This election is tragic mess unlike anything I've ever seen before, and we all know that. The election has forced people to vote for candidates they really dislike or disagree. I hear quite frequently that nobody is voting for Trump, they are voting against Hillary, or they are not voting for Hillary but against Trump. And then there's the rise of the third parties, most notable libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Personally, I will be voting for Gary Johnson, even though I disagree with him on a lot of things, because he's better than anybody else in the election.
The Libertarian party certainly has some elements that appeal to me, particularly the emphasis on personal liberty and freedom, but of course we disagree on other things, because I would not really identify as a strict libertarian. This matters because I am voting for the libertarian, even though I do not agree with him on all accounts. Sure, I can try to take the moral high ground and say the he's better than the lesser of two evils, but really I'm doing the same thing everybody else is. I am compromising. I am deciding which of my beliefs are most important in this moment and sacrificing others. I am very pro-life, and none of the current candidates share my views there, so if I vote, I have to vote for somebody who is either pro-choice or just apathetic to the issue. National security is extremely important to me and I do not feel that Hillary or Trump have proven to be worthy of being trusted with our national secrets. The national debt is a very serious problem that neither Hillary nor Trump has addressed to my satisfaction, but Johnson has. For me, even though I disagree with Johnson on a number of issues, I am voting for him because I still believe that he best represents me, and I can vote for him with a clean conscience.
It's very hard for me to sympathize with anybody who would vote for Hillary or Trump right now and it is extremely easy to vilify them. But the truth is that they are doing the same thing I am. They are weighing the pros and cons of each candidate and making the decision they believe is best. Most people are dissatisfied with the election. It's become a running joke on the internet. The presidential memes are known better than their policy because this is so pathetic. Most people will be voting against their will when November comes. They will vote for somebody who they do not trust, believe in, or agree with. They will, with a heavy heart, select the least of evils. And the truth is that politics has always been this way. Since the two party system has corrupted our democracy people have been forced to choose between two sides. They have to pick the issues that are most pressing and compromise on the rest. They vote for somebody who they disagree with often because they can come together on the things that matter most. We've mastered electing people we don't like, now we need to learn how to come together on the things that matter.
