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.
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.
Comatose Republic 