Elections should never be as difficult to decide for a voter as they are today. Each of the parties should have a candidate that is understood to be a perfect example of what that party stands for. I find that not to be the case in this election. The political situation is so divisive and polarizing that no matter what side of the wall you are on (pun intended), there is no room for amicable discourse. Citizens and political figures alike, spurred on by the biased media, create rifts of division that are almost irreversible. The moral integrity of our society that is often the only thing that keeps communities together is also splitting and dissolving as people find themselves huddled in their homes afraid of the virus. Although many have written books lambasting both political enterprises, I find myself compelled to speak up lest my thoughts be lost in the shuffle.

Donald Trump disguises himself as the epitome of what the Republican party stands for, often comparing himself to Ronald Reagan or Abraham Lincoln. We know this not to be the case regardless of the number of judges or policies that he has helped put in place. He has done so strictly as a means to an end to garner power and a cult-like following. How did we let this happen? No matter the outwardly positive things he has done that may be similar to what a different Republican president would do, his poise and demeanor lack the respect that one should normally give to someone in his position. As a disenfranchised voter and former Republican who was a delegate for the state of Missouri National Convention in 2016, I can’t find myself to ever have been in a position to think that he is considered the lesser of two evils. That phrase is used a lot more often in modern politics, whether comparing McCain to Obama, or Romney to Obama, or Trump to Clinton. It is a sad state of affairs when you really can’t find a candidate that’s of a caliber worthy enough to be excited about. It is equally confusing because many people are visibly excited about him at his rallies, and it leaves me dumbfounded. Hardworking, blue-collar people who have fallen in love with this self-proclaimed savior. It strikes me as odd that people in the middle class of America or even in the religious South have clung to such a person as Trump, who is really the opposite of everything they’ve been taught their entire lives. It’s not that I don’t understand why they voted for him; it is just that I don’t understand why they’re crazy over him like Bobby Soxers or Beatlemania.

For as much as I’m no longer a Republican, I’m definitely not a Democrat. Fiscal Conservatism is no longer tied to either party. Their party is gone so far past the brink of what they once were that the description of them is quite radical. From their inherent desire to appease Socialists or dismantle the economy through increased regulation and taxation to the other side of the fence, which is often perceived as a blatant disregard for the common man. Their constitutional ignorance, as well as their disrespect for religious freedom, is especially concerning. Although it is important to understand where technology and energy are going over the next several decades, their fixation on the Green New Deal is quite alarming. The cost alone just does not add up. Instead of the government, nonprofits should be the driving force for a lot of the social issues in our society. So too should the private sector engage in ways to become more efficient and less focused on tools that are historically detrimental to our planet’s health.

Since the coronavirus has infected the world, Democrats have been so focused on blaming the current administration for the large death toll. That strategy is a rather stupid one considering if they do win on Tuesday, or likely after Tuesday, they will be no better off solving this problem than the current regime. They will most assuredly focus a push for shutdowns similar to what we see in France, Germany, and the UK, which is suicidal to our economic health. Democrats, more than the Republicans, have hijacked the stimulus bills and have been attempting to subvert the people’s need for items long on their agenda. In this situation, it is more harmful to our nation as the debt levels have risen to extraordinary heights this year alone. The current political environment is so focused on the present that they keep passing that debt on to the next generation of Americans, and it will eventually come due.

As a former military man, it is hard for me to stand on the sidelines and say that I support President Trump for some of the things he said about our nation’s military that is quite unforgivable. It is one thing believing certain people who might talk bad about the president because it benefits them, like Scaramucci or others, but when former generals like Mattis or Kelly, who have lived lives of honor, start questioning his fitness, that’s when you have to take a hard look and say is it really worth it?

Unfortunately, as a common citizen, I have no advice to give as in this particular election. A third-party candidate like Jo Jorgensen really isn’t an option, as voting for her just isn’t effective. Missouri is a hard red state, which means that we know Trump will inevitably win it. So with that, I can retain my honor and righteousness or even moral high ground by saying that I didn’t vote for either party. I’m not obligated to give a vote to somebody who isn’t respectable. Neither candidate even comes close to the definition of an honorable man.

I’m saddened by the things that have transpired over the last few years but feel it necessary to say that I won’t be voting for the presidential ticket in this election; I mean, hey, ask Trump how many elections he voted in before 2016, the number would shock you. Local and State officials, judges, and amendments will be my focus this year. Our system is already in motion, and in this year of sickness and loss, the first thing we should think of is our family and not the political comings and goings. It is not our civic duty to vote for people that are more invested in their own arrogance when they should be invested in “We the People.”