This upcoming election will be the first presidential election in which I will be able to vote. The two main candidates are Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, which leaves me feeling like:
I was talking to my great aunt the other week. Her first election was in 1961, and she voted for Kennedy. She got to vote for JFK, America's favorite New Englander. I am presented with two candidates who, in what I consider my well-informed, rational opinion, I see as deeply unfit and inappropriate for the office. My great aunt voted for a candidate who said things like:
And,
I am faced with a Democratic candidate, Clinton, who has a history of blatant lying, inconsistent political stances, and an inability to give a straight answer to a question.
On the other hand, I am faced with a Republican candidate, driven by narcissism, xenophobia and stupidity, who says things like:
And,
Seriously. Are there any competent, noncontroversial candidates that would like to step up to the plate?
But the glorious thing about living in American is that we can vote for whoever we want. That is not limited to the main Democratic or Republican candidate. Vote for whoever you think is best for the job.
Don't give into voting for a top party candidate if you don't believe they are fit for the job. That's cheap. Take note from my main man John Quincy Adams when he said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
Whatever you do, vote. Democracy, and its associated voting rights, is a privilege. Yes, many believe our two main candidates are an embarrassment to American politics. But that does not excuse you from voting. People in totalitarian, dictatorial countries would love to have a say in their government. Not voting is silencing your voice for the next four years.
If you don't like a major candidate, write somebody in. Don't throw away your vote. Please don't do it. Don't let disappointment become inaction. From what I gather, many Americans are frustrated with Clinton and Trump as presidential candidates. Do something about it. Realize your human agency. Do some research, ask the right questions, then decide who you think is most qualified and promising to fill the role of President of the United States.
But maybe vote for someone with more experience.
While they are certainly underdogs, write-in candidates do have a chance. There's an informative (if not 100 percent reliable) Wikipedia page dedicated to write-in candidates. Of our 50 states, 43 states allow citizens to write in a candidate. Now there is a little catch. In 35 of the 43 states that allow write ins, in order to vote for a write-in, that candidate must have filled out a letter of intent for the candidacy. Visit this site for a good low down on all things write-in.
It's OK to be frustrated. It's OK to be disappointed.
But it's not OK to not vote.
Don't take democracy for granted.
