We all need to calm down. It's embarassing, but not the end (yet)

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Wherever I look on the Internet, once again I see posts (1) vilifying Trump, (2) vilifying Hillary Clinton, (3) vilifying Jill Stein, (4) vilifying Gary Johnson, (5) Vilifying Barack Obama, (5) vilifying Mitch O' Connell, and so on.

Talking about low bars, this is easy, folks; it doesn't take a lot to vilify all these people, because they have been acting foolishly for a couple of years, and it's sort of Click Bait, really, to offer yet another diatribe against people who have been nihilipilificated umpteen times (without showing any embarrassment, withal; it has become too common).

But there is a new troublesome tone to all this private (and commercial) propaganda: people across the USA are actually getting nervous about (1) the outcome of the elections, and (2) how much damage each of these supposedly dangerous people can cause.  Well, certainly our checks and balances are not perfect, as 20 years of Republicans in the White House have shown us: if the Supreme Court supports the GOP, it can get away with quite a lot.  But still, it is my suspicion that Trump has sought the Presidency for just a few reasons, chief among which is that he wants to repeal the (to him) burdensome estate tax that will wear down the value of the inheritance that Melania and the kids will get.  To this end, he is enduring all these insults, and he's probably telling the family, "Don't you forget it. I ate a lot of $#!+ to make sure you guys get to keep my ill-gotten gains!"  Unfortunately, Trump's reading level and attention span is probably a little too low to actually understand some of the writing that has come through reviling him.

Once again, ---and if I'm wrong, I will edit this post in retrospect--- politics should not be made into an exhausting, expensive, frustrating responsibility that doesn't go away 24-7.  It should be something we can do thoughtfully, discussing with our friends and acquaintances, with whom we can disagree without raised voices, okay, maybe even blog about it at leisure.  If I get my hands on the people who made politics into this train wreck in slow motion, I will inflict a slow, painful death on them.

Talk to those who feel like you do.  Be open to the arguments of those on the other side, who are honestly just as unhappy as you are, because their champion is AWOL.  Give them just one or two arguments why you do not support their man (or woman).  Here's why I do not support some of these other candidates.

Gary Johnson.  This fellow sounds like a very reasonable man, but I do not like his plank to privatize public education.  I also do not like the general principle of eliminating taxes altogether, or even establishing a flat tax rate.  I could be made to support simplifying the tax code, but Johnson wants to go much further.  This will simply stand in the way of legislation that is far more urgent.

Jill Stein.  If not for the vaccination problem (go look it up) and her lack of politically experienced advisors, she might get my vote.  But those important tiles are missing from her space shuttle.

So, panic does not seem to be a useful road to take.  It is undignified, and unproductive.  Relax, and help with getting the vote out.  The larger the turnout, the less likely we're going to get an idiot in the White House.  We have about a month.

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