With the close of the Republican National Convention and the upcoming Democratic National Convention, we in America have now locked in our two major party candidates: Donald J. Trump for the Republicans, and Hillary R. Clinton for the Democrats. But with Ted Cruz not endorsing the Republican nominee, and many Democrats uneasy with how the email servers were handled by Clinton, a lot are left wondering: how have we come to this kind of political game, in which a real estate mogul and a person who should be a criminal become the leading parties’ nominees? Is this the best that we have to offer, or did we really give into fear on both sides of the aisle?

First, you have to start in how they have become the nominees. On the Republican side, there is more speculation on how we have created Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. For starters, you could link the rise of the Tea Party and the term “silent majority” being thrown around again in order to explain the rise of prominence. However, you could also look at the statements he has made regarding the different ethnic and religious groups and maybe infer his campaign is built on fear. Then again, he is charismatic, and you could liken the rise to him just being an orator, even if sometimes his speeches sound a little off.

On the other side of the aisle, you have Clinton, who after her loss to Obama in 2008, bided her time and waited for her chance to clinch the nomination. Even after defending attacks from both sides (Trump and Sanders), she managed to come out on top as the Democratic nominee. However, her rise hasn’t been easy. Between the email scandal and the Clinton Foundation, Clinton has had to defend herself more than what the average nominee has in the past. Then, there is also the simple fact that many people want her to be president due to the fact that she is a woman, which, of course, isn’t a bad thing. I just believe that basing their choice on that alone is a pretty shoddy way to pick a nominee.

The question is: is this what we really wanted? Or are the American people just too indecisive to tell the government what we really want? Do we want a president who will be different from Obama or one that will continue his policy ideas? Do we want a progressive president that will make drastic changes, a president that will remain neutral and cater to both sides interest, or a conservative president willing to tear down the past eight years of liberalism? Do we want to keep out of conflict, or do we want to be the leader of the fight?

Whether we pick Trump or Clinton, I don’t think we know what we will get. Yes, both candidates have put out points they feel strongly about, but both are technically wildcards and have done crazier things in the past which makes them all the scarier. Personally, I was a Bernie supporter until the bitter end, but I don’t feel like I could fall rank and file into the Clinton or the Trump campaign. Personally, I do not like any real third party candidate due to some outlandish views that the Green and Libertarians make. Who would I write in? It's funny, because this is the first election I am allowed to vote in, and there are no good choices.