Someone is going to crash their car into the library down the street! Not because they are reckless – but because they are trying to vote.
Residents are fearful that the busy road leading to the county library will soon be closed to traffic due to the hundreds of leaning, layered, multi-colored campaign signs. So many candidates smile from every direction, promising everything from lower taxes to better sunsets. The one that reads, TRUST ME!” boasts the best and boldest font.
Then the inevitable happens.
A silver-haired woman driving a red Mercedes, inches forward like a kid lost in a political obstacle maze. She jerks left to avoid a “Vote Early” sign. Then she swerves right and into a “Save America!” banner. Next, she mows down 44 tiny American flags before parking in the county library’s fiction section.
Naturally, news crews rush to the chaotic scene. They shove a microphone near a toddler’s mouth, hoping for a comment. The three-year-old boy instead removes his sucker and sticks out his lime-green tongue.
The shocked and trembling Mercedes owner stands next to the policeman, who is trying to take her statement.
How’d it happen?
“Ma’am, he says, stepping over a fallen ‘Vote for Me!’ sign that has somehow made it indoors, “Can you explain what happened?”
She nods, still clutching a sample ballot and a Romance novel that landed in her hands titled, “I Fell in Love with a Governor.”
“Well, officer, I was trying to read all the signs so I could make an informed decision. But then one said “Honesty”, and another said ‘Experience.” Then there was one with a picture of a pretty woman holding an American flag, which felt important… and by the time I decided who seemed the nicest, I was already in the biographies section.”
The officer scribbles her information down as if all she said was vital to his investigation.
By noon, the crash is no longer the lead story. The real headline is that Candidate #32 has quickly added 43 more signs farther down the street and is now polling stronger among undecided drivers.
As voters arrive at the polling place—provided they make it there without any incidents—they are welcomed by volunteers, numerous signs, and at least one inflatable bald eagle. Once inside the voting booth, the noise and chaos fade for a moment. However, one voter, after carefully studying his ballot, peeked out to ask the volunteer, “Do you have a version with pictures?”
Another voter admits he chose his candidate based on “consistency of branding.”
He explained, “Yep, I saw his name 127 times on the way here. Seems like he wanted it more.”
And there it is.
It’s on us
Somewhere along the way, we decided that being seen is the same thing as being known. That repetition equals truth. That the loudest voice in the yard must be the strongest one in the room. It says we have confused familiarity with trust, repetition with truth, and volume with virtue.
Campaign strategists understand this concept well: “If you’ve seen me, you’ve heard me.” This approach is gaining popularity, especially among those who are too overwhelmed to remember what candidates actually stand for.
I often say that election years tend to insult our intelligence with the advertisements, signs, and rhetoric used by many candidates. I have never been fond of snake oil and usually avoid it, yet many people believe it can cure all the world’s problems. However, it does not.
Many voters, including me, feel exhausted by the partisan maneuvers and carnival shows put on by those seeking our favor.
We must take the time to dig deep and take that precious vote seriously by researching candidates’ records, listening to their debates, and asking tough questions. When we stop expecting more out of our candidates without doing our part, we stop getting meaningful leadership.
Choose carefully
Perhaps someday, the signs will give way to clarity, and candidates will trust voters enough to offer something meaningful beyond slogans, signs, and vitriol.
That day doesn’t arrive on its own.
It shows up when voters decide recognition isn’t enough… that their signs don’t equal character… and that a name we’ve seen too many times still ought to stand for something.
Until then, we’ll keep making our way to the polls through a forest of promises, some bold, some hollow, all competing for attention and praying for our vote.
So, if you’re heading out to vote, take your time.
Just remember, once you arrive at the library, don’t just read the signs; make sure you read between them.
A sign is easy to plant, character isn’t.