The other evening, while watching the evening news — yes, that is still a thing — a story about the presidential election popped up.

These days, when such news comes on the screen, I quickly grab the remote in the event I have to quickly turn the channel because the content might not be appropriate with children in the room.

But, this particular story, surprisingly dealt with an issue and not about an audio recording or a leaked emails.

As the story played out, Sarah Cameron, our 11-year-old, walked through the room, saw Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on the screen and said, “Ugh, them again.”

She was simply verbalizing what many of us are thinking each time we see either candidate on television, read about them in the newspaper or get an election update online.

“Ugh, them again.”

She and I talked a few minutes about the election, the importance of the process and walked through some of the questions she had — at least the ones that I could answer. The one question that to this day I don’t have a good answer is “Why are these the only two to choose from?” Good question.

But as our conversation ended, I said to her, “In the end, Sarah Cameron, we will have to vote for one of them.”

Her response was classic. “Please don’t vote.”

Right then and there, an 11-year-old wrapped up the problem with this election season. In an election season full of vile, bitterness and news not fit for an 11-year-old, the problem is that these two major party candidates are the choice that we have.

At the end of the day, one of them will be president.

In a country with more than 300 million people, it has come down to these two and that is a problem.

I have long lamented the best and brightest amongst us are not in public service. They do not run for office. Why would they?

The best and brightest are earning far more in the private sector than those serving in public office and doing so with far less scrutiny and criticism.

This election has been one for the record books, both in how unique it has been and how depressing the tone and tenor has been.

Presidential elections once were about country and our collective future. Elections today deal little in civility and civics and appear far too similar to WWE’s Monday “SmackDown.”

Thankfully, this election is nearly over. And regardless of the outcome, it is my hope we can return to some sense of normalcy and civility, where our leaders are focused on what is best for our country.

It has been a challenging election to explain, and an even more difficult one to explain to an 11-year-old.

Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.