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By Ray Hanania

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There is too much hate in the American presidential election and honestly, it is sickening.

We’re Americans. We’re supposed to be the role models for the rest of the world and the icon of democracy, which is supposed to represent our freedoms.

But that’s not the case anymore. I blame social media like X, formerly Twitter (not Elon Musk), and Facebook for igniting emotions among members of the public.

I blame the partisan news media, which clearly has taken sides, most defending Democrats and some defending Republicans. Regardless, the mainstream national media no longer reports the news. It spins the news and disguises partisan opinions and beliefs as “news” when it is not.

I also blame the entertainment industry, a mixed collection of talent and talentless. There are Hollywood hypocrites who are using their popularity to sway voters not based on issues but on personal invective and assault like Jimmy Kimmel, one of the least talented talk show hosts in the country.

Ray Hanania

There are a few exceptions, like the “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. He more than any of his contemporaries comes closest to the old Johnny Carson, who used to make fun of politicians and candidates in a smart and creative way. Kimmel is crass and Stephen Colbert is worthless.

Everyone has an opinion but rather than thinking it through, they spew it out before they even think about what they are saying, provoking angry responses from others who then respond with even more anger.

Before you know it, a discussion about who will best represent America will give way to a vicious and acrimonious debate that is driven by who you hate more than who you support.

Most supporters of former President Donald Trump are driven by a hate for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, while most supporters of Biden and Harris are driven by a hatred of Trump.

America is like a gaggle of excessively inebriated drunks at a local bar; yelling and screaming and making absolutely no sense. Even those who do have sense are dragged down, feeling obligated to defend those who criticize the candidates they, too, hate.

The real issues are being ignored.

Politicians have been using some issues that should have been resolved decades ago to feed their followers, like immigration, gun control and abortion. Neither side wants to solve those issues. They want to continue to use them to whip up the emotions of their followers so voters focus on the hate rather than on their failed performances as leaders.

Seriously, we have been debating repairing our broken immigration system since the 1970s when I first started in journalism. Congress doesn’t want to solve those issues because they need them to remain unresolved so they can “whip up the troops.”

Instead of calling people names, how about candidates start debating the issues? Drop the name-calling and pejorative attacks.

Stop spinning issues and admit the problems exist. The economy has sucked since the late 1990s. Don’t tell me things are good when the cost of food has doubled (while the sizes of the food have been reduced — “shrinkflation”). The minimum wage has been increased but the wages of mainstream Americans has fallen way behind inflation spikes.

Money is spent on non-Americans like illegal aliens and migrants, people who have violated our laws by entering the country without being vetted. We make “citizens” abide by the law, but not foreigners. And then we help those foreigners, some of whom are not good people, and mixed in with those who are in real need but want to fast track the “American Dream” without really becoming American.

Learn English. Embrace our history. Respect the hard work of great people who built this country.

They get a lot of money that should be going to the homeless, who have been basically abandoned because they have no constituencies. More activists fight for migrants than they fight for homeless veterans.

Seniors are teetering on starvation. Some do eat dog food. The Social Security that they poured thousands into over the years is being abandoned by neglect, not by political exploitation.

Tax the rich and eliminate the loopholes that allow them to profit without being accountable to the systems they exploit. But also include closer scrutiny of the so-called not-for-profits whose executive boards make millions, like the ASPCA, which spends only a portion of donations on saving needy dogs, cats and other pets.

No politician is 100% perfect. They all have flaws. Look at what the candidates will really do and drop the hatred of their rivals.

Read more on this topic at hanania.com.