Yonuh, I very much agree with what you are saying. And I would also look at a candidate to see what he or she truly values in life, which you can glean from their voting record and the things that do with their own lives rather than what they say.

Yes, we need to love ourselves before we can love others. There are actually several things I've heard recently that indicate the majority of people are really fed up with the divisiveness, name-calling and personal attacks. Reasoned discussion is what this country was based on. The founding fathers didn't agree on everything. The issue of slavery almost derailed everything.

In order to do this we need to begin to do a few things. The first is to trust that the other person is coming from a place of integrity with what they believe. Their beliefs are valid for them and it doesn't make them a bad person. The second is to live with messiness, disagreement and give up the need to convert anyone to anything.

It's tough and it takes a great deal of patience, maturity and soul-searching. It takes a willingness to admit we may be wrong. It will end when we are ready for it to end.