I am a Catholic conservative woman, and I abhor Trump.

I am also a Catholic conservative woman, and I abhor Hillary.

Here's the thing folks, the political sphere isn't even truly about politics anymore. True politics, as Aristotle sees it, is about relationship between persons. It's about finding virtue and truth and common good, and then growing towards it as a society. It's about community leaders making laws that aim toward these virtues and truths and common goods, for the ultimate happiness -- or perfect fulfillment -- of its citizens. And from where I stand, that's not what we've had for a long, long time.

While it is good to be strong and driven and fight for what one believes is true, I don't believe that's truly possible while also running a hate-filled, morally and ethically questionable charade of a campaign to buy citizens' votes based on popularity contests, skeeve-off's, and headline speeches. Why do we let them persuade us based on a few strategically placed, cleverly and manipulatively written key-word interviews and speeches and debates? Are we truly that apathetic that we won't hold our potential commander-in-chief, public-leader-number-one, primary representative, accountable? Will we really not figure out what we believe, what we hold to be true, and good, and virtuous, and figure out whether they do too? Will we really not see through the glitz and the hate and the games and that which seems like actual discussion on real issues, but is actually just hot-button campaign tactics to get the other to say something wrong first? Why must we focus on every single thing wrong with our candidates, instead of holding ourselves to a higher standard, so that our primary representative and commander in chief will naturally have to be held to at least that standard--if not a higher one? Have we forgotten that each and every one of us not only has a right to a representative that upholds the highest objective common good, but also a responsibility to choose one?

Yes, it's good to be pro-woman, but know what that truly means in all of its forms and manifestations before you start picketing for it. Yes, it's good to support the working man, but know how to find an economic balance that is just. Yes, it's good to want to protect this country from threats, but have a clear mind and heart to know exactly what those threats actually are. Yes, it's good to fight to the bone for what is truly good, truly just, and truly true--but know what that means, and also have the wisdom and humility to know when to take another tactic, to reassess, and to see when that fighting is actually turning into another deficit in our search for the common good.

Get you a president who can do both.