I want to cast votes against candidates

I could believe Walter Cronkite.

When I was a boy, and Walter Cronkite delivered the news through our black-and-white television set, I knew I was getting objective, meaningful information. I trusted him, so I believed him.

Today, I don’t know which political candidates I can trust, so I don’t know who to believe.

This season’s political advertising is making it worse. The candidates aren’t really focusing on the issues. Instead, they are investing heavily in polluting the character of their opponents.

I find that incredibly disrespectful. These are people who, to be successful in politics, will have to work well with others. What they are demonstrating is a remarkable ability to do the opposite.

Candidates, tell this voter what you really believe, because then I’ll have some basis for predicting your future decisions. Don’t tell me how bad the other candidate is, tell me why you are the right choice. Stop trying to make your candidacy smell less bad than your competitors. Compel me to vote for you instead of trying to convince me not to vote for someone else.

Instead of casting votes for a candidate, I want to be able to cast negative votes. Very few of the candidates in our state and federal races are acting in ways that make me want to vote for them. Many behave so horribly I want to vote against them.

So here’s my idea: let voters take votes away from a candidate.

All we can do now as voters is cast votes for candidates, or not vote. I want a little more power. I want the ability to express my dissatisfaction with the way some candidates run their campaigns. Instead of casting votes for candidates, I want the ability to vote against candidates by casting a vote that subtracts votes from a candidate.

If I can’t vote for any candidate, allow me to vote against the worst candidates. That would completely change the dynamics of elections. Maybe it would be a catalyst for candidates to invest in talking about who they really are, and the real issues, instead of slinging mud.

I wonder what Walter would say.