Employment...errr...Election Day

It’s an odd feeling to be an unemployed voter, especially as we sit in the midst of this horrible period of our nation’s history in terms of employment. Over these last weeks leading up to today’s General Election, there’s been so much rhetoric thrown around about the state of our economy and why there aren’t more jobs and who is to blame that it becomes easy to forget what voting for a candidate truly represents. 

I know that a majority of people in the country right now feel the fault of our current situation falls squarely on the President and those in his party. But it’s impossible to place total blame there as this miserable economy was created before this President ever took office.

I know that those on the left blame the previous President and those in his party. But there has been some time rectify this economy somewhat, and let’s face it…President Obama has not been super duper in terms of reaching out and leading the middle class that he claims to champion. Besides, it was a Democrat Congress over the last two years of President Bush’s administration when this recession took hold.

So, here we are today with what is, in effect, a referendum on the rehiring or firing/hiring of a few select people who have decided to direct their careers towards public service and leadership. I, one of the unemployed, get to be a hiring manager for a day. Well, one of (hopefully) millions of hiring managers across this country. Sure, I have in mind a specific set of skills and ideologies that I believe shape the ideal candidate for each position, and my desired qualifications are going to differ from at least half of the other hiring managers providing input today. So be it.

I don't have the answers (even though I sometimes act like I do, often to the great dismay of my wife and family). Heck, if I did I probably wouldn't be searching for a job right now. But, it’s kind of weird thinking that I have some infinitesimal amount of influence on some good (and some not so good…and some downright horrible) people hoping to obtain employment to, in part, represent me. The depressing thought is that, most likely, those who will be awarded these jobs will have absolutely no interest in representing me in any way.

Should make for an interesting next couple of years, if nothing else.