One way or another, it's almost over. It seems wrong to feel that way about the culmination of our nation's democratic process, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ready for the end of this election cycle.
Clear back in July, Americans were already suffering from election coverage fatigue, evidenced by a Pew Research study. At that time, 59 percent of Americans said they felt exhausted by the amount of election coverage.
But fatigue might be the least of our election-related problems, at least according to Dr. Robert Glatter. In a recent Forbes column, he asks, “Is the election making you sick?” After all, he writes, prolonged stress, such as that caused by vitriolic political opinions and an unrelenting news cycle fueled by constant news alerts and tweets, can cause elevated blood pressure, a key factor in everything from strokes and heart attacks to hypertension.
The solution? “If you are feeling overwhelmed by the 24/7 media blitz, it's recommended that you unplug to limit media exposure and help you decompress,” he says. Now that's advice I can get on board with, even when it's not election season.
But it's one thing to tune out for a while and take a deep breath; it's another to disconnect completely. And it seems that a growing number of Americans could be doing just that. A September survey from Gallup found an increasing percentage of U.S. adults are unsure if they'll even vote for president this year. Just 69 percent of Americans rate their chances of voting as a “10” on a 1-to-10 scale, down from 76 percent in 2012 and 80 percent in 2008. And the lag is relatively bipartisan, which doesn't say a lot for either candidate's popularity, does it?
Speaking of the candidates, this month's cover story (page 10) takes a closer look at what our next president, whoever that might be, will mean for the future of health care. And for more industry insights, check out page 40, where benefits professionals take a crack at predicting how the election's outcome could affect our industry.
In a recent Twitter poll, we asked readers which candidate they trust more when it comes to health care reform. The majority (53 percent) touted Trump, while 28 percent backed Clinton and 16 percent said they didn't trust either.
Based on that, many of you might not be too happy as I write this, since momentum seems to be tilting back in Clinton's favor, but if there's one thing this election cycle has taught us, it's to never assume anything. Either way, there's a silver lining. Say it with me: It's almost over.
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Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.
