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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Effort underway to find photos of those who died in Vietnam, including 35 from Jackson County Restaurant Inspections Emergency Services Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Former youth pastor arrested on burglary, privacy invasion Emergency services Attorney general's decision would limit federal sharing of asset forfeitures Thief hitches up trailer and tows away snowmobile and golf cart Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Unfair labor complaint against Medford School District resolved Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Not as ready as they should be Environment New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure State News Oregon lawmakers start drafting pot bills 12 injured in massive I-84 crash in eastern Oregon Oregon man reveled in Cuba trip Dancers: Strip club owes us wages 'Wild' author wows overflow crowd Nation - World Obituaries Harold Ray Fisher Louise K. 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Our View: Oregon students need job skills training ... Oregon lawmakers start drafting pot bills ... Talent Elementary students learn to tinker ... Our View: Oregon students need job skills training ... Oregon lawmakers start drafting pot bills ... Kent Bush: The realities of politics Comment By Kent Bush More Content Now MailTribune.com By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Jan. 14, 2015 @ 7:39 am By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Jan. 14, 2015 @ 7:39 am » Social News In a group dynamic, sometimes you have to sacrifice the ideal to achieve the acceptable. That is easy to see in presidential politics. There are still 22 months before the next presidential election, but thanks to Barack Obama being a lame duck, the ballot is wide open for both parties, leading to widespread speculation over who will seek and win the White House in 2016. Before the voting begins, the vast majority of voters will have chosen a favorite candidate. It is easy to support the candidate you prefer. It is harder to be politically expedient and support a candidate who can win. Candidates are chosen by the 40 percent of the population that identify with a single party. Presidents are chosen by the 20 percent in the middle in the dozen swing states where electoral votes are actually in play. Often, voters in presidential primaries work against their own self-interest and support candidates they agree with even though they know that no one in the other party and not many unaffiliated voters would ever vote for that candidate. Sarah Palin is one of the most popular political figures in America. She is also one of the most polarizing figures in that she is also incredibly unpopular outside of her own circle. She has made more money off of her own political brand than anyone in recent memory. However, if she ran against a goldfish, she couldn’t get above 40 percent of the popular vote. No one seems to consider that when they vote in primaries. Republicans will probably have a big menu to choose from next year. Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Rand Paul all have followings and have expressed a desire to run. From the other end of the spectrum, many expect Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren and even Bernie Sanders – who has served as a senator from Vermont affiliated with the Liberty Union Party and as an independent – are tipping their hands that they might be interested. Republicans and Democrats will begin to convene in political primaries and caucuses about a year from now to pick a candidate. The vast majority of those voters will think only of which candidate agrees with them on the most important issues. The problem with that strategy is that many times it results in candidates at the top of the ballot that can’t win. Sometimes, supporting that candidate who is your third favorite, but able to win a national election, will be more satisfying than seeing a candidate from a competing party back a moving truck up to the White House. Do you want a candidate you love to lose or a candidate you like pretty well to win? Isn’t pretty good better than horrible? If your politics push you far away from those in the center, it is worth some consideration to throw your support behind a candidate who has a chance, even if they aren’t your favorite. Kent Bush is publisher of Shawnee (Oklahoma) News-Star and can be reached at [email protected]. By Kent Bush More Content Now MailTribune.com By Kent Bush More Content Now Posted Jan. 14, 2015 @ 7:39 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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