In the weeks leading up to class elections at my university, the candidates hung posters, campaigned, and developed their platforms while their friends anxiously stood by, waiting and watching, hoping that the ones they know would get elected to Visionary Class Cabinet. It would increase their popularity, their friends would have a bigger voice, and the issues on the minds of those surrounding the members of class cabinet would be addressed faster than the concerns of the ones who have no connections. This sounds strangely familiar. It sounds like the mindset of those in the throng of voters that happen to be a part of the massive circles surrounding our presidential candidates.
Sitting at Class Cabinet speeches on September 20th, an event every member of the Visionary Class was greatly encouraged to attend, I caught a glimpse of what it is like to be close with a political candidate. For weeks, I'd been supporting one of my friends. I would have given anything to see him elected. I thought he had good ideas, had the tact and determination to get the job done, and he was handsome and gregarious to boot. Everything about him screamed class president in my opinion. A few days after he announced he was running, I heard things I'd never expect to hear about my friend: “he's just a pretty face,” “wow, he's a total tool,” “what a jock,” and, “I would never vote for someone like him.” I heard whispers in corners about my friend. Someone even took pictures of him sleeping in the Student Center and sent it all around campus proclaiming he should not be elected because he was lazy. My ears were tuned to all the negative things being said about him. I was on defense those two weeks, restraining myself from shouting at the few bad opinions of him a bold, “you're wrong! He's perfect for the job!” I got lost in the fact that this was a college class cabinet election. This was not a matter of national security, nor was it a matter of life and death. It was not going to make or break Asbury if my sweet friend did not get elected.
There were great opinions, too. Most people that talked about the elections said they were voting for him. After his campaign speech, almost everyone was convinced they were voting for him. He was prepared, he was certain, he was made to be an orator and leader. He was more prepared than anyone else running. It helped that he and his Vice President made a handsome pair.
Through all of this though, I realized that a lot of the reasons I had been initially voting for him were because he was my friend. I liked him. I enjoyed being around him. I would have given an arm and a leg to see him elected. What would I be giving if I was friends with a congressman, a candidate for Senate, a presidential candidate? I would dedicate even more time, even more effort to defending their honor and right to be elected to office.
It makes me afraid for the current election, too, because most people do not choose a candidate because of the issues they support or denounce. They vote because, “She's a woman,” or, “I'm sick of politicians and he isn't one.” They will not vote because “she supports same-sex marriage and pro-choice platforms,” or, “he wants to shut down illegal immigration and support constitutional rights.” Most will vote because one is a Democrat and one is a Republican. Some will vote because one is the lesser of two evils. Some will even waste their vote on a write-in candidate like one of my friends did during cabinet elections.
Campaign speeches at cabinet elections convinced those waffling between two candidates to vote for one or the other because of how they held themselves and how prepared they were to talk about how great they were as candidates. Debates for this current election do the same thing. He has a quicker wit than she does. She has years of political experience on him. He has scandals that have alienated most feminist voters. She has a massive FBI case against her that the government will not release information on until elections are over. There are a million other issues that are causing the people to choose between the lesser of two evils, the quicker of two wits. So, are politics about protecting the country? Or is it simply a popularity contest based on who screams the loudest?
