I was driving around town yesterday when I saw a sign in somebody's yard. It looked like your typical campaign sign that you might see during any kind of election. But this one was different -- it had pictures of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with the words "nope" and "noper" underneath them.
Suffice it to say, this election has a lot of Americans feeling as if they have a Sophie's Choice to make. One on hand, we have a reality TV star and businessman who has been called successful, but even that's questionable. He claims that he's going to "make America great again," but he hasn't given any specific ways he will do that other than his ludicrous idea to build a wall. Speaking of building a wall, he's a known racist and misogynist, and though he claims that he will be the best candidate for racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and women, his past words and actions suggest otherwise. Now on the other hand, we have a Secretary of State and ex-First Lady who has been steadfast on her promise to be a champion for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and racial minorities. However, she is a known liar and it's hard to feel like she's genuine when she just mimicked whatever her fellow Democratic nominee, Bernie Sanders, did. Plus, she has been known to bow down to corporations and whoever is paying the big bucks, so four years with her as President doesn't seem all too inspiring right now.
While there are other options for voters, such as writing in a nominee's name or voting for a third party candidate, I can see that a lot of Americans are frustrated with their choices. So I propose some new ones.
1. Ellen Degeneres
She's the comedian, daytime talk show host, and "Finding Dory" star that everyone loves for her humor and generosity. Her kind, good-natured spirit is infectious and I'm sure this country could benefit from that. And if you like the idea of a businessman running the country, how about a businesswoman? She's got her own TV show, clothing line, home decor line, and a record label. I also can't help but think of what our foreign relations would be like with her as president. She's friends with everybody and her warm personality would be essential to preserving our country's relationships with other countries. We would be making history in more ways than one if we elected her.
2. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ex-wrestler turned actor with a heartwarming smile Dwayne Johnson is the most charismatic choice on this list. He's the only person nicknamed after a boring, inanimate object who is as cool as he is. He brings the star power and heart to every mediocre comedy/action movie that he is cast in. "Oh, The Rock is in that new movie that I wasn't going to see? Maybe I will see it," is something you've probably said in the last 10 years. He's also one of the most down-to-earth people in Hollywood. Basically, he has no qualifications to be president, but it would be cool to say President Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, wouldn't it?
3. DJ Khaled
He's a DJ and music producer who has worked with plenty of well-known names in music, but this year he is most known for his Snapchat stories. He posts many stories a day and they usually consist of him living his lavish life -- driving fast cars, drinking expensive liquor, and performing on Beyonce's tours. But he has his quirks, like when he says "I love you" to flowers and gives his audience advice that he calls "major keys." He would be a good president because he has all of the keys to life and he knows how to stay away from "they." They don't want our country to succeed. DJ Khaled will keep us away from they.
4. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Writer, actor, composer, and now Tony winner for the extremely popular Broadway play, Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda is the hottest name on the market. He's widely considered a genius for writing and composing the game-changing Hamilton that is sure to go down in history. Mixing hip-hop and U.S. history shouldn't have worked, but it did. If he can make that work, he can make anything work. Plus, he comes from an immigrant family and you can tell he cares about the country he calls home.
5. Beyoncé Knowles
She's not called Queen B for nothing. Beyoncé possesses the ability to amaze and inspire millions of people all over the world, whether it be through her talents or just because of her good looks. In any case, she gives off a strong bravado that would leave any other world leader quaking in their boots, along with her Beyhive that she can sic on her enemies at any time. And though I'm not one to buy into conspiracy theories, she could be a member of the Illuminati, and who wants to mess with them?
6. Chelsea Handler
This comedian, actress, writer, and late night talk show host has shown no desire to be President of the United States. In fact, she often has an "I don't give a f***" attitude about things, which is exactly why she would be a great president. "Hey, Congress. You don't want me to pass this awesome piece of life-changing legislation? Well, I don't give a f***!" is something I can totally picture her saying. She is pretty open about her political beliefs and values, and will never be one of those candidates that just can't seem to make up their mind about something. Also, as a bonus, she might pick Chuy as her Vice President!
Whether they actually fit the requirements to be president or not is irrelevant because, as we have seen through Donald Trump's election as the Republican nominee, qualifications don't matter! What matters is gusto and the ability to reach thousands of people through language, which is something all of the above people can do.
However, in all seriousness, come November there will realistically only be two options to choose from, and neither of them are on my list. Please do your research, vote, and use your vote wisely. When it comes to choosing between "nope" and "noper," I'm afraid we will have to settle with "nope." Who "nope" is to you is the decision that you and I and every American must make this year.