Let’s just get the requisite notice out of the way, shall we?

The opinions expressed in this column are my own and not those of anyone else at the Herald or any other group with which I am affiliated.

With that said, I’ll continue.

“Vote blue, no matter who.”

That’s what people who, like myself, are beyond disgusted with the current president, say on a regular basis.

No matter who.

Well, of course I’ll be voting blue, no matter who. I’d vote for a cardboard cutout, or my cat — or a cardboard cutout of my cat at this point. None of those options could possibly be any worse than the man who disgraces the Oval Office on a daily basis — sometimes multiple times a day.

Voting blue is a no-brainer.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret.

I’m not excited about the prospect of voting blue, no matter who. I feel compelled to do so because I truly believe that the Trump administration has been a complete disaster — a fiasco of epic proportions — and allowing that man to remain in office is a notion I find truly terrifying. He’s an uncontrollable demagogue now; I can’t imagine what he would be like in a second term. Maybe I just don’t want to imagine it.

However, in assessing the Democratic presidential candidates over recent months I have to admit there are some that, were I to mark the ballot next to his or her name come November, would be a necessary vote against Trump rather than a vote for that particular candidate.

I don’t want it to come to that. I want to vote for someone I actually believe in.

I find myself completely uninspired by some of the presidential candidates.

I don’t want to be represented by millionaire or billionaire septuagenarians who do not appear to have any inkling of what my life is like or what the lives of, really, people in general are like.

I don’t find myself inspired by promises of free healthcare or free college. Conservatives have a point when they claim, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

There’s an argument to be made for socialized medicine and education. There’s an argument to be made for increasing taxation to pay for such programs. There’s a legitimate argument that even if taxes were increased, people would still be paying less than they currently are for insurance premiums, deductibles, co-pays, college tuition, etc. But have the guts to make that argument and quit just claiming it will all be “free” when it really won’t.

And quit perpetuating the notion that plans that cost tens upon tens of trillions of dollars have any chance at all of making it through Congress. I recognize our presidential nomination system unfortunately lends itself to making grandiose claims that have zero chance of becoming reality, but I yearn for some honesty.

I don’t want to be represented by candidates who challenge those who question them to IQ tests or push-up contests or by those who are so angry they seemingly find it necessary to regularly scream about revolution.

I get it. I find myself frequently angry, too. But I’m convinced that anger is a large part of why we, as a country, have found ourselves here in this horrible position of suspicion and vilification of our fellow Americans.

I am obviously no supporter of the current president; however, I find it not only unproductive but morally objectionable to express hatred toward folks who voted for Trump. That hatred and anger, if allowed to take root, feeds upon itself, growing into an ugly cancer that results in nothing positive. For anyone.

I happen to firmly believe in something I heard one of the Democratic candidates say at a Salt Lake City town hall this week.

“You can’t really love a country if you hate half the people in it.”

That candidate is former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Mayor Pete, as he is frequently called, is the only Democratic presidential candidate I find myself inspired by. Judging by the 4,500 people who stood in line in the cold for hours and then packed themselves into an event center to hear him speak the night I was there, I’m not the only one.

For those who don’t know, Mayor Pete (side note, his last name is pronounced “boot-edge-edge”) is an intelligent and articulate graduate of Harvard and Oxford, a Rhodes Scholar and an Afghanistan war veteran. At the ripe old age of 38, he would be the youngest president in U.S. history if elected. He speaks eight languages and was re-elected to a second term as mayor of South Bend with more than 80% of the vote.

Admittedly, I had no idea who Mayor Pete was about a year ago but began to do some research when I wondered who exactly that guy with the funny last name was. My interest continued to grow as I watched and listened as he answered questions and explained his policy proposals until, somewhere along the line, that interest became support.

That support was solidified by what I saw and heard in Salt Lake City.

I saw a man who was quick on his feet, witty, composed, energetic, thoughtful and able to answer every question thrown at him with what I felt were genuine, honest and caring responses. I heard a man express his deep love of country and patriotism. I heard a man speak of our military with the degree of respect and concern deserved by those who put their lives on the line.

I heard a man adhering to the principles that guide his campaign, the “Rules of the Road” of respect, belonging, truth, teamwork, boldness, responsibility, substance, discipline, excellence and joy. These are the same principles all those who work for him and support his campaign have pledged to abide by.

More than once, I felt myself being swept up in the contagious enthusiasm in the room. Here was a man who chose to run for office not only in hopes of defeating the current president, but in hopes of building the post-Trump America, and world, together. Here was a man who has acknowledged, multiple times, the conditions and realities that led many people to vote for Trump in the first place.

Mayor Pete may be inexperienced in terms of Washington, D.C., but instead of the partisan D.C. quagmire, he has experience actually working with people, regardless of party, to get things done, and he has the wisdom and humility to surround himself with, and listen to, the expertise and intelligence of others.

I saw a man whose mannerisms were the embodiment of what I think of when I hear the word “presidential” and a man who has dared to suggest there are options besides the status quo and complete upheaval. I personally have had enough upheaval.

I heard from a man who inspired me to get involved, to reach for something better and to write this column.

I’ve heard it said that anger is usually accompanied by (and is often the result of) fear. I believe that to be true. We understandably get angry when we feel ourselves being threatened or we fear for the well-being of those we love. Fear is a powerful emotion.

I’ve also heard it said that hope is the only thing more powerful than fear.

The way I see it, this election is going to come down to those emotions of anger, fear and hope. I can mark my ballot out of anger or out of fear of the future or hope there are better days yet to come.

I’m choosing to embrace hope and support the candidacy of Mayor Pete.