Multibillionaire Charles Koch has to have an angle when he says that ‘It’s possible’ that Secretary Hillary Clinton would be a better president than a Republican. Although he only said “It’s possible”, that is likely unnerving for those running the Clinton campaign.  It has the sound of a backdoor endorsement of Secretary Clinton for president: he has to have an angle.  But what is it?

What is his angle? Is this some kind of reverse psychology that he is using to chase Democratic voters away from Secretary Clinton because the Republican elite have decided that a Republican candidate, whoever that might be, would stand a better chance in the general election against Senator Bernie Sanders than they would against Secretary Clinton?  Is that his angle?  Is it that he knows that any Democrat whose name is in anyway associated with the Koch brothers is diminished in the eyes of Democrats who support them and that this would deprive them of what might prove to be crucial votes that could make the difference in who ends up in the Oval Office?

What is going on here? He is a Koch.  Surly he cannot believe that Secretary Clinton would make a better president than a Republican.  And even if he did; surly, he would not say it aloud to anyone other than a bunch of other Republicans behind closed (and locked) doors.  He certainly would not purposely publicize it.  Yep, that’s got to be it: that’s his angle; he’s attempting the ole reverse psychology trick!

Perhaps I am being a bit melodramatic but this year’s presidential election is definitely different from any other that we have had in recent history in the way that it is playing out. Given the circumstances of elected Republicans and their leadership openly talking about a contested convention, the not so secret talk about replacing the remaining two Republican nominees with a Republican who did not even run for president if neither of them receives the requisite number of delegates to secure the nomination, the Republican base revolting against the party and the Republican Party precariously balancing on the edge of a complete meltdown this is an extremely important election.  This situation exacerbates the need for Republicans to siphon as many votes as possible from the Democratic nominee.

Things on the Democrats’ side of the race are better (right now) but they too have problems that they are trying to deal with and keep under control. Senator Sanders has remained in the race far beyond the length of time that anyone thought that he would be capable of and has the financial resources to continue running all the way to the Democratic convention.  That is creating a problem with the overall strategic plan of the Clinton campaign.  By now, they expected to be focusing their energy on defeating the Republican nominee.

President Obama’s legacy is on the line and Democrats are fighting to solidify it while Republicans are fighting to destroy it and in the event that they cannot completely destroy it, dilute it to the greatest extent possible. The centerpiece of the Republicans’ plan to destroy the president’s legacy is to repeal Obamacare.  The winner of the 2016 presidential race will play a major role in determining which one of these things will have the best chance of happening.

As voters, we must realize that there is a lot more at stake than the possible demise of the Republican Party or the legacy of President Obama. The ultimate outcome of both of these things is important but the future of America is the main thing that Americans should focus on.

Which of the candidates will choose the best path forward for our country? Which candidate is most likely to lead America forward based on who we really are as Americans?  It is important that we ask ourselves these and any other relevant questions before we cast our ballots for a candidate.  And when we do vote, we should vote for the candidate that we believe will choose the best path forward for our country whoever that candidate might be.

We should familiarize ourselves with the issues and the records of these candidates and then vote for or against them based on those things and not based on sound bites created specifically for the purpose of pandering for votes. If voters do that, then we do not need to even concern ourselves about whether or not Mr. Koch has an angle.  I think that he does but…

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, the main thing that I want to do via this article is to encourage you to get involved in the 2016 election. And in November, be sure to get out and vote for your candidate.  In the meantime, to help assure that as many voters as possible participate in selecting the person who will lead our country, encourage your friends, acquaintances and others around you to vote.

The franchise is a precious thing that is important to all of us so let’s treat it that way. As you continue to educate yourselves on the issues and remain involved always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line