Do you ever get the feeling that, in the minds of some Democrats, that all Republicans are racist and evil?  How about that feeling in the minds of some Republicans that all Democrats are uninformed and hypocritical?

            There are some folks who are "ever Trumpers" and some that are "never Trumpers".  And, of course, there are some people who are "no Joe" and some who are "go Joe".

            The key word in the above statement is "some" and people on the far left or far right keep poking that stick at the majority who is content being in the middle and not on any fringe, refusing to bend to the extremists on both sides.  You know, folks who like to think for themselves and make their own decisions.

            Not all Democrats can be defined as the same.  Equally true, not all Republicans can be defined as the same.

            So, stop doing it.

            Too many elected officials take pleasure in throwing logs on the partisan fire but understand this: if we start voting for the best candidate and stop electing those who yield to the party over their constituents, we can take the ax out of their hands and curb their narrow-minded efforts. 

            Thinking for yourself is something few in the political hierarchy want you to do.  So do it.

            The battles for next year's congressional election will start in earnest soon.  Seek the positive candidate – shun the negative.  If the candidate doesn't have balance, they're probably not a good candidate. 

            If all they have is "look what they did" instead of "look what I did", they're probably not a good candidate.

            If their campaign includes conflict and exclusion instead of reconciliation and inclusion, they're probably not a good candidate.

            If their message of integration consists of the practice of segregation, they're probably not a good candidate.

            There is so much more to learn about each candidate.

            Start now.  Begin the task of learning about the candidates for 2022.  Understand who they are and what they've done.  Don't take the word of political party strategists.

            Most important, understand what you think they can do – not what they tell you they will do.

            It's not too early to prepare for next year's election.