Choosing not to vote is not (necessarily) failing to engage the political system, and, while I hope I don’t feel compelled to do it again in the future, I am confident in my decision not to vote for a candidate for president this coming election.

Choosing not to vote is not (necessarily) failing to engage the political system, and, while I hope I don’t feel compelled to do it again in the future, I am confident in my decision not to vote for a candidate for president this coming election.
It is hard for me to fathom the USA is a nation with shopping aisles full of shampoo and cereal choices, yet we insist that only two political parties can produce qualified presidential candidates. Every four years we are even farther from Lincoln or Roosevelt, and unsolved problems from president’s past continue to compound, requiring even more complexity to solve. Adding an additional voice to the conversation is necessary.
Another presidential election year is upon us, and for the fourth election cycle in a row, American military intervention in the Middle East is a hot topic. By my count, every candidate running in both parties has pledged to destroy or defeat the Islamic State.