Father’s Day is right around the corner, and while spending isn’t quite to the Mother’s Day level, people are starting to invest more and more in honoring dear ol’ Dad.

What if I told you that promoting political parties, candidates, and issues are really no different than how a brand markets and promotes themselves? I know that something like this can sound insensitive when discussing something as meaningful as determining who deserves your vote, but hear me out. What is a vote anyway? Merriam Webster defines a vote as “a usually formal expression of opinion or will in response to a proposed decision”. While not necessarily as consequential as selecting someone to be President, isn’t shopping for and buying a new car also a decision that requires thought, research, diligence and consideration?

If someone had asked you 20 years ago what your most valued appliance was, I highly doubt you would have said “mobile phone”. In fact, had you been told that you would be completely dependent on something that at most is 18 square inches and weighs less than a half a pound, you would have laughed.