As if all the political commercials weren’t bad enough, it is time for the presidential debates to begin. The first one is Thursday night. I hope you all plan to watch.

It could be boring or it could turn into a knock down drag out fight. Something amazing might happen and we might learn something we didn’t know about the candidates or their position on the issues that affect us. It might help you make a decision on who is better suited to be president for the next four years. My initial inclination is to say neither of them, but maybe the debate will change my mind.

I do encourage you to watch the debates. You might think it isn’t important, but it is an opportunity to sidestep all the talking heads that tell you what they think the candidates said or what they think you should believe or who won the debate. I hope most of us are intelligent enough to do that for ourselves. We can judge for ourselves based on what we see and hear.

I would also encourage you to look past the rose colored glasses you might be wearing if you are already set on one candidate or the other. Don’t just use what they say or don’t say to confirm what you already think you know. Actually listen to what they say. Watch whether they answer or sidestep the questions. Watch their behavior in general and toward each other. Presidents are supposed to act presidential, not quite sure what that means, but I don’t think it means engaging in name calling or screaming and yelling.

If you don’t see the debate and look to news sources to tell you what happened, please remember the biases of the reporters, TV networks, and even some of the national newspapers. If you get your information from posts on social media, check the source. Don’t take it at face value. Don’t just believe campaign ads, particularly those put out by someone other than the candidate. They are also pushing their own agenda.

Electing a president is one of the most important things citizens do in a democracy, or should I say republic. Don’t throw away a chance to glean more information about the two men running. True, there are others, but I don’t know as I will see a third party candidate elected president in my lifetime, unless the two party system is eliminated and we go to some type of ranked voting system.

So, again, I encourage to watch the debates and judge for yourselves. Voting is not a right. It is a privilege, one that every American citizen who is able should exercise.