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Follow on Google News | I Voted for Optimism. Did You?Dr. Russ Buss encourages everyone to vote because the act of voting is a vote for OPTIMISM. Drawing on a Yahoo/ABC News poll about optimism in the electorate he shows that voting is not about winning but about expressing the optimism of free choice.
By: Dr. Russ Buss * Only 33% of Americans say they are “optimistic” * According to 23 percent, “America used to be a great country but isn’t any more” – a 30 year high in this pessimistic view. * When asked: “Is the problem the system or the people running the government?” Those holding the pessimistic view said the “people running the government” by a three to one margin. * On the “good news” side: only 20% reported being outright “pessimistic” * Negative emotions are running high with anger at the top of the list. But according to some analysts the emotional make-up of the electorate is much more complex; composed of anxiety, unease, apprehension, and even a depression that matches the economic times. * Anger, driven by the soft underbelly of the negative emotions of anxiety and depression, is a relatively positive emotion in that it leads to effort and action as opposed to the bellyaching and inactivity of hopelessness and helplessness. * Some have suggested we are suffering from a "John Wayne" complex: we want everything fixed NOW. And we want the ACTION HERO to do it for us. If it is not done NOW, vote out the bums and find a new HERO. And, some prefer one who drinks TEA! SUMMARY of Yahoo/ABC News Poll * Optimism is down. Pessimism is steady. And, messing around with Mr. and Ms.“In-Betweener” What does it Mean to Cast a Vote for Optimism? 1. I do not get to pick the winner of the election. I only get to express my opinion for the individuals and issues I believe in. 2. Casting a vote is a process of effortful action, not a guarantee of an outcome. 3. When I vote, I am marking-the- 4. Voting is a better antidote for a bellyache than Pepsid, Tums, or Pepto-Bismol. 5. Voting is only one step in the optimism of politics. Getting involved in campaigning, teaching children how to make a difference by voting, and discussing issues in a rational manner are just a few other steps one can take. 6. Voting for an ACTION HERO is a vote of pessimism because I am saying I want someone else to solve my problems and take care of me. 7. With pessimism at a steady state and “Tweenerism” 8. At the end of the day, I can sit back in my easy chair and watch the returns on ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN, taking pride in the “freedom of the press” and being “OPTIMISTIC” 9. Sure I will be happy, joyful, hopeful and upbeat if my guy or gal wins, but "MY OPTIMISM" is ONLY driven by the RIGHT TO VOTE FREELY. 10. YES! Our troops on battlefields round the world are fighting for MY OPTIMISM, YOUR OPTIMISM and THEIR OPTIMISM!!! For More "Optimism" check out the Moment-to-Moment Optimism blog: http://www.drrussbuss.com Yahoo/ABC News poll: http://abcnews.go.com/ # # # About Moment-to-Moment: End
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