The year 2012 is upon us and with it brings superstitions of the world’s end.
Those fears and predictions, however, are not filling up media spots and Facebook newsfeeds.
Instead, the upcoming presidential election has become a popular discussion topic regardless of the news source.

And so it begins. The onslaught of political rallies, opponent bashing and dramatic debates between candidates will be top news stories on most cable networks, news websites and social media outlets.

Advertisements endorsing or smearing candidates are mixed in with the usual commercials for grocery items and some popular sitcoms. As children, we are taught that we, average Americans, have the ability to become president.

This concept coincides with the fairytale idea that we can make our dreams come true if we work hard enough.

As adults, however, we learn that this concept is far from the truth.

The presidential race is not based on the ideals of average men competing for the prestigious position of “Head of State.” Instead, it is most often a competition between a group of rich men, recently including women, who have family connections to wealth.

These candidates often have pasts that contain infidelity, drug use, fraud and other various scandals that the average man or woman would be chastised for. Some notable incidents of past presidents include Bill Clinton’s alleged affairs, Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal and George W. Bush’s seemingly uneducated statements.

These incidents surround poor judgment on current presidents, even men who have already been voted into the White House. They are moments that we, as a public, should regret voting for the man who we believed could run our country.

The truly disturbing aspect of the presidential race and those who have won the vote are the scandals that are unearthed during the race. These politicians are competing for our support, yet each and every one of them has a history of questionable behavior.

The saddest fact is that regardless of these past, and many times present behaviors, these candidates are still allowed to pursue their run for the presidency and their pasts are criticized but eventually are accepted.

Mitt Romney was quoted a few weeks ago, saying “I love firing people.” Newt Gingrich is currently dealing with criticism for leaving his sick wife while she battled cancer. Rick Perry faced backlash when his inappropriate rage was brought to light. Herman Cain was practically pushed out of the race after sexual harassment complaints were made from various women.

Rick Santorum’s statements about his beliefs on homosexuality have made him an enemy of many.
These men are not worthy of the prestige and respect that comes with the position of president.
They are examples of the negative qualities people in our society can possess.

Why should these inappropriate behaviors and unacceptable actions be somewhat applauded by winning something so important?

When will we step up and reclaim the values our nation was supposedly built on? The first step would be to refuse to allow candidates such as these to come anywhere close to leading our country.