Compromise

During the summer my wife and I were discussing the fact that we'll need to replace her car in the next year or so. We sat down and created a short list of features that we'd like to have in our next car. We'd like it to be four-wheel drive so we can get out of some of the sticky situations that we find ourselves in from time to time. It needs to have at least 6 seat belts so we can safely carry the whole family. I'd like to find a diesel so we can start using biofuels once they're more readily available. We both would like it to be stick shift. And she'd like it to handle like and be just as cute as a Mini Cooper.
We'll from this list it's obvious that we're going to have to compromise a little to get a new vehicle. We haven't yet figured it out but we're hoping that our current vehicles will buy us a little more time to figure it out.
As I was standing in line at the polls this morning I felt a similar sense of compromise. I have a long list of issues that I feel passionate about. Not one of the candidates on either side of the aisle shares more than a couple of the same opinions that I do. If I were buying my car today and not picking a President I'd have to drive away with less than half of my desired options. Even if I concede that the diesel, automatic, 4x4 Suburban is the best compromise it's still a bittersweet accomplishment considering the other features that I had to sacrifice to get it.
To continue this analogy, I've found that several options come bundled together and it's next to impossible to find the two separate. Six seat belt vehicles are almost always automatic transmission. So finding a six-seater with a standard transmission is quite difficult. The same follows with my choices today. A feature that I like is bundled with a feature I don't. Supporting the FairTax is bundled with teaching Intelligent Design in public schools. Getting out of Iraq is bundled with socialized medicine. Fiscal conservatism is bundled with tolerance of "waterboarding".
So when I left the polls today I found that I was more than a little disappointed. I hadn't voted for somebody that I really felt would lead out country to where I wanted it to go. I just compromised and voted for the one I felt could do the least amount of damage. Considering the choices I can live with my decision. Just once in my life I'd really like to feel good about who's going to be running our country.