Voting day blues

So we're supposed to vote in local and European elections today. I'll be wandering over to the polling station later to put some crosses in some boxes. I must say I'm finding it very difficult to be confident about any particular party this time, the choice seems to me to be between a cluster of inept extremists and a fuzzy haze of shallow media types, maybe I'll have a revelation while I'm walking over there.

At least I don't live in the USA, over there the choices seem even more polarised. Recently I saw the results of a Pew poll that rated the various desirable (or otherwise) presidential attributes, the results aren't surprising but are strangely alien to an upstanding European, like me.

Serving in the military seems to be the most popular attribute for a President, an optimist would like to think this means strong, honest, dependable etc. but if it were me I'd be nervous about someone who was warmongering, detached from reality and dogmatic. Being a Governor or a business executive were second and third in desirability which seems sensible, at least it demonstrates experience of leadership, then at the bottom of the list are Atheists, apparently the least desirable kind of presidential candidate! It appears that you can betray your spouse, take drugs and have no experience of holding office and still be more suitable to hold office than someone who simply doesn't believe in fairies; I think I'd find it even harder to find a viable candidate in a society that was as insecure as that.