There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780), "The Works of John Adams", vol 9, p. 511
We were friggin' warned about the two party system. And we've ignored the admonition for so long, look at the election it has wrought us.
This Anti-Media.org article from JP Sottile has it nailed in the title: "2016: The Final Season of the United States Reality Show." The article goes on to compare what we are living in as the "Jumping of the Shark" in the show.
Sadly, the truth is there and the reality to show for it: a LITERAL reality show candidate versus a woman who by most accounts has done literally almost ANY thing to be president. It's like selecting a president via Fear Factor.
I have a teenager who just turned voting age in time for this election. Guess what she is going to do (probably): NOT VOTE. And can anyone blame her.
The reason I got the gumption to write this post is because Louis CK, who I normally enjoy, took to late night TV to suggest that those that don't vote are just @-holes.
Dude, clearly you have your preference, but for the rest of us that see that you have two candidates who just kinda stink- this is not an election to berate someone for ONLY seeing two evils.
There are nearly 9 million new voters in that ball park age of my daughter who have to look at the circus this last election has turned into and wonder- "why is voting such a big deal?" They definitely do care more about who is going to win some REALITY show contest much more than this crap-shoot.
But this comes back to a two party system that is more durable than a roach and as insidious as our Founding Fathers imagined. It is the enemy of true democracy. You are seeing more and more talk about two parties killing democracy in the United States.
When are or HOW can we do something about it when it is like a Terminator-esque Hydra that just keeps coming back every 2, 4, and 6 years?