Who should I vote for?

I’m struggling. Honestly, I am. I spent a dozen years as a reporter in Washington, DC (started a dozen publications during the Reagan years, among them Inside the White House, Inside the Pentagon and Inside EPA) and I saw my fair share of how Washington works. It wasn’t pretty then, it’s less pretty now. I recall something that long-time journalist Bob Schieffer said before he retired last year as host of Face the Nation. He said, and I’m paraphrasing: “. . . when I started reporting on Washington nearly half a century ago, Republicans and Democrats would legislate by day, then go out for drinks afterwards. Today, you can’t imagine that happening.”

I’d have to agree. To make matters worse, we’re now witnessing the most contentious presidential election in recent memory. I admit, I’m not a big fan of Mrs. Clinton. And while I recognize that under her husband’s reign we enjoyed the only federal surplus in the last 50 years, I don’t believe a president has all that much control over how the economy flows (having said that, I’ve always felt that presidents take far too much credit, and are assigned far too much blame, for how the economy performs). So while I realize that Mrs. Clinton certainly is smart enough, and experienced enough, to run this country, I also sense that it’s time for someone new, a fresh face, a different look.

Mr. Trump, of course, is a fresh face, but the personal side seems impossible to overlook. Surprising, in some ways, are the party defections, not just among members of Congress but from major donors. So while some of his policies and philosophy may be of appeal, I can’t see pulling the virtual lever for the Republican nominee. That leaves Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, neither of whom I know, neither of whom I could even identify in a lineup. I suppose I could study their platforms, but I generally avoid voting for third party candidates with little chance of winning (that said, I did feel differently about Anderson in ’80 and Perot in ’92 and ‘96).

Like most of us, I’d love to see a balanced budget (as a reporter, I covered the exhaustive hearings in the mid-80s to amend the Constitution requiring a balanced budget). I also believe we should support fellow Americans and maintain a strong defense. It’s challenging, of course, to balance all three. And then there’s Social Security and Medicare. Why haven’t we started phasing them out already? And how about tax reform? Who isn’t in favor? I had the unique opportunity, back in 1983, to be the lone reporter in a 7-person meeting at the Treasury Dept. On hand was the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, the White House Chief of Staff, two college professors and the top tax lawyer from Exxon, discussing a simple flat tax. The concept was straightforward: eliminate all tax write-offs and the marginal rate would fall to (get ready for this) 11%. That’s right, eleven percent. And if we decide to support those less fortunate? The rate only moves to 15% (said one person at the meeting, and I’m paraphrasing: “It would be a one-page law with a thousand pages of transition”). It made sense back then, and it makes sense now. Naturally, it would demand a long-term phase-in (lest we uproot the real estate market, among others). But over time, markets adjust.

So now we return to November 8, and the haunting question: who should I vote for? The options:

1. Sit it out? Not gonna happen. I’ve voted in every Presidential election since 1972 and I’m not going to sit out now. But many do. I’m often stunned by the fact that nearly half of this country’s eligible voters choose to stay home (see sidebar), yet complain about those in power.

2. Vote for Trump? Per above, can’t do it. Too much uncertainty, and the relationship with Republican members of Congress is already fractured.

3. Vote for Clinton, Johnson, Stein? It’s gonna have to be one of the three. Wish me luck.

Are you voting on November 8th?

Check out these startling numbers: in the last 44 years, more than 40% of Americans have stayed home on Election Day (presidential years). Over those 44 years, the highest voter turnout was in 2008 when 57.1% of eligible voters made it to the polls.

By contrast, over the last 100 years, the highest turnout was 62.8% (Kennedy vs. Nixon in 1960), followed closely by 61.6% in both 1916 (Wilson vs. Hughes) and 1952 (Eisenhower vs. Stevenson). And the highest turnout on record? It’s Hayes vs. Tilden in 1876 (I was younger then) when 81.8% of those eligible entered the booth.