The Jump Off

i have never blogged before. up until two weeks ago i had no idea what blogging even was. I thought it was just another useless way for people to express themselves or keep a journal of there thoughts and opinions. Essentially, i was correct on my assumptions-except for the "useless" part. i have found that it can be a very powerful tool in letting out your opinions and expressing these feelings to the masses. So, here i am. Blogging with really no intention other than that i want to express and record my own feelings on certain matters while informing myself and others in the process.
The basis of my blog will be politics and the upcoming election. At 25, i have yet to vote in a presidential election. I had always made the excuse that "my vote wont make a difference" or "i dont know enough about the candidates to vote." And maybe this holds some truth. But, with age, i have realized that it is my fundamental right as an American and i should take advantage of it.
However, i do not want to vote without getting to know the candidates and their opinions on the issues being discussed. I talk to many individuals (some educated, some not) that have such strong opinions on who they are going to vote or not vote for. i hear "i wont vote for a black man," or "there cannot be a woman in office." Such ignorant statements have made me realize that there are millions of Americans that have no idea on the policies and opinions of the candidates. And, honestly, i am one of these individuals. All i know about the candidates is that one is a black male, one is a female, and one is a dinosaur. I dont want my upcoming vote to be based on such worthless observations. i want to submit an educated vote that picks the candidate that is most in line with my opinions and views.
So, this is why i blog. I will comment on things i read in the newspaper and see on TV and i hope to recieve feedback. I intend to inform myself and the reader on the issues being debated, the backgrounds of the candidates, and their plans if they are nominated. The hopefully being the forming of an educated opinion on who to vote for in the upcoming election.
On that note, i will kick off my first blog with a website reccomendation. Provided by the washington post, it gives a quick profile snapshot of each of the candidates as well as a very cool "issue coverage tracker" that informs the public on the stance of the candidates on the issues we should be concerned with (as opposed to sex/race/age). Here it is: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Note to blog reader: i am a 25 year old college student. i have a limited background in politics and blogs. i may offend. i may be critical. i may sound uninformed. i may digress. but feedback is always welcome as i would love to hear opinions on the issues being discussed.