The election has been a tough one, not just because of the candidates, but also because of the politically polar climate that this country has been driven to. It feels that if you choose a side then you must accept all of their ideals as your own, and you must stand in direct opposition of the other side. There are no longer any bipartisan positions one can take, and it affects how people look at the world. If you are voting Republican, then many automatically believe that you support all stereotypical rhetoric spouted forth by the party, and if you go Democrat, you have to be a socially liberal hippie or else. There doesn’t seem to be a medium anymore for people to choose.

This is even true for me. I have always tried to walk down the middle path, mediating a bipartisan solution to problems rather than jumping in on one side. Unfortunately, in this election, it doesn’t seem that one can take that path. Between Hillary and Trump, there is no middle path to choose. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have become so polarized that whatever one says the other feels it has to disagree vehemently. It can be hard to choose, especially because there are bound to be points of disagreement for many with either party’s agenda.

Another downside to this election is all the scandals that have been brought up. These scandals it really hard to like Hillary or Trump. Usually the candidate that is liked the most wins the election, but in this case it the less disliked person that will win this election. With historical levels of disapproval for both candidates, the election has become a smear campaign which sets out to convince the voter that a candidate’s opposition is worse.

While some may say that voting for a third party is a way to be bipartisan, I don’t think that is true. Every third party has their own views that have their own political polarity. Looking at the Libertarian Party’s views shows that they don’t walk down the median. It could be argued that the Libertarians are more right-leaning, especially because of their focus on individual freedoms and reduction of government. The Green Party could be said to be more left leaning, holding environmental sustainability and the decentralization of wealth and military weapon capabilities as important ideals.

The values that each party hold dear are separate and unique to their party, which is what makes them different parties! While the principles of each party might have views that are colored in the same shade it is up to the individual to decide which party lines up closest to their own views.

So, the main choices are Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Jill Stein, or Gary Johnson. Which to choose? I suppose that is what this entire article comes down to, which I choose and why. I am hesitant to write down my decision as no matter who I say it will cause outrage and disgust. No doubt after someone reads my answer they will say to themselves “How could he do that? Doesn’t he know that he/she is a horrible person for this reason?!”, crumple up this article and toss it in the garbage that they believe that this piece is worth. I encourage that behavior, because it shows the signs of a true democracy.

Citizens are allowed to have opinions and voice them aloud. Unless the protest is violent there should be no action made to force impassioned voters from making their stance known. That is what truly makes the United States of America.

So, it is time to make my opinion known, my stance thrown out into the wide-open world. I am voting for Hillary Clinton. While that puts me strictly on the Democratic Party side, and I will have to get my tie-dye shirt ready, I would like to make it known that I don’t strictly agree with everything the Democratic Party says. Still for most issues, I can tolerate them, which is why I am voting for them. I won’t go into all the reasons why I am voting for Hillary; you can see those on the ads that appear whenever there is a commercial break. Still, to me, the reason I vote is not to put someone in power, but rather my vote is cast in the hopes that whoever, and I mean whoever, gets elected will change this world for the better.

I suppose that is all we really can do, hope that our new President leaves a lasting positive impact on the country, the world, and more importantly the people who placed their trust and support in them to lead.