I let my husband know I would be back shortly — I wanted to take our dog for a walk before we spent the evening watching our favorite college football team.

Midway through our stroll, a neighbor I’ve known for over 20 years stopped me and asked, “Can I ask you something personal? Who are you going to vote for?” I was not expecting that question.

Before I share my answer, you must know that I make no claim to be an expert in public policy. I consider myself informed, especially on issues that concern me most, but I generally avoid policy/political debates. I don’t feel like I have the facts, figures, and numbers at hand to sufficiently debate someone armed for a fight. Additionally, my employer encourages us to remain neutral at work, and I toe that line professionally.

However, I believe what I believe strongly and deeply. So, I answered my neighbor accordingly, knowing I likely would miss something: “I am voting for Trump. I don’t admire his personal life or profane language, but I’m not looking for him to be my pastor or my next dinner guest for Thanksgiving. I am voting for his public policies, not his past personal character.”

Further, I replied:

I want safe borders.
I want our police and other public servants to be respected and empowered again.
I want our economy fixed.
I want my taxes lowered.
I want a leader who will not back down from foreign and domestic bullies and enemies.
I want our country to stand WITH Israel every day, all day, until the end of time.
I want our tax dollars to help our veterans, equip our military, and aid victims of natural disasters, just to name a few allocations! Please stop sending millions to other governments; we have enough needs here on our soil before we start giving away our resources.
I want someone who will not lead us into war but will stand firm and put our country first.
I want human life to be valued from conception to the grave, but I don’t want to enable those who want to mutilate their bodies and pretend to change their sex. They don’t need surgery, they need counseling. Yes, their lives matter, but they need help, not a sex change.

I concluded my conversation with my neighbor, “Thus, I will not vote for the Harris/Walz ticket for the same reason I will vote for the Trump/Vance ticket: their policies.”

In one of her recent “interviews” — this with that great journalistic forum “The View” — Harris was asked if she would “have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years.” Harris replied, “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I’ve been a part of, of, of most of the decisions that have had impact.” This from the person who asserts she is the “change candidate”?

The fact is, Harris hasn’t sufficiently answered any policy questions in the few “interviews” she has granted to friendly “journalists.” And now she insists that more of the same is acceptable. It’s not only unacceptable, it will only get worse.

Neither she nor her husband own any moral high ground over Trump, but when it comes to policies, I’ll support Trump over Obama/Biden/Harris policies every time.

To all of that, my neighbor said, “I agree.”

I hope that neighbors all across America still have enough common sense to agree.