the war in Iraq and restoring America's standing on the world stage, among other things. The media's deification of Obama reminds me of Harvey Dent from this summer's blockbuster "The Dark Knight." Dent is seen as a savior by everyone in Gotham and hailed as a reformer, promising that "the night is darkest just before the dawn." But in the end it turns out to be just a bunch of empty promises and Dent is the same as everyone who came before him. Now, Obama is the "hero" America thinks it needs, but McCain is the one we deserve. We need a president who loves his country and will do everything possible to re-establish peace and prosperity. The glamour and hype may look pretty and fool a lot of people, but in the end substance is what matters, and McCain is the only candidate who has that.