Political campaigns of the recent past were heated but polite, and never left the taste of disgust in my mouth. The 2016 presidential election, on the other hand, has been one of the nastiest and most brutal races our nation has ever seen. Two candidates are changing American politics forever, drastically affecting what it means to be the President of the United States of America.

On one side, bigotry and hate have drowned out policy and common sense, and on the other, a candidate has been in the limelight of questionable conduct while in positions of power.

Seriously, America, is this the best we can do?

Neither candidate represents America as a whole. In fact, the New York Times’ analysis of the 2016 presidential primaries revealed that only around 9 percent of America chose either Trump or Clinton. The biggest factor to this ridiculous figure is that half of America cannot vote because it includes children and convicted felons,  and over half of eligible American voters simply do not care enough to be bothered to vote in the primaries. The remaining pool of voters backed a variety of their party’s candidates until our two present candidates emerged. But this is nothing incredibly new.

What sets this election apart is the ferocity and scandalous nature of both Trump and Clinton, which the media has turned into an international spectacle. 8 years ago no one accused of, much less proven to be a horrible, outspoken racist and sexist could ever run for president, yet here Trump is. In a similar respect, someone known to disregard government protocols on privacy and email would have not even stood a chance in the primaries of 2008, but we, the American people, have loved it.

Just like a good season of Survivor or the Bachelor, we’ve seen backstabbing, big reveals, and plot twists in this election, and frankly, I’m tired of it. After almost a full year of emails, dodged tax returns, and hatred, an election meant to make the country stronger has left a divided nation in its wake, and with no real gain. Not even the Millennials received the free college and other handouts promised by Sanders.

So, what does this mean? This election has been a drawn out, comical affair, because the American people are no longer interested in politics and would rather be entertained than governed. This seems to signal the end of civil political discourse, and going forward, we might as well replace the election with a reality show like America’s Got Talent.

We act as though this was a surprise, when we were warned by the older generations that urged for moderates like Kasich and O’Malley. In fact many men and women wanted a normal Presidential race, with policies and platforms being the only controversies. Sadly, they were out voiced by an unusually high amount of radical voters.  

But the rising generation refuses to acknowledge their mistakes. The Millennials, who supported Sanders and Trump alike, have abandoned conventional reason and have begun to throw their votes to third-party candidate Gary Johnson, or simply refuse to vote at all.  This is not the mindset that the Founding Fathers had in mind when they fought for our independence 240 years ago. All of that sacrifice is in vain if we refuse to participate in our own democracy and more importantly, our own freedom.

It is up to the next generation to rise up and take responsibility for their votes and voices. If there is any hope to reverse the new nature of American politics, the apathetic and weed-tainted positions of the Millennials need to be replaced with a new spirit and concern for our political system. Because in all honesty, our patriotism and uncensored voices are what sets us apart from the rest of the world.

Creative Commons photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/iip-photo-archive/28297346453