A month has passed since my last post, but I make no apologies. There is more to life than blogging—namely choosing a candidate and voting. I and others in the League of Women Voters have organized, hosted, and videotaped two debates among Democrats running locally and for New Jersey’s 12^th Congressional District. Since ours is a largely Democratic district, whoever wins the primary is likely to win the November election.

     The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle. The League began as a “mighty political experiment” designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It continues today as a non-partisan organization whose mission, in part, is to inform citizens about candidates and to encourage men and women alike to vote. Thus, I have been registering voters and running non-partisan debates.

     What if voters took the time (perhaps had the time) to watch debates-even those sponsored by partisan organizations?  Would that get money out of politics?  Would it give new candidates a chance to make themselves known?

     How is all the money spent?  Are TV ads and campaign mailings truthful?  Do they let voters compare candidates?

     I don’t have the answers.  All I can do is my small part.  But my debates are videotaped!  Voters can sit back with a soda or a beer and watch as little or as much as they choose-whenever they choose.  Most televised debates are available online.  Now if only choosing a candidate were as much fun as watching kittens frolic on YouTube….