As meaningful as you, the American people, and each respective candidate may believe it to be, this presidential election, similar to the others before it, will not result in significant change to the United States, whether it be economically, socially, or any form one uses to gauge the well-being of a nation.
Now, that is not to discourage those of you who plan to vote from doing so; by all means exercise your right. Head to your favorite library, public school, or other designated voting area, cast your ballot, plant that “I Voted” sticker on your chest, and feel as though you are a true American who made a difference in the fate of your country.
Just understand, if even vaguely, that whoever comes out as the winning candidate, as the next president, that person will not cause drastic, immediate change – even if he or she promised to do so.
To make such bold statements as the ones above, it’s quite necessary to have thorough explanations as to why they are true and thus, can be made. Let’s analyze the two major parties, seeing as they are the only ones whose candidates actually pose a real chance.
On the democratic side, you have a former first lady, senator, and secretary of state; qualifications which, on paper, make her the clear best choice. However, even the most vague Google search reveals dozens of incidences where this same woman has lied under oath, altered facts prior to reporting them, changed her personal beliefs through the years depending on what favors her most, and is suspected of using her positional power under the influence of monetary payoff.
Essentially, you have a woman that is great on paper, if that “paper” is one which she can proofread before showing you.
Now to head across the aisle. The Republican Party: what a train wreck it has been this election. They begin the election cycle with more than a dozen potential nominees, many of whom would have been greater candidates than the one who ended up sealing the nomination.
Yet, despite how suitable these candidates might have been, they all suffered the same flaw; being too arrogant to step aside and let the strongest nominee take the position. Instead, they bullied one another into submission, until all that was left was a toupee-wearing businessman with a bullhorn for a mouth and no filter to be found. The term “businessman” is loosely applied here, as his fortune was inherited, he’s declared bankruptcy four times, and his closet is full of failed projects and merchandise.
To sum this candidate up, imagine that homeless man on the street corner who shouts obscenities, is outright racist, and talks about how America used to be. See him? Now put him in a suit, give him a billion dollars, and you’ve got the Republican presidential candidate.
Having read these descriptions, you may still be inclined to disagree with my initial position. In fact, it may seem more evident how important this election is. I mean, can you imagine if either of these two were elected, the chaos our country would be thrown into? Actually, I can. It wouldn’t be chaos, it would be gridlock.
Fortunately, both the Senate and the House of Representatives are filled with enough people who lie between the extremes of dishonesty and ignorance, where our respective Democrat and Republican candidates are found, to negate any significant action taken by either candidate when they become president.
It will be a slow, uneventful four years, but it will be a welcome stagnation; I’d rather be locked in a governmental power struggle than lied to by my leader or embarrassed by their actions.
