Lawrence Journal-World opinion section

To the editor:

Much noise is being made about who is the best candidate to lead our country. Leading Democrats say that Hillary is the one, and a vote for anyone else is going to lead to a disastrous Trump election, so quit following Bernie and get behind Hillary. GOP high-muckety mucks say Trump will destroy the party and is really trying to get Hillary elected. They both discount supporters, thinking that the rank and file will eventually fall in line and vote for their candidate because the alternative is too terrible to imagine. They don’t accept that their leadership is for the elitists and not for the average person.

How about some reality. Candidates like Sanders and Trump have gained more than a little traction because the people (which both parties have said don’t nominate candidates; they do) are more than a little miffed at the party establishments. Those who support either one have the opportunity to do so through the write-in vote, if their candidate is shut out by the conventions.  

In reality, no candidate for president this election has the mandate or the control of the Congress to pass their legislative ideas. They will have to resort to compromise or, as is currently done, use executive decision.  And we get four more years of dysfunction, a great need for one or two more parties.

I have no compunction about using the write-in vote and, at this point, will likely do so. “A little revolution now and then is not a bad thing.”