Election day has arrived, and with it ends more than a year of deliberation, anxiety, fear, hope and anguish. The culmination of the countless hours we’ve wasted watching our country devolve into a modern civil war. The rest of the planet has chewed their fingernails to the bone. We live in the “greatest democracy on Earth”, yet our democratic process has yielded two choices we don’t want. Today, most Americans cast their vote in a state of detached obligation.

So how did we get here? How did we go through the voting process and somehow choose people we didn’t want to choose? You could point to many things (HRC and DNC sabotaging Bernie, GOP giving no good alternative to Trump, we don’t know the difference between a politician and entertainer, etc.), but I think we need to go back to the source.

The two party system should die.

I mean like tomorrow.

To segment the population into only two groups is to narrow our scope of expression. It assumes that if I support a viewpoint, then I support everything from the group that viewpoint is attached to. This leaves no room to mix and match viewpoints from both groups, which is where many of us fall.

The two parties we have now aren’t even good. No one should be 100% Democrat or Republican, because they both cause cognitive dissonance. They both have philosophies that contradict themselves when you dig into the issues. Republicans want government out of the lives of the people, unless you’re Muslim, want an abortion or want to marry the person you love (whoops they have a penis too). Democrats are for the people and peace, yet Obama’s continued drone strikes, NSA surveillance and contempt for whistleblowers seem to be at odds with that.

Politics has always been an effort of politicians to acceptably stroke their own ego in public, which requires one to follow the party to have the avenue toward public office. But it has now come to the point where protecting a politician’s ego involves being fiercely against their opponent. They more they show constituents they dislike their opponent, the more they instill a sense of community within the party. It’s us against the ever ominous “them”. Much like religion, if you create a community united around certain beliefs and don’t tolerate any other beliefs, conflict will arise.

So now our two parties force us to choose black or white, with gray never quite reaching 15% in the polls. This will never properly reflect a diverse group like America and is an idiotic endeavor to continue.

We should simply conduct national polls on the major policy issues and provide a wide array of options for people to choose. This information can be given to politicians, and they can choose where they fall on each then they can run on those issues. People will choose from the candidates, who will already have been screened on their issues essentially, and will be able to narrow down who is closest to their beliefs.

Sadly, the two major American political parties are controlled by big money interests that can outspend the rest of us combined. The way we fund politics must fundamentally change before we could pursue any of this, but I realize this is unrealistic. The two parties are so embedded into the current system, so we need to reevaluate every existing member of our elective office.

Which brings me back to this election.

Hillary has done exactly what a politician is supposed to do. Appeal to their party, work their way up the ranks, pay their dues and eventually reap the benefits. This is not a good thing when it’s the Democratic party. Cutting deals is a reality in the political process, and I guess I’m glad she has that skill, but it’s shady nonetheless. She heavily tipped the scales against Bernie (who would probably have beaten Trump by 20 points), and still barely won. She has been blaming Russia for things based on no conclusive information, yet she harps on James Comey for doing the same with her investigation. I personally don’t hate her. She has not always been a champion of women, but I think she can be. I think she’s retained human empathy over the years and I have deep respect for any mother. This respect also leads me to judge her fairly, which I believe these assessments do.

I have not a single shred of respect for Mr. Trump. If you had never heard of him and I described Donald Trump to you then showed you footage of him, you’d fall out of your chair laughing. Trump’s head is so far inside of himself he could do self prostate exams with his own eyes. He only works in the context of this election, and I find it hilarious and terrifying. He shows how much displaced anger we have in America. It’s troubling to see how far people are willing to let morality decline when they want to express their anger (or protect their ego).

I absolutely place blame on the political parties.

They constructed these monolithic institutions and must realize the people are rejecting them. By polarizing us to two different sides, you have created a rift in America. They have created this modern civil war and we need to be the ones to stop it. We do have some power left, which is why you must vote. There are good people out there who listen to their voters over their party. You can’t let the parties’ BS dissuade you from expressing yourself. Apathy for voting is not a side effect, its their goal. Less votes mean less people to control. So by not voting you’re not protesting the system, you’re buying in.

Whatever happens, we need to understand each other. We’re all scared and confused and upset, but we solve those things by working together and loving each other. It’s not you against me, it’s all of us against the people who have robbed our democracy of integrity. We’re going to be fine if we take a moment to care about the person next to us and inspire them to do the same.

Now we wait and enjoy the greatest gift of this election, its conclusion.

Bernie Sanders lost California.

The hail-mary, delegate-rich state let Sanders down. So what’s his game plan now?

