When I voted in my party’s primary, I carefully studied the candidates and selected the one of my choice. That candidate didn’t win. Now I’m looking at an election this fall in which I have two (ghastly) options. I can vote for:
- An orange, terribly insensitive, horribly hair-styled man who has some horrible ideas and says some extremely stupid things. Is borderline racist, sexist, nationalist, etc.
- A woman so corrupt that she used a private server and left our nation’s security in jeopardy (and now we’ve learned hackers breached the server) for her own personal benefit, lied so many times that I wouldn’t trust her if she said her favorite color was blue (let alone trust her with leading my country), and has been under investigation by the FBI.
Sounds attractive, doesn’t it?
When I enter the ballot box in November, I have to make a choice between these two people, neither one of whom I feel is qualified to lead this great country of ours. I can’t imagine how a majority of delegates could select Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively. Yes, voters do have a voice via voting in primaries and caucuses, but in the end, it’s the delegates (unless the regulations in a particular election bind them to one candidate) listening to the voice of the voters that select the presidential nominee for the parties. I’m not arguing for a change, as the system is that way for a reason and that is not the point of this article. My point is to question how the Democratic and Republican voters can possibly think that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the best qualified for the job?!? Clinton belongs in a jail cell and Trump in the time-out corner of the nearest preschool, yet voters thought either would make a great president?
I know I didn’t. So, this leads me to wonder, did voters in my generation (I’m on the tail-end of the Millennials) think the same way I did?
It appears so. Less than 2% of Trump’s supporters were under 30. Hillary Clinton only got 30% of voters under 30.
I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me.
Protesting the election by sitting out isn’t a solution. I urge everyone that didn’t vote for Trump or Hillary to buckle down and take this election seriously. Put everything you’ve heard and everything you think about the candidates aside and honestly take a good hard look at each. See what their positions are and see what you agree and disagree with them on. The fact is that we have to make a choice. It’s more important than ever that we weigh each candidate’s positions and make a choice based on facts, not stereotypes that the media has made about the candidates. Each candidate has a lot wrong with them, but one of them has to be the lesser of two evils. As this election process goes on, I will be paying close attention and I think everyone else needs to do the same. What choice do we have?
