Make America So-So Again

Here’s the stupid thing about elections — Why can’t we just vote No? Why is that not an option?

Why shouldn’t we be able to vote a straight ticket for we don’t want any of this?

I’ve posed this question to several people, but nobody has given me a satisfactory answer. The most common objection is, “We have to have somebody running things!”

Ok, sure. But what if that somebody is an idiot? It’s happened before. Is that what we want? Besides, just because everyone can vote no, that doesn’t mean everyone will.

Especially if there is a third option.

Not just a third party, but a third option for how we vote.

What if, instead of only voting for one candidate, you could vote for every candidate? I’m not talking about ranked choice voting. I’m not talking about orders of preference. I’m talking about allowing the voter to make a declarative statement. Not “Of all the candidates, this is my least favorite,” but rather, “No. Not ever. Do not put this person in any office, political or otherwise.”

Or, “Yes. Please. This one. This is the one I want.”

Or, a third option that is at the heart of this system, “Meh. They’re ok I guess.”

This way, even if you don’t get the candidate you want, you’ll probably get one you can live with.

Imagine the difference this would make in our country. Imagine protesters holding up signs that say, “The election turned out ok I guess,” and chanting slogans like “It’s not great, but it could be worse!”

Imagine people from both sides of the aisle coming together and saying, “Yeah, I guess this will do.”

Imagine an America that isn’t great, but is mostly ok. An America we’re not proud of, but usually not embarrassed by. An America none of us want, but one we can put up with.

I believe the Yes/No/Meh vote is our path to that America.

I hope you’ll stand with me. Let’s make America so-so again.