Are you sick of politics yet? Well, make no mistake about it, the fiasco is just heating up.

With drawn out and at least somewhat contested primaries on both sides of the aisle, many Americans are likely already feeling election fatigue.

And the main event hasn’t even begun.

It is almost a foregone conclusion that Donald Trump will earn the Republican nomination. Hillary Clinton will get the Democrat’s nod.

Neither outcome is good for America.

Hold on now before you start condemning me. Hear me out. I’m not even taking sides here.

The point is that we are likely going to end up with the two least liked political candidates in U.S. history.

Certainly this dubious designation should come with the caveat that today’s political arena is an entire different universe from that of even 15 years ago. But these candidates are so polarizing that each face significant hurdles in getting full support from their own party, more less from the opposition.

Divisiveness that runs that deep is bad for America — during the election process and beyond.

We continue to see greater voter apathy than ever before, with fewer citizens truly believing in the system our country was founded on.

Of course the solution is we need strong met candidates who can help unify our great nation. Unfortunately that isn’t the reality we face and wishing for it doesn’t make it come true.

Believe it or not, the worst is likely yet to come as Trump and Clinton really start taking aim at one another. My prediction is it will get real ugly, real fast.

So what are the voters to do when we have two candidates who could at least somewhat legitimately be characterized as an obnoxious bully and a shameless shyster? We look to find any shred of common ground and take a leap of faith that each can rise above those stereotypes.

And we put faith in the fact that democracy works and will essentially right the proverbial ship at some point.

Checking out of the process now and giving up on our country’s future doesn’t solve our problems or make them go away.

We all just better put on our helmets, buckle our chin straps and get ready to participate in an election that is certain to be a bumpy ride.

 

Michael Caldwell is the publisher of Leader Publications LLC. He can be reached at (269) 687-7700 or by email at mike.caldwell@leaderpub.com.