Election Day

So the day has finally come. After months of horrible, mud-slinging, negative ads, Election Day is here. Thank goodness!!

At the end of the day, there will be winners and losers. But what's sad is that whomever wins the presidency, this country will still be divided and full of spite. Our party system has gone so far to the left and right, and they've taken so many constituents with them, that the subject of politics is essentially fubared from conversation. It's become so focused on being a red state or a blue state that they've forgotten about what's right. Politicians no longer know how to reach across the aisle and come to a compromise that's good for the people.

Even worse, there's no end of this one side view anywhere in the near future. Both parties are guilty of it, and any other party that tries to break into the system doesn't have enough money to make their voice heard. Some of them actually have the right ideas, too - it's amazing what you learn when you do a little research. But of course, some are even further out of whack that the two parties we've all come to despise around elections (damn ads).

Democrats and Republicans have become so wrapped up in what their 'party' believes that they forgot about why many of them got into politics to begin with - to make things right for the people. They're so busy pointing fingers and the other one, pointing out what they did 'wrong' because it's not what their party believes. And so much of the nation has been sucked into the debate that they, themselves, find themselves taking one side or another, and driving a bigger wedge into this nation.

I, for one, have never voted a straight party ticket. Ever. I don't think there should even be an option to fill in one bubble and vote straight party. In fact, I don't think the party affiliation should even be listed next to the candidates. First off, that would force people to do some research before going to the polls. Secondly, it would take the party system out of the actual polling places on election day. Sure, they'd still throw a ton of money towards their candidate in the form of advertising (if only we could ban negative ads). But it sure would make for a better outcome, I think - keep people from voting for someone just because of their party affiliation. How do they even know if that person really stands for what they want? What's keeping someone from crossing over just to get elected?

As we sit here and watch the results come in tonight, I can only wonder how much more this country can handle going down this road... a road with nothing but bickering and one-sided politics that will never actually make people happy. A road to forever gridlock. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... our political party system needs to be scrapped, as it works now, and we need to start from scratch. Because right now, democracy is NOT working.