The Lesser of Two Evils is Still Evil

I would be remiss if I were to sit out the entire presidential election cycle and not make a peep about it.  The truth is, there’s so much going on these days, it’s hard to pin down any one gripe or provocative factor and harp on about it.  But when it comes to the candidates, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel here, people.  I can’t imagine too many individuals are as excited now as they were a year ago, when the promise of new and refreshing leadership loomed on the horizon.

We now have squat, and squatter.  Thank you, voters of America.

In what promises to be a rather inevitable preface to our conclusion, business magnate, carnival barker, and hairpiece aficionado Donald J. Trump, and former Secretary of mis-Statement Hillary “Sniper Fire” Clinton, will face off, head to lack of head, in the EPIC BATTLE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 2016.

It’s like the Thunderdome, but without the benefits.

Just look at these two, magnificent people.  Just.  LOOK AT THEM.  (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

I know the primaries aren’t over yet, but given the recent withdrawal of the last two Republican hold-outs, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, and Hillary’s YUGE delegate lead, obvious party candidates are obvious.  Which is a shame for Bernie Sanders, because that guy fought hard, and yelled harder.  And the kids love him.  Perhaps it was his 25 years of congressional experience as a “Washington outsider” that drew them in, or his Robin Hood-esque tax-and-spend schemes, but who knows.  Maybe if he had paid his interns the same $15 minimum wage he’s proposed for the rest of us, he’d be a bit father ahead, eh?

While Weekend at Bernie’s was an eventful time, he ended the same as he began – dead.  And hope vanishes from the souls of so many hip 18-35 year olds.  Sorry guys, better luck next time.  You’re stuck with this bitter, old, indoctrinating, polarizing, two-party system, and you’d better like it, because any more than two, and it just gets too confusing.  You need to pick sides, and their candidate is terrible and vile, and our candidate will be your champion.  Or, at least, less terrible and vile?

If only we had a political party which advocated all that should be fair in compromise, an embodiment of the center of the political landscape; a pro-gay-gun-marijuana-choice party, which would rather we not be spied on in the name of “safety”, disavows governmental overreach, and believes in the unencumbered exercise our constitutionally protected liberties, all of them.  A party with a candidate you can actually support and believe in, instead of an enemy of your enemy whom you call friend.  If only there were another box to check, in all 50 states, to give us a candidate who would give the evil forces of Washington a run for their money.  Someone who could genuinely change the direction of the country for the better, while giving us each something that we want, without taking something away from someone else.

This could fare well for us.  We might have a middle-ground here.  We may be able to actually unite, as one nation, and…

Vote Libertarian.

Oh, idealism, how you defeat the senses.  But idealism can turn to pragmatism when people commit to their beliefs.

The Libertarian Party holds core values that many Americans share, and are not as extreme or far out as you think.  Only sensationalists, red/blue diehards, and hell bent extremists would be so quick to dismiss a quantifiable, legitimate, and rapidly expanding group such as Libertarians.  And you’re probably more in tune with their line of thinking than you realize.  At least, if you’ve read this far.  Hey, there’s still hope for you!

To view a statement of the core principals of the party, go to https://www.lp.org/platform.  Scroll through and be intrigued.  It’s not as fantastical as you may have thought, and far more reasonable and down-to-earth as the uncompromising core values of the D’s and R’s (whatever those values may be, if there are any left, nowadays).

Bernie supporters can rejoice in an assortment of “outside-the-box” candidates, with a number of the same goodies as the Democratic platform.  Cruz supporters can seek the benefit of a constitutional-centric, small-government minded party.  Kasich supporters can appreciate the moderate stance on domestic and foreign affairs.  Citizens who are currently on the fence about electing the second coming of the anti-Christ would enjoy the fresh breathe of air.  As for Hillary and Trump supporters, well, there’s probably nothing for you here.  But hey, you can give it a whirl.  Maybe you’ll feel enlightened.

However, there is one downside to even considering voting third-party this election – criticism.  You’ll see it everywhere, and may have even blindly mouthed it yourself.

            You’re throwing your vote away!

            You’re giving the election to the other guy!

            Muh rights!  Supreme court nominees!  I must vote D/R!

       Their platform is not a practical approach to the issues and their solutions won’t work!  (This one doesn’t seem to come up nearly as often, for some reason.)

Learn to appreciate the door in the face.  Some people just aren’t as open to real change as much as they may talk about it.  I mean, hell, we deserve to continue to be taken advantage of, lied to, taxed to death (and even afterward), with only cronyism, a ballooning national debt, and a dissatisfied citizenry to show for it.  It’s the American way!

