There has only been one President under the federalism of the United States who did not belong to a political party. That man was George Washington and in his Farewell Address he gave dire warnings to the evils of political parties. Few listened to him then and few are listening now. Indeed, John Adams, second President of the United States and a member of the Federalist Party not only did not heed Washington's Address, as President he pushed forth the odious Alien and Sedition Acts and two weeks before signing that legislation arrested Benjamin Franklin Bache (Ben Franklin's grandson) for making unflattering remarks about Adams calling him a bald toothless fool. Arrested for being mean. Imagine that! John Adams, a man who fought fiercely for liberty and wrote many essays in praise and defense of liberty showed no regard at all for the freedom of the press when it came to insults thrown his way and it looked as if his Federalist Party was vulnerable.

Vulnerable it was and the third President of the U.S. was Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party but at least Jefferson authored the Kentucky Resolutions in reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts declaring unconstitutional legislation null and void. This was a few years before John Marshall would be appointed to the Supreme Court and ultimately find the power of judicial review for that Court. Ironically, Jefferson was incensed at what he thought was a power grab by the Supreme Court.

Every President since belonged or belongs to a political party. There is no Constitutional mandate for political parties. They may not necessarily be unconstitutional but the two-party system that has insinuated itself into the American political landscape, has used tactics that have deprived voters of choice. Recently the Kentucky Supreme Court has struck down a redistricting plan as unconstitutional and it is about time. However, when it comes to Presidential elections particularly, voting is increasingly becoming a useless distraction. A dog and pony show and akin to the bread and circuses Roman emperors would use to keep the population content and stay any possibility of uprising.

Too many people today believe their only option is to vote for the lesser of two evils ignoring the fact that choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. Worse, people are voting without regard for the rights of humanity.