Sanders plans to carry on and make the case that despite the will of the people, more polls have him winning against Trump. He wants to assure the DNC that all those things he said before about them, he didn’t mean it. This has just been a year of playing hard to get. It’s truly ironic that Bernie is now trying to appeal to the ‘establishment’ while ignoring the results of the voters. Sanders has framed his comeback well, but it’s time to admit the truth. Math don’t lie.

This election has been stupid, depressing, infuriating, childish, amusing, inspiring and unpredictable, but it’s almost over. We have waded through the potentials, given out the roses and established our clear match-up. But now we have a new problem. The two candidates who received the most votes seem to be the most hated. This seems so dissonant to me. We’re complaining that people we overwhelmingly voted for are not the people we want. This has got to be an ego hit to everyone not elected. Against the two most disliked nominees in recent history you still can’t win?

Senator Sanders refuses to accept this fact, adopting the victim role in a process he’s claimed to be rigged. And it was rigged in many senses, but that’s like saying the refs made some horrible calls in a game you would have lost anyway. Bernie is a big promoter of democracy and voting, so I think he would agree that elected officials should be those that are elected. Hillary has the majority of pledged delegates now, so Sanders needs to figure out his next steps without dragging heels too much.

My worry is that Senator Sanders’ legacy will be damaged by his recent behavior. The message of political participation and economic justice will resonate for years to come, but his argument is being sullied by his recent tone. His campaign gained momentum guided by Bernie’s blunt, but respectful discourse regarding his platform. Now it seems his main topics are blame and bitterness. He’s taken the part of rogue a little too seriously, and it’s time for a graceful curtain call.

Had Mr. Sanders entered a political race on a completely level playing ground, he might have won. But he didn’t, so we now have millions of Bernie followers who are outraged without outlet. The angry voters have become like dogs, and Bernie is essentially holding up a Democratic establishment chew toy (maybe a little donkey?) and training his voters to identify an enemy. Now that Bernie has effectively riled up the electorate, we can’t just turn the dogs loose and expect them to go against instinct and vote Democrat.

Trying to be Noah as the revolutionary flood tried to wipe away the corrupt world and pave the way for a brighter future was a bold strategy by Sanders, but now it’s raining and there’s no ark. Let’s start to build one and get behind Hillary, who can beat Donald Trump easily if people show up to vote. I still prefer her to Trump. I’ll take experience over showmanship any day. I think it’s easy to sit on the sideline and critique things, but Donald has never had a political role that remotely prepares him for this.

Trump will treat all presidential activities as negotiations. He avoided taxes by dragging his feet and openly devaluing his properties while declaring to the public their exaggerated value, leading to a ‘$10 billion’ personal worth that’s almost as bloated as Donald himself. Lawsuits roll off his tongue but rarely come to fruition because it’s all just a bluff. When you’re gambling not with your personal assets, but with the general welfare of the U.S., a strong-armed bluff is not always the correct decision. He would threaten other countries with actions he’ll never use, using bullying and fear as his moral compass. Yet this is Trump’s modus operandi, as he prides himself on his stubborn masculinity.

I love that a woman has a strong possibility to be President of the United States, and it will be interesting to see First Ladykiller Bill at 1600 Penn again, but being a major party nominee may not be the only first of her campaign. Being under investigation elicits a serious question of ethics about Secretary Clinton, something you should research for yourself.

This election has tapped into the boiling discontent in the American people, but now we’ve reached the end and all we have left is our anger. As Bernie continues to run, he may make a substantial case for the nomination if Hillary is indicted or deemed incapable. If that doesn’t come to fruition, Bernie has to let it go. He’s a wonderful community organizer and a breathe of fresh air in our political system, but minority voters predominantly went Hill-cat so suck it up. He’s pulled her agenda left, so you can’t say he hasn’t had a substantial effect on the election.

No one is going to be happy, but we need to participate. The next President will likely select several Supreme Court justices and may oversee the end of ISIS, the dissolving of the EU, rising tensions with China over disputed territory, meetings with Vladimir Putin, etc. I do not want this person to be Trump. I believe Hillary is capable of learning from her mistakes, and at the least will be an extension of Obama’s not-perfect-but-sort-of-heading-in-the-right-direction agenda.

If life gives you lemons, you vote for the lemon who’s not a pompous troglodyte. You still have a voice in November and you should exercise it. This election was definitely not what we wanted, but it may be what we deserve.

This year the U.S. will potentially elect the first woman, Latino person, Jewish person or gin-soaked raisin that has emerged from a nuclear plant. A highly polarized political environment has provided quite the show in this election cycle. In my view, the United States needs a woman president like yesterday, but they need someone else much more this year.