Nothing will ever change in politics unless we change the way we vote.  Our current choices for mainstream candidates are, frankly, abysmal.  Their actions over the next four years will inevitably impact the direction of this country.  But fear should not be a factor in your decision for the highest office holder in the United States.

Your vote is your vote, and it is for who it is.  There is no ballot mirage, where votes for candidates appear in one column and disappear from another.  You’re voting for your choice, and it does count.  Don’t let anyone dissuade you from that.  Studies have shown that there is a pretty even split amongst voters who stray from their registered party affiliation to vote for a third party.  To say otherwise is to perpetuate the fallacy and atrocity that is the two-party system.  And we all see how well that is working out for us, don’t we?

Like anything else behemoth and cumbersome, changing how our electorate “works” won’t happen overnight.  It’ll take strength in numbers and long term commitment.  And the magic number is 5%.  If 5% of voters choose the Libertarian nominee this election, the party receives a huge boost in many ways for the next election cycle – Federal campaign funding eligibility (considering an overwhelming majority of Libertarian candidate contributions are currently from individuals, this is huge), and a spot on the national stage to face off directly with the D and R candidates.  It gives Libertarians a seat at the big table; a springboard to encourage change in both parties, and perhaps expand their own.

At least 19% of the U.S. population self-identifies as Libertarian, according to an April 2015 Reuters poll, and the number is steadily climbing.  Our country needs you to put your vote where your mouth is, so we can work to save this great Republic from the unrelenting clutches of abounding elephants and donkeys, and put our trust into something we can actually believe in.

It’s time we tamed the zoo.

Kane is Able

Pennsylvania State Attorney General Kathleen Kane is a number of things – stating most of which would probably land me as a defendant in a number of lawsuits. To say she is a fraud – a manipulative, narcissistic, bullying, underhanded disgrace to the office – would be a reckless statement devoid of tact.

But I bet she makes her idol and former campaign contribution beneficiary, Hillary Clinton, proud.

Elected on a platform of being “a prosecutor, not a politician,” Kane has made nothing but political moves since she stepped into the role in 2013. From attacking her opponents and predecessors to playing by her own rules, her contempt for the law, and the will, of the people of Pennsylvania has been evident from day one.

Her latest assault on the justice system is the recent dismissal of an in-depth, multi-year investigation into bribery allegations against four Philadelphia-based Democratic representatives. She had them dead to rights. But by the whimsy of her grace and her whisper of desire, countless hours and thousands of dollars are flushed down the Kane drain.

Because it’s racist, yo.

Political motivation is a hell of a drug. The fact that the investigation was started under her predecessor, Tom Corbett; that only Democrats managed to be swept up in the bi-partisan inquiry; that the charges were so abruptly dismissed, with minimal reasoning, makes her actions stink of political cronyism. The Philadelphia Inquirer performed an in-depth look into the situation, only to come out the other end with threats of libel and defamation suits from Kane’s grotesque, troll-like lawyer, Richard Sprague.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Hiring a personal attorney to hold a “news conference,” unsupported accusations of an investigation tainted with racism, and charges against critics of being cowardly and sexist only fuel the fire of speculation. Who’s the libelous and defamatory one now? Add “hypocrite” to the ever-growing list of adjectives.

Kane’s first affirmation of her political exhibitionism was her blatant attack against lawful firearm owners shortly after her election. In February of last year, the repealing of the well-established concealed carry reciprocity agreement with Florida was announced. Some urban municipalities, such as the city of Philadelphia, do not properly follow the “shall-issue” status of the state of PA regarding the issuance of carry licenses. This leaves little room for options for its law-abiding citizenry, other than to apply for an out-of-state permit that is legal to use here. Chalk up a win for her in the name of “loopholes” for party support. It did nothing to actually deter crime.

Shortly thereafter, Kane affirmed that she would not uphold the state’s constitution, primarily the section related to marriages recognized under the law. Despite breaching her oath of office, she took it upon herself to rally further support from her base and ignore the law in the name of ethics. That level of irony could only be taught from the playbook of US Attorney General Eric Holder. A match made in heaven.

There are ways of changing state laws, and it’s not by pretending they don’t exist. You’d think someone would know their role in government after going to law school, but education doesn’t breed intelligence. And the only people who could hold Kane accountable to any level are either targets of her investigations or those who could easily become one.

When it comes to keeping corrupt politicians in office, superseding the rights of citizens, and making up all the rest in-between, Kane is Able!