After Tuesday's primaries in Michigan and Arizona, Yahoo! News asked voters in upcoming primaries to share their perspectives.
FIRST PERSON | As a history major in college, I studied Ayn Rand and the conservative movement. I am now two years out of college and was rooting for Ron Paul to win the nomination. Most people who see that I am 22 and went to the liberal Western Washington University assume that I would vote for a Democrat -- or at the very least for a left-leaning Republican. After the results of the Michigan and Arizona primaries, I may just have to.
Ron Paul nay not always fall in line with my beliefs, but each of his views is always backed by his underlining morality. This morality has its roots in the Randian Movement of the 1960s and is in favor of state's rights, constitutional rights, civil liberties and the Constitution. I admire his politics and the fact that he appears to be something so very unusual-a politician who does what he believes and is not driven by the money he can gain from lobbyists. After last night, I unfortunately cannot see the benefit of voting for him any longer.
In Michigan and Arizona, Mitt Romney took the lead in the primaries. According to CNN, Romney took 50 percent of the vote in Arizona and stands to bring home all of the state's 29 delegates. I dislike Mitt Romney because I find him to be the very opposite of Ron Paul and the morality I believe in. Yet, I will be voting for him. The alternative is to back a politician I love, but will not win. With each vote cast for Ron Paul, a vote is taken away from Romney and Santorum stands the potential to benefit.
Do not misunderstand my views. As a Catholic, I would love to see someone of my religion in office. I just cannot bring myself to vote for someone who believes birth control is a sin. Women have come too far in the last century to be denied access to birth control or family planning options. I may not like that Romney's views seem to sway with every political breeze, but I can count on his background as a former governor of a traditionally liberal state to keep the rights I need as a woman in place.
Politics often comes down to choosing not who is best, but who is least bad. My vote has been changed to support a politician who can win and block Santorum or Gringrich from standing a chance at the poles. As I leave today to work at the plant laboratory, it is with an extreme feeling of resignation. Ron Paul, we had a good run. Someday, America may be ready for you.
