The Voting Magic Trick

Today, we will elect the next leader of the free world. Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. And no, we can’t elect Barack again, and it’s a bit too late for Michelle to jump in (Michelle 2020!).

Politics is war, and I’m not sure it should be that way or not, but it is.  We have filmed commercials for many political campaigns over the years, and one thing is very true; you really have to pay attention to what the real message is.

Campaign managers are smart, way smarter than you or I.  While they are on TV saying one thing, they are making you feel a completely different thing. It’s an amazing magic trick.  You have to pay attention to the sleight of hand.

Their goal is to paint this picture that the world around you is so bad, that these are two horrible candidates, and, sometimes, that there is no purpose of voting at all.  That your stupid little vote among the millions and millions of people is so worthless.

That is the Magic Trick, and people really do fall for it, all across the country. Many millennials are falling for it.

I hear so many conversations about why people feel like their voices don’t matter, things like:

“Well, I just don’t like her” (You don’t have to–she’s qualified.)

“Well, both candidates are awful” (Stop complaining, and just choose one.)

Here is the reality of the situation: we have a very qualified individual applying for the most important job in the country, and we have one who has not shown the aptitude or character for the job.  You are in the interviewer’s chair, you have their applications on your desk… you can’t get up and walk out of the room, never to return again.  As an American, this is part of your job.  You can’t run away from it, you need to make a choice.

Now, we have already made our choice (yay, early voting!), but this is a group effort, and you need to do your part.  We believe that the most qualified individual should get the job, but this is America, and everyone gets to put in their opinion.

If you don’t vote, then you don’t get to contribute or be a part of any political conversation at all, for the next four years.  Just… shut up.  You don’t get to joke about moving to Europe, or Canada, or talk bad about Obamacare or whatever.  You discredit anything you could possibly say in a conversation by the mere fact that, when you had an opportunity to make a valuable contribution, you didn’t.

I like what my main man Louis CK said (see video below)

“If you vote for Hilary, you’re a grown up;

If you vote for Trump, you’re a sucker;

If you don’t vote, you’re an asshole.”

Today, don’t be an asshole.