Thoughts on the debate last night

For me, it wasn't so much what the candidates had to say, as I am well aware of where they stand on the issues.

For me, there were a few takeaways. First, that the people who have been in Washington for so many years still have the gall to talk about Washington politics as if they aren't a part of it, and how the country doesn't want Washington to continue as is. So why would I believe that you aren't going to continue as you have been for years and years? Get it through your thick skull people - you ARE Washington!

Second, the hypocrisy of it all. All these Washington insiders who proclaim to hate Washington so much. Then why do you want to stay there? Really. Leave and let someone who loves it and wants to be there take over.

Last, my big takeaway was not just that these people hate Washington, although they all do. They hate the thought of any type of centralized government, period. There was so much talk about giving everything back to the states, I wonder what our country would be called at the end of a GOP presidency in 4 years. The 50 States Who All Sit Next to Each Other and All Occupy Part of North America? Because they certainly do not believe in the concept of the United States of America. There is nothing united about any of this.  Also, just  a bit of news for them: Jefferson and Hamilton (and all the rest of those amazing, courageous, flawed, human men who wrote our constitution)  already worked it out. And believe it or not, they did it by COMPROMISING. Imagine if Hamilton had said, "No way, Tommy. My goal is to make you look like an ass so that I can always have my way." And Jefferson had come back with, "Well Alex, up yours. I won't budge."

These men put their desire for a united country above all else and sat down at the table, not with the thought of how they could leverage the battle so they could win the next election, but by putting their desire for COUNTRY above their own desires. Country before all else. Imagine what might get done if we could get past all the rhetoric and, well, blatant racism, and get things done in the best interest of our country and ALL the people who live here, rather than in the best interest of someone who contributes bucketfuls of money to your campaign.