One of the major pains in the can that accompany being a political science major is continually being asked what I think of the election. Frankly, the last 2 years of campaigning have driven me to apathy towards the whole thing. The primary process is nothing but a bunch of moderates trying to posture themselves like extremes of their party so as to win the party votes they need to make a run in the Summer and Fall. As soon as that's done we'll have two moderates and little progress towards a united nation.

I do get a little ashamed when I think of things in these terms. It's important that people vote for the best candidate in their eyes. My single vote is of virtually no consequence, but my activity is important inasmuch as my attitude partially represent the American body politic. Given the choice, I'd rather see myself as a member of the half of the population that participates, regardless of the insignificance of my single voice. I'm just a single drop of water, but I'm still part of the current.

More important, I think, is the election of local representatives. Presidents make grandiose proposals but say nothing about the two houses of Congress they have to fight to get anything done. It is these representatives that we can sway, to some degree, with our votes and concerns. In the national election I am only one of 100,000,000 voters. In my home state I'm one of 3,000,000. In my home district I'm one of 600,000. That might not sound like amazing odds, but it's better than 100,000,000.

Long story short, it's important to think about politics for the whole nation, but it's more important to think of your local leaders. Federalism works because of this. God bless James Madison.