election madness!

we are now less than a week away from the federal election, and it's really the first time that I've ever been so...involved, shall we say.
we had an open line yesterday for about forty minutes yesterday, with our host and a guest fielding calls from listeners about who they're voting for. it was an AWESOME segment,and I was particularly happy because the guest was an old professor of mine.
before the segment, we had the chance to chat a bit about school and career choice...and I had one of those moments where I felt truly lucky and in awe of the fact that I get to be involved in making public radio.

the brief conversation also made me miss school a bit...as much as I love my work, I do actually miss doing super nerdy stuff that requires a LOT of time. my prof said that doing the segment is tough for her...cuz when you're in accademics, you have all the time in the world to figure out what you think about something.
I'm really looking forward to taking my final communications class...I figure maybe my work experience has made me just a tad wiser.

getting back to the election...
so here's my peeve (not so much a peeve than something that makes me genuinely sad): people who vote on a one-issue basis.
national politics is much more than about abortion, or same-sex marriage, or whether the candidate is christian/chinese. (yes, this is clearly something pertinent in my own riding)
if that's the sole basis by which you are voting, then I would strongly encourage you to look at the party's platform...from the economy, to social programs, to health care, to the environment...and make a sound judgment on what you feel best represents you and your values.
we like to say that we live in a democratic society...but in reality, we live in a representative democracy. voting is one of the few ways by which we participate as citizens in our nation's politics...and it's a right we too often overlook.

*sigh*. my rant is over.

I'm also curious...how many people are voting for the party rather than the local candidate (or vice versa)?