By Tom Creely, Ph.D.
Many Democratic and Republican voters in Iowa stated that they voted for Barak Obama and Mike Huckabee because they want a change that will shock America. As anti-establishment, they want a changed America. Hillary Clinton, an expected winner, came in third. Where were the women voters for her? Iowa women who love and support Hillary Clinton stated that they abandoned her because their vote was to shock change the future of America – Obama’s hope. Nonetheless, evangelical voters propelled Huckabee far ahead of his Republican competitors. Mitt Romney out spent, out marketed, and out visited the other Republicans for a distant second place. Obama and Huckabee are unknown on the national and international scene, yet there is a phenomenon of the power of the unknown. Is there a moral impetus for this phenomenon of a shocking change in America? Is it ethical to vote for the future leadership of America just for shock effect? Does the voter have a moral obligation to reason and work through who is best qualified to lead and serve Americans?
Dr. Tom Creely is assistant professor of Leadership and Ethics at the Siegel Institute, Kennesaw State University.
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Voters do indeed have a moral obligation to weigh experience and a candidate's record before deciding on the best person to lead the nation. Voters have expressed that they want a change in the white house. There is nothing wrong with this; changesin government leadership can lead to new accomplishments and foster new ideas and practices in our democratic society. Some would even argue it is healthier to change than to stagnate--and ultimately the only thing certain in this world is change (and death and taxes, perhaps). Voters should inform and educate themselves-- reading articles, visiting candidates websites, watching debates--before selecting a candidate. However, in this boob tube world, some seem more interested in watching "American Idol" re-runs or reading up on the latest Britney Spears meltdown than following the presidential election. If voters learned about each candidate and made a well-informed decision based on this, this could be considered a somewhat shocking change in and of itself.
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