Watching the election this year and everyone’s reaction has been interesting to say the least, reminds me of Bush/Gore. Maybe I’m too much of a cynic, but our elections are a lot like watching two rival sports teams go at it. Take a football rivalry for example, the fans throw all sorts of insults at the other team’s fans and then argue endlessly over how the other team’s players are so dirty, while they believe the dirty hits from their own team’s players were actually technically legal hits -totally acceptable (and awesome!). On game days, fans who are parents create so much drama that their little kids get all worked up thinking that this one game is the most important thing of their life and after their team loses, those kids lose it too. (Then we all get the joy of watching those little kids crying hysterically on Youtube while mom or dad films them – which, let’s be honest, is universally funny because we know the child really has no comprehension of what they’re doing and what they’ve been put though). Meanwhile the winning side’s fans are jubilant beyond reason for an accomplishment they really played no part in.
That’s the crux of being a sports fan – you, as a fan, don’t really matter. No amount of armchair quarterbacking is going to help your team win. No amount of sports radio listening is going to help the team develop better play calling or roster selections. The coaches or players will never really care about your name, who you are, how long you’ve “supported” your team or really anything about you. to them, it really just comes down to, are you getting me paid? Did you buy our official jerseys? did you buy our tickets? Our mugs, sweatshirts, car flags, lawn flags, bobbleheads etc etc. But, you are not a part of the team, as a fan you will never receive a dividend check like an owner. In 20 years, if you run into your favorite player and enthuse over him, he may chuckle and say that’s nice, but will walk away and almost instantly forget about you.
I said I was cynical, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the spectacle for just pure entertainment’s sake, but still, in the end, you don’t matter as a fan.
Sadly, that’s true about both candidate’s fans. The fans both put on those same rose colored glasses for their own candidate. they both get worked up about how horrid the other is, while the reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Then in the end, the candidates only truly care for you so far as you get them elected… and buy their ribbons… and banners… and stickers… and donate, donate, donate. but as much as you think they care about you or that you have some sort of personal connection with them – they don’t.
I remember vividly the change in parties with each presidency going back to wjc and the accompanying apocalyptic / jubilant feeling of each handover. if you look over the years, yes each presidency has created policies that have effected me personally so I should
care… but each has created policies that have both hurt me and helped me. For the most part though, they’ve all principally maintained the status quo for themselves in their little political games. Things go up and down, that’s life. But no matter who you elect, there’s zero chance everything your candidate does will be positive for you. That’s mostly because our country is full of different people and you just can’t please everybody all the time regardless of your political beliefs.
This time around I can tell you this. Hillary Clinton is not as saintly as her fans would like you to believe, nor is she likely as evil as Trump’s fans would like you to believe. Same goes for Trump that he is neither as good nor evil as many think. That said, everyone should know that neither is that good of a person because good people are simply chewed up and spat out by the machine called U.S. politics and quite frankly, we are the reason that happens.
Are we not entertained?
Here’s some conciliation. A lot of people think all the power lies with the president and they only pay attention to presidential elections, when the reality is that the president is really not THAT responsible for either the good or the bad that happens during the years of their administration. Take for instance “obamacare”, I’d bet that not a single line was actually written by Obama, he probably hasn’t even read it, but it’s OBAMAcare. Or look at the economy – obama saved it right? – But the other party has controlled the houses for most of his time in office (like Clinton or Bush respectively). Or take a look at any of these “great” speeches people keep quoting. Odds are, your candidate didn’t even write it.
In the end, either candidate is much like you or I, they can only do so much in a day and it’s a lot more fun to go to functions and do photo-ops than to work. Then on top of that, you throw in checks and balances, the president’s role gets marginalized even more. To further calm any histeria left over about the power shift, look at the last few times one party has ruled all three (House, Senate, Presidency), there’s only so much time in a day, session, year and it’s really been surprising how little actually gets ramrodded through during those years that the single party has full control. but, all that said, I personally believe our country is greatest and most prosperous when there is true checks and balances with neither party getting all three. during those times, they are forced to compromise and do something in the middle if they do anything at all and that is really where most of us truly are.
But, all that said, you really shouldnt worry so much about the games they’re playing in washington so much that you lose focus on your own game, your own sphere of things you can actually control and effect. In the end, no matter how ardent of a fan you were, if you’re not actually in the game – you’re not actually in the game. Stop taking everything in their game so serious – it’s their game and honestly, you’re worth way less than a pawn to them. You should make the people directly around you much more important than some person you’ll never know.
In all reality, not much will change over the next four years because our country is like a huge ocean liner that’s using a tiny sail boat rudder to steer (and we’ve been going this direction for a long while). Any changes made most likely won’t even really effect you unless you let it and besides, everything will most likely work out just fine.
So, you voted, good job. Now move on.
(But keep your guns handy, you know, just in case. Or don’t, whatever, your call.)
