I am not a very political person. I am a registered Republican, but I can see where the other side of the aisle is coming from in some cases.

If you look at a chart that goes from liberal on the left to conservative on the right, there will be a mark in the middle for moderate.

My political ideologies fall somewhere between the center and the far right. Saying that I am a Baptist can sum up my views on key issues like abortion and gay marriage.

I find matters like those to be separate in a way from the political sphere.

To me politics is about who runs this country and what kind of job is being done in the highest positions.

People used to stand for office, meaning that other people talked on their behalf to try to get votes. This was mostly a popularity contest, as all a voter had to go on was how big a name a person running for office had.

If a voter had heard of Grover Cleveland but not James G. Blaine, Cleveland was likely to get a vote.

Radio changed this — yes, even in Cleveland’s time —, but television really changed politics.

People who watched the original presidential debates between JFK and Richard Nixon said that JFK won. Those who didn’t own a TV and only listened on the radio largely thought that Nixon won.

What was the difference?

JFK — the tanned one — looked better on camera. Nixon was pale and thin after dealing with an injury, and he was covered in some weird pancake mix called “Lazy Shave” because he didn’t have time to put a razor to his stubble.

This made him blend in with the black and white background. JFK stood out from Nixon and his surroundings. JFK eventually won, thanks in large part to television.

Since the 1960 election politics have drastically changed, especially national elections.

Today’s politicians are all about image. Whoever looks and sounds the best will get votes.

Our Founding Fathers must be laughing at the shape of politics today, as they are nothing but a popularity contest.

This does not apply to local elections, as the people that run for these positions are actually concerned with the welfare of their communities.

I am only talking about national politics, especially presidential elections.

People running for the nation’s highest office never really seem to care about the lowest constituents of our nation.