I support Bernie Sanders. Please do your own research on Bernie and the issues before you let the media or your friends tell you what to think. I’m not telling you who to support, but I’d like to state my personal convictions. If you watch an interview or speech of Sanders, you’ll hear the sincerity he has for what he does. His honesty shines through not only in his rhetoric, but in his improvised answers and his personality. He truly believes in the power of the people to work for their best interest. Ethics guide this man’s work, yet he’s always open to changing his mind when provided the right evidence and intention; not money. But the appeal reaches beyond his genuine demeanor.

Sanders knows how to get things done.

Sanders has a proven record of finding compromise. As an Independent, Sanders could not rely on people within his own political party to automatically support his proposals. He learned, more than anyone else, how to work with differing views to achieve a common goal. From 1994-2006, when Republicans controlled the House, the person who passed the most amendments was not a Republican or a Democrat. It was an Independent, Mr.  Bernie Sanders. He brought together bi-partison coalitions and protected pensions, increased funding to help poor people heat their homes, and even expanded free health care by $100 million. He continued to pass amendments in the Senate with support from both sides of the aisle. More than any other candidate, he can relinquish his ego for the sake of the American people. His campaign has continuously emphasized the need for all people to unite and create the political system they desire.

Sanders is a true leader.

Sanders is an absolute inspiration among the sleazy puppets that share his profession. This man has rallied millions behind him despite his myriad faux pas that American politics would usually reject. A Jewish, ancient, self-declared democratic socialist is suddenly a viable candidate for president. At this point he’s received more individual contributions to his campaign than anyone in American history. Even if he doesn’t receive the nomination, he has inspired a generation of young voters to be engaged in politics.

The force behind his ideas and leadership is so powerful, he’s dictated the issues for the Democratic campaigns. Hillary Clinton has adopted many of Sanders’ positions and has been noticeably pulled toward his ideas. Bernie is such an influential candidate, he’s even made his opponents better candidates. All of his speeches end with a call for people to disregard their differences and work together because “together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.” Isn’t that the type of leader you desire? One who empowers others without self-aggrandizement and preaches a cooperative effort toward ideals?

Bernie is shooting for the stars with the right heart and the right mindset.

Bernie’s idealism is unique because it isn’t purely the American ideal. What I mean by that is he’s not afraid to admit America could learn from the success of other countries. With many other countries to study, we have tangible results from their political experiments. The American notion that our ways are infallible or unassailable is pure arrogance that can blind us to better methods. Sanders is brave enough to admit that we’re not the greatest country in many aspects, but he believes in our potential to fix this. He fuels this ambition with an ability to evaluate multiple perspectives and guides his intentions with empathy.

I’m behind Bernie for many reasons, but I’ll tell you something many Bernie supports won’t say:

he’s going to fail.

If he doesn’t fail to become president, he will fail to achieve all of his goals.

And that’s fine.

I think some of Bernie’s tax plans, healthcare reforms and desires to demonize corporations are a little too overreaching for the current state America is in. So the fact that the existing powers will water down his policies a bit is absolutely ideal to me. The odds are all against him and overwhelming forces oppose him if he becomes president. Bernie wants to bring about drastic changes to our system, but the current majority in Congress is the Republican party, who emphasizes traditional values and does not seem eager to work with Bernie. Their reaction to the Affordable Care Act shows how eager they would be to adopt Sandercare.

American history is full of examples that we are resistant to change. In fact, the majority of the times we’ve been able to bring change quickly is when we are united through fear. Under the shadow of fear, it’s easier to divide us. When we were scared, the government has been able to quickly declare war, pass the Patriot Act, create the federal reserve, and invade other countries. When Americans were trying to bring change that promoted understanding and equality, the change took time. When we were filtering our policies through love, we embraced others and tried to merge our desires. The battles of civil rights movements, marriage equality, women’s suffrage, and poverty eradication are slow, but the avalanche always starts with a snowflake.

With such a divided Congress, passing incremental change is nearly impossible. The brilliant part is, Sanders is proposing drastic changes that will leave enough room for compromise. If the legislative branch meets Sanders halfway on his goals, we’d still be taking a big step in the right direction. College could become much less expensive, the minimum wage could be increased, some tax-loopholes could be closed, pharmaceutical companies could be forced to price their drugs realistically, more money could be allocated to education than our military, the war on drugs could be diminished substantially, the country could take a step toward utilizing renewable energy resources, we could start the rebuilding of our country’s infrastructure, women could finally received some form of paid maternity leave, the criminal justice system could be undergo some crucial reforms, and we could take steps toward properly preventing racial discrimination within our police force.

Even with the support of the majority of the country (the majority of Americans already agree with most of his ideas), Bernie will not be able to achieve all of his goals. But he has the experience that tells me he’ll be able to negotiate these policies effectively. Our country will start taking baby steps toward focusing on education, health, equal rights, and achieving the best quality of life in the world. Sanders is a special candidate, and he deserves to be given a chance.

