Freedom of Choice

Super Tuesday is behind us now and the presidential campaign race is really heating up. I’m enjoying the media coverage of Election 2016, but something is missing. Something like a good candidate to cast a vote for.

I love how I always begin political columns by saying I’m not a political person. I just realized that’s not entirely true. I make sure I vote in every election (the important ones anyway). I believe a person’s right to vote is one of the most powerful rights we have in this country. But with the choices put before us this year, it appears many ballots are cast against a candidate instead of for one. For a lot of voters, November’s election is going to be an exercise in choosing between the lesser of two evils.

Front runner Donald Trump can do no wrong. His blustery rhetoric forces people to listen. But is he saying anything of substance? He’s entertaining to watch, that’s for sure. Is he all surface glitter with no framework underneath? He’s an outsider and some people are attracted to that alone.
Trump seems to be saying all the right things and even when he says the wrong things, it seems to work to his advantage.

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz seem to be cut from the same cloth. Watching them struggle to get their voices heard over Trump's bombastic style makes for interesting television. I’m not a debate watcher, but I've tuned in a few times this year to see the fireworks. I wasn’t disappointed. There was a fine line between the Republican debates and the WWE’s professional wrestling broadcasts. The over-the-top antics of the candidates would be comical if there wasn’t so much at stake (like the future of our country).

Kasich is trailing so far behind I’m surprised he's still in the mix. I did see a speech he made on television that made me want him to be a pastor at St. Patrick’s church. I’d never miss a Sunday homily if he were at the podium. His heartfelt vision for America touched my soul. Too bad he doesn’t stand a chance of winning. Dr. Ben Carson was smart enough to take himself out of the running. (Of course he's smart, he's a doctor.)

Which brings us to Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Oy vey. Bernie’s sincerety is the polar opposite of Hillary Clinton’s smarmy entitlement. Bernie’s populist message strikes a chord with the infamous 99% (last seen nowhere). However, “When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose” is not the greatest campaign slogan. For years there has been talk of the inevitability of a Hillary Clinton presidency. Who didn’t love the Clinton years the last time around? Hillary is determined to have her voice heard, but her shrieking, shrill tone is a turn off for many. Imagine the debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The decibels will be off the scale. Keep your remote in hand to adjust your television volume before your speakers blow out.

America needs a candidate to emerge to unify our country instead of dividing it. We need someone to offer hope and change – for real this time. I don’t like the choices I’m presented with this year. I don’t want to waste my vote by voting against someone. I’m not about to write-in “Mickey Mouse” to protest the election. I can only weigh all sides of the issues and pick the candidate I feel will do the best job representing my views. I just wish the pickings weren’t so slim. Where is Ross Perot when we need him?