Blame the other guy

The final results of the 2016 Presidential Election are just around the corner and I think those results are just the tip of the iceberg. I've seen more than I care to on social media and the news covering this election and I'm quite ready for it to be over. I must admit this election feels like it has greater potential fallout than previous elections regardless of who ends up winning. 

Smear campaigns are nothing new to elections, but this time everything seems to be escalated. It seems the conspiracy concept has really kicked into high gear. It would be one thing if it was just your typical "drag old news out of the past" smear campaigns, but this has gone to a whole new level. Violent attacks on opposing parties, legal investigations, health concerns and even conspiracies about whistle blowers mysteriously (or coincidentally) ending up dead. 

Who's to blame though? Is it the people running for election or the people supporting them? We could split hairs about what's factual and what's merely part of the rumor mill, but in the end it comes down to all of us. The final two (since they're the only ones that really matter at this point) are there because of all of us. We let it get this far. The common theme I am seeing is that many of us feel like we're having to vote for the lesser of two evils. 

Whether conservative or liberal, we're all to blame. We let it get this far because of the way we think as a society. There's way to much "me versus them" mentality in our society and nowhere near enough "us" mentality. We've lost site of this being OUR country as a whole. We spend our time fighting each other so much that in the end everyone ends up losing. 

There is no middle ground and compromise seems to have disappeared long ago. We fail to support the people who actually have the best interest of our country in mind and end up having to choose between two polar opposites. There are some core beliefs we each have that don't necessarily match what our neighbor has and we end up having to choose based on a couple of major issues. 

Nobody wins when we do this. Roughly half the country will be upset because their candidate lost and the other half will force their own one-sided agenda for the next four years. The fact that the two party sides are so opposite, there is a lot of wasted time and resources when we flip between the two sides. It's like running a race in two different directions and the finish line keeps switching ends. 

The new party works for at least half of the four years trying to reverse everything their predecessor put in place. Sometimes this is a good thing, but often times it is merely a waste of our ever increasing tax dollars. The next couple of years are then spent pushing their own agenda. At the end of that time, it's either flip directions again because you lose the next election or continue another four years running in your direction. Either way, it eventually reverses again and the race is off in the opposite direction again. 

I know who I'm voting for in a little over a week and I am confident in my choice. I will admit though that it really did feel like a lesser of two evils decision. There were better options for the final two, but they didn't gain the ground they needed. Since I am not one to throw my vote away on someone other than one of the two leading candidates, I made my decision based on the best information I had available. 

Since there's not a lot we can do about this particular election in a week's time, I encourage you to get out and vote for your lesser of two evils. Unless we learn to get together as a society (which I know will never happen), we will continue to vote in "lesser evil" elections. We can stop the downward spiral though by not allowing the two sides to continue to race in opposite directions. It will take a lot of work, communication and the changing of our current mindsets to get our nation as a whole back in the center of the election.

I'm sure it's wishful thinking on my part, but I know many of you (from both party sides) agree that we could do a whole lot better as a country. It would be really nice to get back to having solid choices in future elections. I'm just hoping to get to see it in my life time. I won't hold my breath though. Until next time....

8th of November

In less than a month, the votes will be counted and the new President of the United States will be named. Although past elections brought the campaign "battle" to an end leaving roughly half the country feeling like victors and the others feeling defeated, I feel this election will be different. My personal belief, and fear - since I believe I am right, is that everyone will come out a loser in this election. Regardless of your personal and political beliefs, there is no real win this time around. 

This year is going to end with an uproar that will fuel a great battle in America...and possibly beyond. I am see a hybrid war with the combined characteristics of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the World Wars. Imagine, if you will, fighting all three of those wars at the same time - because that's what I see coming. 

A Clinton Win

Let's imagine for a minute that Clinton is elected President of the United States. Those in opposition to her and what she stands for are very likely to rise up against the socialist government they fear she will create. This will obviously not go uncontested and may very well result in a citizen revolution.

A Trump Win

Now imagine a Trump victory in this election. His opposition will be up in arms as well. You see how much violence and civil unrest the liberal left is causing now under Obama's reign. Just imagine how bad it will escalate if their enemy Trump were to win the election. 

You could write a book on their differences. Basically, just make a list of every topic or issue anyone could care about and these two would be on opposite sides. At least, that's what the typical smear campaigns are telling us. The problem is that the supporters for each candidate aren't quite that clear cut on every issue. I have heard many times that people on both party sides feel like they're being forced to pick the lesser of two evils. 

Nobody Wins

If you were to grab your average American citizen off the street (without a news crew filming) and had them go through the list of issues, I bet you'd find a lot more middle ground than you thought. The real hot and major issues like military spending, immigration and gun control will be cut and dried for most, but the rest could go either way for many. Most of that won't matter though. One side will be the victor and the opposite side will react.

This will create a new civil war as neighbors blame each other for the actions of the other's party. That's not the whole problem though. We have others continuing to attack us on a weekly basis. If it's not radical terrorists attacking, it's our own home grown terrorists. Then again, our own citizen "protesters" are doing a pretty good job of destroying our towns without the help of terrorists. (Assuming you don't lump them into the same group heading already.) 

Now add in our foreign enemies. They are like vultures circling and waiting to swoop in and feast on the impending carnage. They'll let us beat each other down until we'll tired and then make their move when they think we're weak. Unfortunately, this may be what it takes to get us to take a look around and start treating each other like neighbors again and work together instead of against each other. 

No matter how you look at it, we have dark days ahead of us. The election hasn't even happened yet and we're already at war. Arguing, protesting and vandalizing every chance we get. Killing law enforcement personnel who are here to protect us. Mass shootings in schools, malls and other public settings. Turn on the news any evening and see for yourself. We are already at war and it's going to get worse before it has a chance to get better. Until next time....