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Election Season Wisdom: Beyond Party Lines

Join Rich Bennett as he delves into the often divisive nature of election seasons. Drawing from personal experiences and family advice, Rich encourages listeners to prioritize research and informed decision-making over party loyalty. Learn how to navigate political discussions without damaging relationships and why it's essential to consider candidates' actions and plans.

Join Rich Bennett as he delves into the often divisive nature of election seasons. Drawing from personal experiences and family advice, Rich encourages listeners to prioritize research and informed decision-making over party loyalty. Learn how to navigate political discussions without damaging relationships and why it's essential to consider candidates' actions and plans.

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Major Points of the Episode:

  • Introduction and Importance of Research:
  • Elections can cause divisions in families and friendships.
  • Emphasis on the necessity of researching candidates before voting.
  • Advice from Rich's Father:
  • Never vote strictly along party lines; evaluate each candidate individually.
  • Importance of voting for the person who will do the best job, regardless of party affiliation.
  • Local Elections Matter:
  • Criticism of those who push for presidential candidates without understanding local government.
  • Encouragement to be informed about local city or county council members and local issues.
  • Difference Between Voting For and Against:
  • Voting against a candidate can cause more damage and uncertainty.
  • Importance of voting for someone based on their merits and plans.
  • Civil Discourse:
  • Encouragement to engage in civil discussions about politics.
  • Reminder that political disagreements should not lead to broken relationships.
  • Research and Verification:
  • Necessity of double and triple-checking information from multiple sources.
  • Importance of looking at both major and minor news outlets for a comprehensive view.
  • Avoiding Misinformation:
  • Acknowledgment of widespread misinformation and the need to discern the truth.
  • Encouragement to look beyond top news sources and explore various media.
  • Focus on the Bigger Picture:
  • Voting should be about the country’s well-being, not just party loyalty.
  • Encouragement to vote for candidates who will benefit the community and country as a whole.
  • Active Participation:
  • Encouragement to engage with and communicate with local officials.
  • Importance of being an informed and active citizen in the democratic process.

The “Transformation” Listeners Can Expect After Listening:

  • Enhanced Understanding of the Electoral Process:
  • Gain a deeper insight into the importance of researching candidates and their policies.
  • Learn to differentiate between voting for someone and voting against someone.
  • Informed Voting Decisions:
  • Develop the skills to make well-informed voting decisions based on comprehensive research.
  • Understand the importance of evaluating candidates beyond party lines.
  • Improved Political Discussions:
  • Acquire techniques for engaging in civil political discussions without damaging relationships.
  • Learn to handle political disagreements in a respectful and constructive manner.
  • Greater Awareness of Local Politics:
  • Recognize the significance of local elections and the impact of local officials on daily life.
  • Become more knowledgeable about local government and community issues.
  • Critical Thinking and Media Literacy:
  • Enhance ability to identify and verify reliable information from multiple sources.
  • Learn to navigate through misinformation and biased reporting effectively.
  • Active Civic Participation:
  • Feel encouraged to engage with and communicate effectively with local representatives.
  • Understand the value of being an active participant in the democratic process.
  • Broadening Perspectives:
  • Develop a more nuanced view of the political landscape by considering multiple viewpoints.
  • Gain a balanced perspective by exploring diverse news sources and political opinions.

Engage Further with "Conversations with Rich Bennett"

As we wrap up this insightful discussion on the importance of informed voting, I want to leave you with a crucial call to action. Remember, your vote is not just a right; it's a responsibility. Here's how you can take action today:

  • Do Your Research:
    • Dive deep into the backgrounds and plans of the candidates. Look beyond party lines and focus on who will best serve your community and country.
  • Get Informed Locally:
    • Understand who your local representatives are and what they stand for. Your local elections matter just as much as the national ones.
  • Engage in Civil Discourse:
    • Have respectful conversations with friends and family about politics. Share your knowledge and encourage them to do their research as well.
  • Verify Your Sources:
    • Use multiple news sources and fact-check everything. In a world full of misinformation, it's vital to discern the truth from the noise.
  • Stay Connected:
    • Follow us on social media and subscribe to "Conversations with Rich Bennett" for more episodes that delve into important topics like this. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

By taking these steps, you’ll be making informed decisions that can positively impact your community and beyond. Let’s all strive to vote red, white, and blue, and make a difference together. Until next time, stay informed, stay engaged, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Feel free to share your thoughts and questions on our social media platforms or reach out directly. Your voice matters, and together, we can navigate the complexities of the electoral process. Thank you for tuning in to "Conversations with Rich Bennett."

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Transcript

Rich Bennett 0:01
It's just me. No guest. It's just me, myself and I. And I wanted to talk to you about something very important. It seems like it happens not just once every four years, sometimes every two years. 

