Moxie

By Becka Wall moxie.becka@gmail.com

You may have heard crazy rumors about selling baby parts on the black market or a crazy billionaire in a trucker hat telling breastfeeding women they’re disgusting. No, it’s not a new reality TV show, it’s the 2016 presidential election. And, believe it or not, you should start paying attention.

Yes, I know – the general election is still more than a year away. But it’s during this preemptive  time, when presidential candidates on both sides think we’re not paying attention, that they show their true colors – which are potentially not so red, white and blue.

During the period leading up to the presidential primaries (which begin in February 2016), every candidate is scrambling to please their “base,” or the people whose political beliefs are most in line with their particular party platform. Generally, these people are going to vote for a candidate in their party no matter what. Presidential candidates and their staff are doing whatever they can to activate, excite and entice their base about their campaign. Including cooking up some “machine gun bacon.”

Long story short? It’s over the next few months when each and every person running to represent the American people say what they actually think. We should pay attention.

For example…

Interested in immigration reform? Hillary Clinton wants a “full and equal path to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants.

Interested in changing our financial system? Bernie Sanders wants to crack down on Wall Street.

Want to know where candidates stand on public health programs? Jeb Bush recently said the government is spending way too much on funding women’s health.

Have strong feelings on climate change? Marco Rubio has a 0 percent rating from League of Conservation voters.

This is when you find out who a candidate really is underneath all that bullshit they tend to throw around. Take a look at their campaign websites, listen to interviews they give and remember what they say now – some of them may be trying to cover it up later.