JIM CREES: The least disappointing

“Vote for the man who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing.” - Bernard Baruch More and more, the 2016 election is becoming a joke; a sideshow; a parody on democracy. The process is getting sadder and more disappointing as we move ever so surely toward the party conventions. On the one hand, the people who will most obviously be adversely affected by a Donald Trump presidency are the same people standing on their seats and cheering him on. It’s so ...odd. On the other hand, we have Hillary Clinton who does little more than generate a sense of disquiet and, yes, distrust. Both of these candidates (and realistically, at least at this stage of the game, they ARE the candidates) are no friends of the truth. The Bible suggests, “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:37) Clinton and Trump, however, parse this verse and both come up with “Let your communication be, Yea... kinda... um... sorta... it depends... I didn’t... well... er... possibly...” Both Clinton and Trump find it really difficult to come up with a straight story. Trump has been called out on his commentary time and time again - logging an incredible track record of fudging the truth. Yet seemingly the main reason folks love the drivel he spews is, “He says what he thinks.” Really!!??!! That is a qualification for... anything? I say what I think and folks send me nasty letters and emails! It’s kinda unfair. Sigh. And then we have Sen. Clinton. Here’s a person - a pretty dang smart person - who actually pretended she didn’t understand the concept of “wiping” her computer clean. “I don’t... I have no idea... What, like with a cloth or something? … I don’t know how it works digitally at all.” So... the Clinton fans and Trump admirers get all excited about their respective candidates, and whole slews of voters - both Democrat and Republican - are united by the same unfortunate truth. “I’m just going to plug my nose and vote for...” Millions around the country are watching the election cycle evolve, and are simply poleaxed by the state of politics in the nation today. As a result, disapproval voting will be stronger and much, Much, MUCH more common than ever before. Disapproval voting involves voting not for a candidates but rather against the other person. The result is the nation gets a leader who folks really didn’t want but the voters simply didn’t want the other person more. The real result is a natural loser becomes the practical winner. And looking back at the primary season until now, were there REALLY not other acceptable candidates than Clinton or Trump? Seriously? Some people have stated very forcefully they would be voting for Trump because of their disdain or disapproval of what is going on in Washington, D.C. So... they are willing to choose a national leader epically unqualified to run the country, in order to thumb their collective noses at “The System.” Sad. Folks generally buy a pickup with more thought and consideration of ALL the factors than they do choosing a president of these United States. And then... many are voting for Clinton simply because they can’t, simply can’t, vote for Trump. No less sad. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have allowed the system to be so diminished that voting for the leader of what is still the strongest nation on the globe becomes not at all unlike cleaning out the fridge. Close your nose. Grab the casserole dish with the green stuff growing on it. Toss it in the garbage. Get on with life. More and more in this country, people are accepting the fact voting is not a positive and good thing; rather, it is an expression of negativity. We are not going confidently to the polls with an eye to choosing the best person for the job, but rather in hopes of getting the least damaging personally on board. Both Clinton and Trump are out on the campaign trail promising things they never, Ever, EVER will be able to bring to fruition, and we sit back and soak it in. Oh, well. Do I have a solution? Nope. I, too, will be at the polls in November voting for who I hope will cause the least damage. Sigh.