Your Turn, Your Voices: What Do You Look For In A Lawmaker?
Join us and tell your reps how you feel!
What’s the story?
On Monday, Countable asked you to tell us what you look for in a lawmaker. What is the balance between character and policy positions? As usual, Countable users delivered. You were thoughtful and articulate.
Here are some comments we want to highlight, but we encourage you to read them all on the original post.
I look for someone who represents me. I look for someone who is moral and empathetic. When I say moral I do not just mean sexually moral, but moral in his attitude towards his fellow man. Someone who treats the least of his people as he treats those with the most.
Read all of Joanne’s comment.
A lawmaker must vote based on needs of all constituents. He must not be tied to solely monied interests. Partisanship and single issue voting cannot be tolerated. Morality does not simply end with sexual behaviours. Morality means to me that welfare of all citizens will be addressed.
Read all of Diane’s comment.
Primarily, I look for a lawmaker whose stance on the issues most closely align with mine. Secondary, I want a lawmaker that is generally a good person who puts country/state over party. …If a politician is willing to go to the mat over policy issues, then their personal character tends to matter less. However, it still matters. Like I said, if a politician is racist or corrupt, it won’t matter how much they fight for issues that matter to me.
Read all of J Michael’s comment.
Personal character has a significant impact on policy proposals and support. I could not trust a person charged with embezzlement with proposing IRS regs, of using friendly relations with private sector corporations not to be patron influenced, of ignorant and offensive remarks about minorities to supporting civil rights policies. Personal character never goes away…
Read all of S’s comment.
A Congressperson must feel responsible for their constituents. That includes holding town halls, sending out newsletters about their actions in Congress, and replying to messages like Countable comments…We live in a representative democracy and that means the legislators have to REPRESENT their constituents’ beliefs. How is that possible if they do not communicate with the public?….
Read all of MFein10’s comment.
What I look for in a lawmaker, first and foremost, is integrity. I want representatives who put the best interests and wishes of their constituents above those of their party… or even of their own… It is unrealistic to think that we will find leaders who have never made mistakes. A good public official owns those mistakes—admits them and learns from them.
Read all of Ken’s comment.
Thank you for continuing to bring your words and thoughts to this platform. We are all lucky to have each other.
— Asha Sanaker
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