As America gets closer to primary season for the 2020 presidential elections, it seems like this race is becoming more and more of an entertaining spectacle than a country’s regular civic practice. Between President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” rhetoric and the Democratic candidates’ focus on getting Trump out of the White House, there is more noise than policy being talked about on debate stages, in interviews and at political rallies. 

While the practice of using snappy statements and catchy campaign slogans to attract voters is a common practice in most elections, that’s not the point of an election. At the end of the day, voters should be focusing on nominating, and later electing, someone who has clearly defined policies and solutions to problems in America’s healthcare, environmental, social, economic, criminal justice and other systems. 

With 2020 drawing near, presidential candidates, voters and the media alike should all focus on peeling back the hyperboles, sensational statements and fluff fillers in speeches and debates. Talking points that attract attention will always exist, but this country needs a leader who can get things done and work cohesively with Congress and the Supreme Court. In order to elect such a person, people need to dig deeper and make an educated decision about which candidate can actually deliver and create positive change in America, and which candidate is all flashy talk with no action.