You don’t have to agree with him, or even want to get a beer with him, but he assuredly deserves our respect.

On the eve of Super Tuesday, America is on the verge of something important.
The beginning of the end.

Super Tuesday signifies the top of the roller coaster in this primary cycle. We’ve been building this anticipation for several months and our eyes are about to spread over the horizon as we finish the climb. 13 primaries will elect a candidate tomorrow, giving the country a much better idea of who the final picks will be. The clown car of potential candidates can now comfortably fit in a mini van, but the winner for both sides is still unclear.

Why should we care, Alex?

The diametrically-opposed parties that compose American politics create a big schism between the political views of Americans. Every modern presidential election seems to be choosing between complete opposites; black and white if you will (this was literally the case in 2008 and 2012). This election is obviously important because we are choosing between two starkly different paths for the direction of America. But we’re also selecting a representative to choose new Supreme Court justices. With the death of Scalia and the age of some of the justices, replacements need to be chosen within the next few years (regardless of how you feel about how promptly to fill Scalia’s vacancy). This can have a huge impact on our lives and how the law becomes interpreted in America.

This election is something special though. This election is about winning the heart of the working class and showing the people of America that their government can truly represent them. Candidates are pushing this populist thinking, but in a VERY different way.

This brings me to Drumpf. The person leading polls in America is a reality show star who has never held political office. Donald Drumpf is not someone that I respect or admire in any sense. I think he is erratic, self-centered, and lacks the ability for empathy. His goals and desires revolve around self-aggrandizement and greed. Success as he defines it comes at the exclusion, not inclusion, of others.

That being said, Donald brings something special that Americans have not seen in many years. A candidate who truly shows what they are. I use “what” and not “who” in Drumpf’s case. The Donald has struck a chord with Americans because he personifies their frustration with the powers that be. Even more, he also says all the things you want to say but are smart enough not to. This creates a character that inspires devotion and hatred at the same time. He’s such a polarizing figure and he’s fully aware of the political power that brings. Decades of a plutocracy in America has provided the vacuum for Drumpf to arise.

Brash behavior and petty arguments are usually reserved for middle school children, but Donald has cleverly used this to focus the media on himself. He’s captivated the primal part of us that enjoys watching someone getting kicked in the crotch, or paying attention to twitter feuds.

But this man cannot be our president.

You can research Drumpf for yourself. You’ll easily find his failed businesses, risky investments, disturbing anecdotes, constant arrogance, racist endorsements, vulgar comments, and misogynist beauty pageant. But I want to talk about something that hasn’t been addressed enough.

I currently live in China. I’ve been traveling/living outside the U.S. for about two years, and this has helped me meet people from all over the world. America is a powerful culture, and it can be hard to escape our media. Countries around the world know who Drumpf is and what he’s been saying. I’m getting pretty embarrassed because I have to explain to my friends what the hell is going on with him. They keep asking me how this is happening, and I have no answer.

And you know how much international support Mr. Drumpf has? I bet you can guess.

Who cares if people like our president?

Our president is the symbol of our country. Everyone in China knows who Obama is, and at the minimum they associate our country solely with him. Now imagine President Drumpf representing the U.S. in France, Japan, Germany, England, China, etc. You think people will respect his opinions outside of the U.S.? The U.K. parliament already debated banning him from the U.K. because more than 300,000 people signed a petition. At a time when several problems require collaborative efforts from the international community (ISIS, climate change, refugees), how can America remain a respected world power when Drumpf could potentially ruin relationships with the other countries any day?

Let’s forget about Drumpf or Clinton or Rubio or Sanders or Cruz. For a moment, just imagine the qualities you want in a leader. The ideal woman or man that embodies excellence; with the kind of spirit that can rally a nation. For me, this person has respect for others and tries to represent the people, not their own selfish interests. For me, success cannot purely be defined by money because there’s no ceiling on greed. I think the people who support Trump are channeling their frustration into the candidate that has the confidence of a leader. Their ideal is based on this aura of success, not the ideas and policies that compose it.

So before you vote, determine the important things you want America to focus on. Be it education, jobs, GDP, wealth inequality, traditional values, terrorism, guns, or healthcare; you need to create a well-founded opinion before you cast a ballot based on pure emotion.

The international community already views America in a selfish light, and I do not want to validate this by electing a person like Drumpf. I do not hate any Drumpf supporters, because I share their irritation with our government. We all want a better system. But I think we can bring this reform in a way that unites people and does not make advances at the expense of others.

As Drumpf has articulated quite well, he is good at business and has money. I don’t know why these two things are suddenly qualifiers for president.