creative apathy and other good times

I'm not a political activist or commentator, and I'm not an advocate one way or another for involvement in politics, so you'll have to take this for exactly what it's worth: I'm not voting.

I'd also like to make something absolutely clear: You should be proud of yourself for voting, making your voice heard in any way, large or small. You should be proud that you chose a candidate who closely represents your views. You should be proud that you have the freedom to place that vote. Don't let anyone, especially me, convince you that voting isn't important if it is, in fact, important to you. 

My apathy toward the process is entirely driven by my firm belief that the person occupying the office isn't the problem—the shattered, mangled, openly broken and bleeding system is the problem. I believe that "politically active" should mean "involved in the bureaucracy and mechanics of government," not "involved in the sexiness of politics." It doesn't matter to me who the President is, because he's a powerless figure who can only act as far as the system will let him act. The system, then, is what we should work so hard to change, and then the 4-year-job can practically be filled by anyone.

If you want to be active in government, start ignoring the politics and start digging deeper into the mechanics of the system. Find office holders who actually work to make a change and support them, if that's your bag. But mostly, look for something that needs doing and then fill that gap. IF you want to be active in government.

If you just want the show, the drama, the adrenaline of the race, then you're really, truly in luck. Because that's all this is. The big show. Every four years, a new season.