In a not so surprising piece of news about the 2016 election: no one knows what is going on.

The election of the President of the United States - the most powerful position in the world, with more force and influence than anyone else, the person who will make choices that affect the future of the world for decades and centuries to come - has literally devolved into penis jokes.

Both parties are scrambling. Democrats are fighting over the future direction of the party while Republicans fight for the future of their party’s existence. Rallies are ending with people covered in blood and bruises after fistfights, and traditional polling of support levels for the candidates has started to become irrelevant because we’re getting different results. Quite frankly, no one knows what is going to happen. Part of it seems hilarious, but the reality is that it’s not.

America hasn’t seen political instability like this since the Civil War.

During that war, America hadn’t fully cemented itself as a major world power yet. Democracy had not gained the ground we see today in the world. The result of the war is what cemented where we are now. You see - if America falls to instability again, there’s no telling what the long term (and I mean centuries long) consequences may be.

Fun, right?

The truth of the matter is that this election is going to - perhaps radically - change the direction our country is going in and our standing in the world. Where do you stand? Kasich and Rubio are moderate Republicans who believe the government ought to be limited in scope and size, with programs that work and eliminating those that don’t. They idealize Reagan-era policies such as trickle down economics and “religious liberty." Cruz is a far right conservative, preaching that government should be shrunk to the smallest size possible for the sake of “liberty."

Trump offers a “trust me, I’m a doctor” approach, proclaiming that outsiders and Washington insides, as well as corruption and corporate influences, are the reasons for the sufferings of the middle class. Clinton offers a moderate progressive approach, a “little at a time,” while Sanders believes government is where people come together to build a better life for themselves - in free education, healthcare, etc. but where they must first defeat the guards at the gate (AKA Wall Street).

Here’s where my personal opinion comes into play. I understand the Trump and Sanders appeal. Obama (again - this is MY opinion) has been a great president in terms of being a figurehead for the country. He’s pushed forward the youth and his ‘08 election brought politics back to everyday Americans. There are many good things he’s done in office. Unfortunately, his accomplishments were stopped by congressional Republicans. Who knows where we could have gone if Democrats kept the house - we’d certainly be in a Bernie Sanders-friendly country, where community college for free and further expanded health care would have been forefront.

That being said, when we realized Wall Street was getting nothing - that those who destroyed the economy were getting off with just a stern talking to - the middle class began to suffer. Unions lost rights and privileges and everyday Americans were making less money while working harder than ever before for said money. Little action was taken on helping the middle class. Out of the Great Recession came even more powerful lobbyists and a nearly immovable Wall Street took hold. The middle class got nothing.

I don’t blame Obama himself for this. I don’t think it became as big as a priority for him as it should have been, and when it did, Congressional Republicans stopped any action. Congressional Republicans would stop him from bringing world peace and planting a two by two foot potato farm in Idaho.

Obama is a good man but could not do everything. This election is about income inequality and a furious middle class who feel cheated from the system of government and economics that are supposed to serve them. Historically, when people are angry, crazy nonsense happens.

Yes. You need to take this election seriously. “It can’t happen in America” - whatever that means and whatever you fear of taking over can happen. Fear above logic is the worst thing for a democracy. Use your power carefully.