There are issues that some people care about a lot, and will vote based on that one issue alone, and everything they say will steer the conversation back to their pet issue. These include (but are not limited to) Israel, guns (usually from people who are extremely pro-Israel and pro-guns), abortion (usually from people vehemently opposed to abortion), immigration (usually from xenophobic anti-sophisticates who are deathly afraid of living into a world that’s a bit different than the one they grew up in), and gay rights (I’m all for gay rights, of course. But it affects, directly, less than 10% of the population). Legalization of marijuana is an issue very important to me, but I wouldn’t base my vote entirely on that.
It would make sense if elections were more about who has to pay how much in taxes, or why the U.S. can’t have decent health care and repair its infrastructure and pay its teachers a living wage. And staying out of wars. Staying out of wars should be a big issue.
But, even more than that, the number one issue, the one thing that everyone should be laser-focused on, is not to destroy the Earth. Solar energy, wind energy, electric cars, high speed trains, public transportation, recycling, saving the honey bee, planting about a gazillion more trees, all of these should be things we’re working for, whatever other issues may pop up now and again temporarily.
Because, if we destroy the Earth, we all die. Game over. That is not an acceptable outcome, no matter how much money you have.
