By the way the media is covering the 2016 Presidential Election, you would think we are only a few weeks away from choosing the new President of the United States instead of over a year until we cast our votes.
The campaign process really changed with the election of Barrack Obama. Candidates have to come up with a catchy, commanding approach to communicate their plans years before they even intend to announce their intent to run for president. The media has a lot to do with that. Their agenda setting makes us have to deal with Hilary Clinton answering for her emails, Donald Trump trying to make up for alienates minorities, Ben Carson comparing every issue to slavery and Bernie Sanders being heckled by protestors. I am already exhausted by the 2016 presidential election already, but I will not put my need to be informed on the back burner because of my suspicion of the political process. Indeed, my doubts about the direction in which this country is going are the very things that push me to pay attention and speak out about issues.
At this point, the American people are pros at dealing with politicians who make promises that they can’t deliver. So it’s not about helping people make up their minds as much as it is about showing people that what they think about a certain candidate is actually the truth. And all the media has to do is frame a presidential hopeful in a way that proves the people right or wrong.
We are at a place of no return with our political system, and I truly believe that the only thing that can change it is to get rid of it. But unless anonymous implements “back to zero” that “tear it down to build it up” notion will forever remain just that- a notion.
I cannot deny that there are corruption and too many attention seekers who don’t hold the best interests of their constitutes at heart. We don’t have people in office who represent us. Their loyalties lie in their party, themselves and the individuals and entities that support them monetarily. So how can us common folks who need change and help win? Can we win? And perhaps, most importantly, like what does winning look?
This presidential election offers nothing different from what we have seen in elections past and because of that, I am not pressed. I already know I am not voting for any Republican candidate because they all share core values of their party with which I just don’t agree. As far as the Democrats, I only pay attention to the one whose agenda align with my needs and values. With that, I don’t agree with the train of thought that our votes don’t matter because they do. Now we can only do so much once a candidate is in office, but if I vote for Jim Webb based on what he said he’s going to do and then he dramatically changes his agenda, the fault lies in his dishonesty and lack of integrity and not in the fact that I voted for him.
So know, that while I am extremely cynical about the state of our government and the authenticity of the people vying for my support. Nonetheless, that is not going to stop me from paying attention, forming my opinions and casting my vote.
And that is what people have to understand. I get that it there is a growing consensus that how we feel doesn’t matter, but we have to realize that we have control over- educating ourselves on the candidates and voting accordingly- does matter.
The truth is presidential elections are a necessary evil. They are a part of a world because we have allowed them to be. They are not going anywhere. They present to us who we have to work with and weeds out the ones that don’t quite fit the bill.
It is going to get even more intense as the months draw near, and I don’t think that we can truly say who is going to get the democratic or republican nomination. The best thing we can do is not jump on bandwagons or agree with popular commentators.
This election, instead of casting it off as a parade of self-centered crazies, let’s map out for ourselves what’s important, why it’s important and cross our fingers that the person we vote for based on what we value and what they say holds up their end of the deal.