Novel idea — what if we use common sense when voting!

Democrat, Republican, Independent or other. When voting, however, and regardless of party affiliation, are politics and common sense mutually exclusive? Yes or no. Not really certain? As a means to answer this intriguing question, two real-life scenarios focusing on the issue of abortion will be examined along with a third scenario exploring voting rights.

During the 2020 midterm elections, Georgia voters were confronted with a bizarre conundrum in the race for U.S. Senator between Raphael Warnock (Democrat) and Herschel Walker (Republican). In scenario one, as a voter, your sole desire was to cast a ballot for Walker, who vehemently advocated for a total ban on all abortion procedures. However, before casting your ballot, you became aware that Walker had previously paid for several abortions and, when questioned about it, lied! Later, you also discovered he lied about his academic credentials, military record, his state of residence, etc. Notwithstanding all of these verifiable lies, you still voted for Walker. In this example, condoning a liar proves politics and common sense are mutually exclusive.

In scenario two, while your initial focus was on supporting a ban on abortion, you lost the ability to identify other negative aspects of Walker’s/ Republican Party’s platform, namely, the “Big Lie,” climate change and vaccines are hoaxes, Social Security/ Medicare should be reduced or eliminated, the rich should pay less taxes, all news from liberal media are fake, health care and voting rights should be restricted, etc. Do all these other platform issues, when added together, outweigh your desire to ban abortions, or do they collectively matter less? Noting the vast influence these aforementioned measures have on the lives of all citizens, coupled with the fact that these additional measures, if enacted, would often go against your own self-interest, and following a careful review of verifiable sources of information, you instead voted for Warnock’s platform of fairness and inclusion. In this particular case, politics and common sense were not mutually exclusive.

In scenario three and in light of the “Big Lie,” the Jan. 6 insurrection, and efforts by Republicans to suppress voting rights, the 2026 midterm election may herald a watershed moment in American democracy. Why? The Republican Party is currently supporting a once-fringe constitutional theory that would give state legislatures all but absolute control over elections. Given this controversial theory, and if said theory is enacted into law, any candidate who garners the most votes may not always be declared the winner, if Republicans control state legislatures. With this legislative possibility in mind, would you still cast a vote for any Republican candidate supporting this theory? If the answer is yes, politics and common sense are mutually exclusive. However, if you voted to support Democratic candidates, are politics and common sense mutually exclusive? No. Why? Common sense mandates this type of legislative control is unconstitutional and unjust. What is fair and just may not always be convenient on a personal/political level, but furthering the will of “We the People” is of paramount importance. Voting must always be straightforward and simple, namely, the candidate securing the most votes is declared the officeholder. Therefore, in the voting booth, remember that politics and common sense ARE NOT mutually exclusive!  Again, why?

The results from these three scenarios support the notion that politics and common sense can sometime make strange bedfellows. However, as a member of society, your basic common sense should always be the controlling factor which decides issues of significance to the majority of citizens, even when those choices override a single issue of vital concern to you personally (e.g., abortion, voting rights). Therefore, the priority during all elections, and especially in 2026, must be to employ both your real-life common sense and experience to support candidates/ party platforms which promote the basic cornerstones of a true democracy, namely, both your right to vote and to have your vote counted fairly.

John M. Mishler is a former Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Professor of Basic Life Sciences, Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Missouri-Kansas City.  He resides in Harpswell, Maine.