Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Cliff Lee and Decision Making

Everyone who follows sports, and even a few folks who don't, is shocked about Cliff Lee signing with the Philadelphia Phillies for less money ... tens of millions less. In the Philly Suburbs everyone is shocked and jubilant. I understand the jubilant. The shocked is more perplexing. Did you choose your last job based only on money? Did you not give a thought to your potential commute, who you might be working with, what you would be asked to do, the hours you might be asked to work, the work culture, the pressure you would be under, etc.? When you make an important decision you are unlikely to consider only one factor. When you buy a television, price is unlikely to be the only concern. Size, resolution, manufacturer, and retailer are all likely to figure in. When you choose a doctor, I would assume you consider more than whether your insurance covers the doctor. The office location is probably important, as is whether you like the doctor or whether you feel the office staff are friendly and responsive. You probably didn't choose your spouse solely based on salary, although IO am sure there are times my wife wished she did! Anyway, the bottom line is that when you make an important decision you consider more than one factor.

So ... the same should be true when it comes to making a political decision. Whether or not you vote for your the incumbent congressman in your district should depend on more than his vote on the Iraq War. How you feel about abortion should rely on more than the fact you find life to be sacred. How you feel about a particular proposal to raise taxes should depend on more than the fact that you would rather not pay higher taxes. Whether or not you support Health Care reform should go beyond whether or not you are frightened by 'big government'. It would be nice if people could consider as many factors when they decide who to vote for or whether to oppose lifting the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy as they put into deciding which GPS device to purchase. Where our country ends up going seems at least as important as whether you can make it to an afternoon appointment.

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