Someone recently asked me “who” did you would vote for. I think a better question is What did you vote for?.
We generally tend to vote for what we want, both for our immediate goals and our long term dreams. The individuals and parties that we vote for are merely proxies for those goals and dreams. The first question unnecessarily places the emphasis on the proxies whereas the second one shifts the focus rightly to the underlying goals and dreams.
Asking someone “who” they voted for forces them to name their candidate or party. As we know already, every candidate from every party that we don’t approve of, are idiots. Even though we know better, we proceed to tell them what we think of their choice. Add some wine and decades of repressed rage to create a noteworthy christmas party.
Next time instead, try asking What did you vote for?. Most people are not used to being asked this question. You may need to repeat the question. You may need to assure them that they heard you correctly.
“I voted for a higher minimum wage”, “I voted for lower taxes”, “I voted for a cleaner environment” etc are all things I’ve heard, and agree with. Thus, we now have a common ground.
Sometimes the opposite is true; that we don’t agree on something fundamental. This is also useful. Now I can either choose to avoid this person or ask for clarification, if I respect them enough. Either case is a win-win, both for us and said christmas party.
So, what did you vote for?