In
some ways, that question in the title (and the statement it makes)
is wrong. America is great. It’s awesome… incredible… breathtaking
and amazing.
But
here’s where The Donald and his “Make America Great Again” slogan
might just have a huge point…
Gary
Johnson
Let
me kick off this rant by saying that it is not… in any way, shape,
form or concept… an endorsement of Johnson. It’s not a question
I present to find out which candidate you may be voting for, supporting,
or considering. It’s not a critique of your beliefs and opinions.
Instead…
How
is it possible that a third candidate hasn’t emerged in this shit
show? (Pardon my language folks, but I know you agree.) And more
specifically, how is it no third candidate is getting any coverage
and traction?
I
mention Gary Johnson for a simple reason… he has qualified to
be listed on the ballot in all fifty states. He’s the candidate
for the Libertarian Party. (As a side note, Jill Stein is running
as the Green Party candidate, and has achieved ballot status in
44 states.)
Some
groundwork…
How
many of you have wandered into the grocery store, headed over
to the produce aisles, and then felt lost because you couldn’t
find something? I think it’s happened to all of us. Happens with
more common items like potatoes and apples, and it happens with
less common items like ginger and scallions.
Thing
is… while you may find someone inside the produce area looking
frustrated by their attempts to locate the broccoli… rarely do
you see someone in the center of the section, on their knees with
hands raised to the heavens, exclaiming: “Can someone please help
me find some fruit? Any fruit? I’ll take any fruit at all!”
Back
to the election…
Right
now, all you see are wave after wave of people joking about the
lesser of evils (which would be a great joke if it was less sad
and actually funny), wanting to know how we got stuck with these
two candidates, begging for another choice, and more. Yet… somehow...
(1)
Gary Johnson… 2016 Presidential candidate in all fifty states…
apparently cannot qualify in polls to be invited to any of the
debates. (Same for Jill Stein and her qualifying in roughly
90% of states.)
(2)
Instead of mentioning the possible additional candidates, we
keep getting fed more and more about Trump and Clinton.
In
some regards, I get it. The two primary candidates reflect the
virtually automatic options. Other parties (and candidates) need
to do some work to get into the discussion. A lot of work. Plus,
given the way our political system is set up and the networks
operate, it ends up that in order to get their share of attention
(and money), the media needs to follow the big dogs (so to speak).
So these other candidates, virtually secondary candidates, get
passing glances and less notice.
In
short, the story is Trump and Clinton, and therefore we will consistently
see, hear and read coverage of Trump and Clinton.
(Here’s
where the question of America being great comes into play.)
What
I don’t get is how so many Americans can be crying out for another
option while not even looking to see if there is one… figuratively
on the floor in the produce department, sobbing next to a display
of apples and oranges and bananas, defeated because there’s no
worthwhile fruit to be found.
I
don’t understand how so many of us... registered voters... couldn’t
even name Johnson as a candidate, but are screaming and crying
about the quality available to consider.
Sit
down, here it comes: Are we simply getting what we deserve?
There,
I asked. And I will ask again…
If
we can’t even bother to look around for alternatives, do we have
the right to complain about the choices we get?
Decades
ago, I was in a parking lot in Warwick, Rhode Island. It was there
that I saw a terrific bumper sticker. The specific names and background
story behind the sticker aren’t as important as the concept. It
said:
“Don’t
blame me, I voted for ___________________”
I
like that sentiment. The idea is simple enough. (My words) “I
tried to do something to make a difference. Didn’t happen, but
I did try.”
In
this particular essay, it is not my intention to tell you that
any candidate will be a good president or a bad president. I cannot
predict amazing triumphs or staggering disasters as a result of
this election. (I might think it. I can’t guarantee it.)
What
I want everyone to at least attempt to understand is simple… not
voting is still a vote. It’s one of indifference. It’s one lacking
in effort.
Let’s
say you wanted to apply for a job. But, when you saw the listing
for it, you decided not to. Wasn’t worth your time and effort,
since you believed you wouldn’t be considered. The ultimate reality
is that this employer still turned you down… they still said no.
You simply found a way you considered more palatable to have the
news delivered. Instead of being told you didn’t get the job,
you decided not to apply at all. Either way you were told no…
since either way you didn’t get the job. Similar fashion, not
voting is still a vote.
If
we can’t be bothered to look for a candidate worth our vote… if
we don’t turn up on Election Day… do we have a right to complain
about the winner? …do we have a right to be mad about the options?
If
we allow for the many possible concepts and wordplay for making
America great again that all of the candidates have in some fashion
created, I simply want to ask…
Is
America great if we all complain while none of us have the energy,
motivation, or desire to make it great?