All elections are derisive. It is the nature of the election process to promote competition and declare a winner. It’s a winner-take-all game, and at stake is the most powerful position on Earth. And though we go through this process every four years, it always seems as if this election is the one on which rests the fate of our nation. Every election casts America as a wounded vessel heading towards the precipice. Every candidate claims that four years with the other at the helm wheel is the quickest way of heading straight for the iceberg.
Whether we believe the hype or just play into the moment like we’re rooting for our favorite sports team, it’s difficult to say. Many voters, however, lost their bracket picks months ago. And when pulling for a competing candidate seems to lack enthusiasm and sincerity, is it wrong simply to root for the other candidate to lose? In other words, when you can’t vote for the candidate you want most, do you vote against the one you want least? For many Americans, this election season is just that, an exercise in the lesser of two evils.
Think of it as defensive voting, a statement not of which candidate best represents America but one of which candidate is worst for the job. It’s less “Yes We Can” and more “If We Have To.” It may sound bleak, but the divide between candidates is wide, and the divide between either candidate and the American electorate seems to be growing. When sincerity and real human connections aren’t enough to drive people to the polls, perhaps they’ll show up anyway just to play some D.
Elections are often very similar but run on different fuel. What is fueling your desire to vote in the upcoming election? Raise The Money wants to know what you think. Are you with him, with her, or without a candidate that seems to represent you?