The debates are over. There will not be any assistance for Americans out of work. All we need to do is deal with the 10s of millions of dollars of attack ads on TV, most of which are shameful distortions of the candidates from both parties.

Regarding the latter item, the opponent of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has purportedly spent over 100 million dollars during his campaign. What has the political world come to? Wasting money and mudslinging is what it’s all about. Just think about the productive things this amount of money could have been used for. Unfortunately, current law allows unlimited donations, in certain circumstances. Giving money to political candidates has been deemed to be a form of free speech, and constitutional.

Millions of people already have voted, and it appears that more than half of all voters will cast their ballots before Election Day. If this results in greater participation by eligible voters, I’m supportive. It remains to be seen whether Trump’s worst nightmare, illegitimate ballots, will be an issue. And, the ability of the US Postal System to handle the increase in activity resulting from mailed in ballots also remains to be determined. I voted early and am relieved I will not have to stand on a line for hours to cast my ballot.

There are several contentious issues that may have an impact on the election results even though many people have already voted. For sure, the inevitable confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett is one of them. The judge’s qualifications have been minimized by accusations of political foul play. Democrats don’t believe that a sitting Republican president and a Republican Senate should be able to confirm a new SCOTUS justice because the president’s term is nearly ended. The Constitution clearly states that the current president, not a future president, has the duty to nominate a new justice, and the Senate must advise and consent in its own time. Both parties are doing their jobs as required by law.

Democrats are saying that ACA is under attack, and Trump wants to take away the right of Americans to obtain insurance if they have existing medical conditions. The Supreme Court, with Amy Barrett on the Court, will decide whether ACA is a viable law without the mandate that has been deemed unconstitutional. Trump is not adjudicating the case. The president has said numerous times that pre-existing medical conditions will not prevent Americans from getting insurance, and that this will be part of any new medical insurance reform.

One other issue that could, and should, impact voters is whether Joe Biden is lying about his relationship with his son regarding corruption accusations. Actually, it has been proven, it’s on tape, that Biden lied during the debate. The question is whether his family has inappropriately accepted money from foreign sources. It looks bleak for the candidate.

I can safely say the past year has not been a golden moment for American politics. Trump has gotten things done, but his style is the worst of any president in history. Democrats had a great opportunity to walk away with the presidency if they had just nominated a dynamic person. This is the second time in four years they did not. Time will tell whether they will lose for a second time because of another horrible political blunder.