Here’s how I know that a politician is relatable to the average citizen.

“All this bluster I keep hearing, all this loose talk — what are they talking about?” Joe Biden said during the recent vice presidential debate.

Is he reading the minds of half the nation?

Loose talk is a good way to put it. All I see are campaign ads and debates filled to the brim with perfect giant smiles and convictions. I see men trying to zero in on what is most important to the average American, but with their own spin on it.

Unfortunately, I see no room for compromise, regardless of who’s spinning, Democrat or Republican. All parties have their agendas, and there’s no room to wiggle in a new idea.

If we are talking about a nation whose population has ballooned past 300 million, how many of our policies that have been in place since the 1800s are working efficiently and effectively anymore?

There’s a reason why Time magazine is calling its election coverage section “Swampland.” As a situation fraught with difficulties and imponderables, politics shouldn’t be a one-man job.

It shouldn’t be acceptable for leading politicians to constantly throw each other under the bus for making decisions that didn’t solve problems. It should be a collaborative effort getting to the answer. Here’s an idea: Listen instead of debate. Discuss instead of accuse.

During the state senatorial debate with Wendy Davis and Mark Shelton, TCC students had a chance to personally ask the two politicians questions. As soon as the students began to speak, half the audience began chatting with  each other. I wonder the same thing young citizens have wondered for years: Is my voice ever heard? Apparently, my vote counts, but does it even matter why I’m voting? No one is listening.

Young citizens shouldn’t accept these finger-pointing debates as part of their research for voting. It’s disrespectful to think young citizens would accept these arguments as a reason to be president. The debates make for good dinnertime entertainment, but the arguments only outline what they can do better than the other, not what they can offer the country.

I don’t want to vote over who is the lesser evil.