As the U.S. presidential election nears, voters are faced with a multitude of complex issues and conflicting candidate platforms. Navigating this decision can feel overwhelming. There are so many important issues to be considered that it’s often hard to know who the right candidate might be. Sometimes it’s not about choosing the perfect candidate, but it’s about choosing the least bad one. That’s not to say that these are bad candidates, but rather neither one of them might satisfy all of what we would like them to. However, there’s a straightforward way to cut through the noise: Ask yourself one simple question: What’s the most important thing to me? This simple question can crystallize your decision and help you align with the candidate who will best secure the things that are most cherished to you.
By identifying your top priority, you’ll find clarity in the decision-making process.
For some, support for Israel or combating antisemitism on campuses and in the public sphere is the key issue. If that’s the case for you, your choice becomes clearer—you’ll want to back the candidate with the strongest pro-Israel policies and the one who would be more likely to call out antisemitism in the United States.
If you believe reproductive rights should be determined on a federal level as opposed to a state level, you’ll naturally gravitate toward the candidate who supports these protections more forcefully.
If border security, drugs, human trafficking and terrorists coming through the border are your main concerns, you’ll lean toward a candidate with a focus on stricter immigration policies.
If inflation and cost of living dominate your concerns, look to the candidate who has the clearest plan to address economic stability.
If climate change is your top concern, choose the candidate who prioritizes environmental action.
The stakes of this election are so high that speaking to people you care about is of great importance as well. By asking that simple question, a person can help others gain clarity in their own decision. In doing this, there’s a chance people can divorce themselves from long-held biases that can sometimes cloud their judgment, and make the right decision for themselves and their community.
There is a classic story often attributed to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, though it does not appear in the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was taken from numerous books and websites. It goes like this:
“Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go camping. After setting up their tent, they fall asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson and says:
‘Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.’
Watson replies, ‘I see millions of stars.’
Holmes asks, ‘What does that tell you?’
Watson thinks for a moment and responds, ‘Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.’
Holmes is silent for a moment, then says, ‘Watson, you fool. Someone has stolen our tent.’
This episode plays on Watson’s tendency to overanalyze, while Holmes remains focused on solving problems in his logical way.”
Telling people what to think or explaining why they’re wrong almost never works. It is best to create the conditions whereby a person can come to their own conclusions. To be successful this ought to be done in a non-confrontational way without being aggressive or damaging relationships.
There are only five weeks until the election which could have long lasting implications for the direction in which this country and the rest of the world will be heading. By asking “What’s the most important thing to you,” you will force people to drill down and answer that simple question, helping them make the very best decision.
