We are victims of our own choices

In the category ‘You can’t make this stuff up’ –

I overheard this conversation yesterday at the Millvillle New Jersey Planet Fitness while travelling away from home. I made special effort to remember it word for word. The short discussion was between two middle-aged white people, one male one female, with an appreciable but typical tattoo-to-tooth ratio who were apparently neighbors discussing their disapproval of the Trump candidacy:

Neighbor 1: He’s an ass.
Neighbor 2: But I’m not voting for the other crazy ones either. What’s his name? (pause) Mario?
Neighbor 1: Rubio?
Neighbor 2: Yea. that’s it. He’s crazy. Or the other crazy one… (longer pause) Cruz.
Neighbor 1: Yea, Tom Cruise. I’m not voting for him. No way.
Suddenly the conversation ends while all three of us continue our workout on the treadmills.

My first reaction was to wonder if we’ve really taken this ‘one man one vote’ thing too far. But then I’m always quick to correct my elitist reaction and recognize that these two people are the heart the American electorate. They have unfettered rights to their opinions with no obligation to concern themselves with details like candidate names or to be aware that there is actually another political party that offers a candidate.

I continued my workout realizing that these two have me outvoted by 2:1 no matter what any of us do. Never has it been more clear to me that we are victims of our own choices.