The political landscape is a mess. No, it’s not just the leaked Trump tapes that are making me say that. It’s the absolute ridiculousness of the campaigns that started over a year ago and are coming to an end in a couple of weeks.
Voters are going to put someone in the White House and I don’t think that we can be proud of either.
Trump treats people, especially women, as if they were nothing but pawns in his game. None of us should be surprised when he makes disparaging comments about people because that’s what he has always done.
Clinton isn’t trustworthy. Some may say that she has been a politician all her life. As she said in one of her leaked speeches to Wall Street, sometimes there are public conversations and sometimes there are private conversations and Clinton is very used to being private.
It is highly likely that one of these two people will be our next Commander in Chief. We can laugh, cringe or mock some of the things that have been said over the campaign, but at some point it just gets a little sad that this is where we are now. This is our future.
However, there is some hope out there for anyone who feels a little let down by our system of democracy. There are more elections going on than just the White House.
I would urge voters to remember that there are local elections happening and I would argue that they do more for you than any president can.
Who do you want representing you on the local level? These are the people who will fight for issues you care about in Congress or in the Senate.
There is an important Senate race happening in Ohio right now. Republican Rob Portman, former governor and Democrat, Ted Strickland and Green Party candidate Joe DeMare.
I would advise readers to educate themselves on these men and the positions they take. One of these people are going to be representing you in the Senate, so take a look at them.
The issues often vary by county district, but in Dayton, there is a Charter Amendment to increase income tax. It is the voter’s duty to look at where the extra funds will go and if they think the income tax should be increased.
There are also a lot of Congressional races happening with a lot of candidates. Look at the district you live in and decided who you want to vote for.
The election cycle gets petty and frustrating, but there is more to politics than just the President. There are Congressmen, Senators, Sheriffs, local Supreme Court Judges and even the Court of Appeals. Those are the local people trying to make a difference in their district, county and state.
The Clarion will be having an upcoming article about local elections taking place so that you can see some of the candidates and the issues that will directly affect you.
Before this election season gets you completely down, take a look at those local people and make the best educated decision you can.
Laina Yost
Managing Editor