Elections were once national events that all citizens longed to participate in. Not long ago people even fought for the right to do so. This year however, many Americans are trying to escape the presidential campaigns rather than get involved. It seems millions of Americans just don’t care who wins or loses anymore. And why should they? We haven’t been given any real reasons to. Instead of what they can do for our country, the presidential candidates seem more interested in tearing each other down and saying whatever it takes to win publicity. You can read their platforms on your own time, but what we're primarily handed are both party’s cheap shots at one another in the form of ads and a barrage of what the media has fed upon and then excreted back at us in the form of news.  

People have begun to avoid even talking about politics like the plague. This should be a critical time for political discussion. However, millions just can’t stand to hear another word about it. Josh Furlong of Utah’s KSL News gives some statistics and his opinion here as to why this might be. For me, it is because elections have turned into something similar to a reality TV show, and they are losing their fan base. Those that do stay involved in the campaigns (seeing as how they aren’t being offered many legitimate reasons to vote for a candidate) have become more focused on which presidential candidate appeals more to their personal social values. These have taken precedence over the job they would do while leading our country. Working this angle, it has gotten to a point where candidates barely address the issues they are posed with anymore. They just talk over one another and boisterously give their “guarantees” if elected. Then, they dance around any explanation of how they plan to accomplish these, and that’s only if they’re repeatedly asked to.

We can blame the politicians, but it’s not all their fault. We allow this to go on and millions actually encourage it. The American public doesn’t want to watch an actual debate. They want a show. American viewers want to see a cat fight where the gloves come off and the blows get dirty. Not a well rounded argument that forces them to give us actual facts. Candidates portray themselves as magicians who will pull the end of a war, more jobs, tax cuts, and a stimulated economy out of a hat. We as a country let them do this and then choose to believe them. Then after we put them in office, people have the nerve to get mad that the hat was empty and they will be improvising with distracting parlor tricks for the next four years. 

Social values are important, but who is running our country and how they are doing it should definitely NOT be chosen based around them. I believe electing officials in this way keeps their focus there, rather than on the issues where it really needs to be. This may keep some Americans happy, but the overall good of our nation may fall by the wayside to achieve it. Just something to think about as you rush to the polls this week…..or don’t.