Any time an election comes around, it seems that families get divided. Friendships are broken. All because everybody is trying to push their views about certain candidates and all that. And we don't need that. It's yeah, 

everybody should just do the research on whoever they want to vote for and remember that vote for. And when I say do the research, I mean look at what they've done while in office or if they've never been in office, what they plan on doing, What is their plan? Think of it as a business before you start a business. You put together a business plan. Now I want to talk about some things that my father told me when I was younger. And this is I'll never forget this. My first election and my father was a registered Democrat. He told me, he said, never vote party line, first of all, because you may be voting for the wrong person. You know, the wrong person, somebody that cannot do or doesn't. They won't do what you want them to do. His vote Republican. He's voted Democrat. I voted Republican. I voted Democrat every Independent. This stuff where you vote blue or just red is nonsense. You need to look at who's going to do the best job for the country or for where you live, for your state, for your local area. And the worst thing you can do is vote against somebody. Because when you're voting against somebody and there is a difference between voting for somebody and voting against somebody, when you're voting against somebody, all you're doing is cause them more damage. You know, because you don't know what the other person if the other person wins, what's going to happen? So you need to do your research thoroughly. 

Another thing, if you're going to sit there and right now hear it is we're heading into a presidential election. If you're going to sit there and try to tell me to vote for this person for president, hear that person for president. But yet you can't even tell me who is in your city or county council or what's going on in your local government. Then don't try to push your views on me when it comes to the presidential election. That just tells me that you really haven't done your research and you don't care about what's going on in your back door or backyard, I should say, because a lot of this stuff starts in your own community. So again, do your research. I can't stress that enough. You know, and especially going into this election, you hear a lot of people say, well, I don't like what this person did. I don't like what that person did. This person is. Well, I'm not even going to get into that part. But do your research, even look at stuff throughout the years. You'd be surprised how many and this is true. How many people that were felons that have ran for election. Matter of fact, I believe there is somebody that actually maybe two ran for president while in jail, a convicted felon while in jail. So do your. Do your research also. 

I'm sorry, but this is just this is a this is my view. Again, it's up to you. But if you're not really looking deep into the candidate's, you need to know. I don't want to mention any names, but there are 

candidates out there that 

they're not looking out for. Your well-being. They're not looking out for the country's well-being. 

There are some candidates out there that, well, 

don't even need to run. They just love the country. They want to see better. There are other other candidates out there that are just I want to say they're sitting back watching everything else that's going on and they're keeping quiet. 

Then I have a funny feeling they're going to end up getting a lot of votes because you do see some ads from them, but they're not bashing the other candidates. And that's something that turns a lot of people off when you sit there, especially as somebody who's not even running. And you sit there and badger the candidates and you say stuff about them, then it's not even true. You do the research. Well, it should be easy to do to research. You've got to really dive deep lately because not all your. Well, we know how the news certain news channels are going to say some things and some news channels aren't playing it simple. Same with your Internet sources. Some people are going to or some Internet sources are going to say some things and some aren't. And yes, no matter what, you are going to get lies posted everywhere. After all, it's memory. You will freeze. It's not true unless Abraham. Abraham Lincoln posted it on the Internet. But now it's you're going to see the lies again. My thing is, just do your research as I can't see that morning enough. Don't vote strictly blue. Don't vote strictly red. Don't even vote strictly green or whatever. My thing is, vote red, white and blue. That's what everybody should be voting. Red, white and blue. You're looking out for the country. Who is going to? I'm talking about the presidential election. Who is going to do the best job for the country? And then when we get to the local part, I'm not talking about Stein. I'm talking about your local city community, whatever county here, townships. Again, look at who is going to do the best job as who you think is going to best do the best job, who aligns with what you believe in. 

There. I see complaints and hear complaints all the time just on the local level. People complain about things, but yet they don't even know who they're county councilman or they don't even know who. Some people don't even know who the county executive is. They know there is one, but they don't know who it is. 

And if you're going to sit there and complain about stuff, then you need to do your research. 

Find out who your 

officials are. Speak up. Let them know what your complaints are. But also and when you complain, you. You don't have to heal. Believe me, I've gotten more done as a citizen by speaking with people in office than yelling because all they are going to do and those of you in customer service know it. When somebody is yelling here, just sit back and let them vent because eventually they're going to cool down. 

So again, my point is, do your research 

thoroughly before you vote. And 

if you want to vote for somebody that well, no, I don't want to see that again. Just do your research and we can all do this in a civil manner. We can still be friends. Families don't need to break apart. You don't need to lose friendships over this. Trust me, whoever wins, whoever loses, they will know you. They know they don't care about you. They're not going to come visit you. So they they really don't care. And here you are. You're going to lose friendships or family members over. Don't let that happen. Please don't let that happen. I know a lot of you may disagree with me, and that's fine. But again, that's just my view. And I hope you'll think about what I said and do your research and look at all the news sources. I'm not talking to me and just your top ones. I'm talking about even the ones that there's believe it or not, there's a lot of things going on in the world that your top news channels and media outlets and newspapers are not talking about. And you have to dive deep to find out about. 

One on one, if you want to message me, I'll be more than happy to tell you what sources I use, where to go to. I have no problem with that. And again, with anything I see, I'm always double and triple checking. I look at more than one source. 

I look at sources from the Democrat Party. Look at sources from the Republican Party. Independent Party and all the other parties. I want to know who is going to do to do the best job for me and my family.