The entertainment of American politics

I’ve been part of conversations with people, who moments before were complete strangers, where I suddenly know everyone’s views on abortion and wall building. Candidates are quoted like celebrities, Trump-isms peppering discourse like the worst seasoning to have ever existed. It was quite the culture shock.

And the closer we get to elections the worse it gets. I never feel the need to check the news because someone will inevitably let me know who won what or said the craziest thing. Even better, along with these little snippets of information comes the stream of opinions and bad jokes. People seem to break out into mini-debates at random, like freak storms they spill across my life, trying to take apart my own political views.

At the end of the day, one of those people talking at you through a TV or computer screen is going to be the next leader of the country.

To an outsider it seems as though everyone has made up their mind about how the world should work. Everyone has an opinion on everything, and it seems as though the only options are pro or con for all of the really controversial issues. As someone who is excruciatingly indecisive about things that don’t matter, like whether or not I want a cookie (usually yes) or whether I should start doing work yet (usually after one more episode), I find it difficult to definitively choose sides on things that could actually affect the life of someone other than me.

American pop culture, it seems to be, is a weird mix of politics and everything that mocks it. Jokes about politics, it turns out, are almost as prevalent as the debating. Nothing is safe from election season. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about Trump or Sanders; it is actually impressive how much entertainment people can suck from their politicians. Perhaps everyone is just trying to get the most of the experience. At the end of the day, one of those people talking at you through a TV or computer screen is going to be the next leader of the country. There’s no avoiding it, so I suppose it makes sense to take advantage of it while you can. The news channels certainly seem to see it this way.

Maybe I will understand it one day. Maybe I too will one day know polling numbers like the alphabet if I live in America long enough. It certainly seems fun enough. Everyone defending their views with such passion, arguing with vigor against anyone who disputes them. And yet, even as people’s ideals differ, even when there are disagreements about the most basic of ideologies, everyone seems to enjoy the tension in the air. There’s a sense of excitement about the upcoming election that has even got me nervous. Who knows what could happen? It seems like just about everything has happened, and yet there is still so much of it left to go.

At times like these I can’t help but be excited, and suddenly I understand the fervor surrounding it all — it is like watching the world’s longest sporting event. Just like any good fan, your candidate’s win is really your win too, so it’s no wonder that America is the only place I’ve ever met youth so passionate about politics. Though, you’d think with all of that dedication and ardor the youth vote would count more.