(Sing-song voice) "'Tis the season for attack ads... Fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa!" Elections are coming, and we must all prepare for the worst. You all know what I'm talking about. If you're a Republican, you're fearing a platform collapse and a proclaimed socialist becoming president. If you're a Democrat, you're concerned about the all too tightly-wound Republican party and the Donald coming for you and your party's support of the #FeelTheBern campaign. If you're an Independent, you feel like an Ostrich stuck with its head in the sand, trying to block out the political media barrage, constantly mortaring its ideals and beliefs around you with firebombs of slander and entrenched hatreds. I feel for you. Because frankly, I'm frightened out of mind for this coming 2016 campaign, too.
But allow me to share a silver lining with you, friends. Even if you have no idea what to do, all you need to do is wait. For years, our country has lacked political leaders whom we have fully trusted and believed to be the greatest representatives of our nation and our people. And all of this will come down to two candidates. I'm making my draft picks now, and even I don't have a clue. Democrats, I think I have y'all figured out and I'm putting in Bernie Sanders as my QB for the D.C. Donkeys. As for the Grand Ol' Party of my affiliation, I'm spit-balling, but I'm also making predictions here. Donald, go ahead and rush the Washington Tuskers forward. Do I believe either of these candidates are the right champions for my countrymen and me? Truthfully, I cannot give an answer now because I still like Jon Huntsman and am having flashbacks to when I campaigned for him in high school.
There will only be two candidates remaining come Election Day, but as "Highlander" showed us:
As history shows, when the races narrow into polling days, candidates will be jumping political fence sides faster than the supposed border crossers can. And that's when the true colors of these candidates will bleed through after all the media barbed-wire and political bloggers have stabbed with their Poniards. Don't support a candidate now. How could you? The Republican party just dropped Scott Walker and that's the Wisconsin Republican voters out the window. Donald Trump recently signed his pledge to not run as a third-party candidate IF he does not get the nomination. My mother taught me to not count my chickens until all of my eggs had hatched. The Democrats may have an easier task at hand with candidates, but they're going to need as many Independents and Middle-of-the-Road Republicans as they can muster into their ranks to defeat the rampaging Pachyderms of the Republican party and the Tea Party contingents..
With the town hall debates that we know are coming, then is the time to strike, Americans! Stake your claim in this green earth and support a candidate wholeheartedly who will best represent you and your neighbor, even if you don't love everything they have to say. This goes for Senators and Congress people, also. It is not the President's sole duty to change the country and make their proposed legislation a reality. That's where your elected legislators come into play. If you have a problem with what they are saying or doing, DO NOT WRITE THEIR NAME ON THE BALLOT. It's that simple. Or, if they are an incumbent candidate, write letters. They DO read them. They DO care about constituents because y'all elect them. And if they have any sense whatsoever, they will vote on behalf of the people and not because of some agenda that they have or because of some deeply misplaced religious fervor (which has zero place in politics, I might add).
Ostrich Heads, the time will soon be upon YOU to vote. And don't NOT vote because both of the Republican and Democrat candidates suck; vote because your country and its ideals are more important and because if you don't vote, your complaining and lamenting for bygone days will mean nothing because you were not part of the change.
I blame this mess on you, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. For all your founding wisdom and guidance, you guys really screwed the pooch on this one. But I and the rest of my generation am here to fix the problem by making our votes count.
I know full well that this is a diatribe of thought and possibly an uncured symptom of my logorrhea, but it needed to be said and I might as well be the first to do. May (insert higher power of choice) Bless You, and don't forget to #VoteForAmerica2016.
