Countdown to November 8, 2016

56 weeks from today, we would have elected the next President of the United States. I would say the 45th President of the United States but some would say the next President would be the 44th; it all depends how you count Grover Cleveland's nonconsecutive terms as President.

But it's certainly going to be a long 56 weeks. Today was the first Democratic debate and it couldn't have been more different than their counterpart, Republicans' debates. It's going to be an intense battle for both presidential nominations leading into Super Tuesday in 20 weeks and beyond. As displayed in the debates, each party is going to have their individual manner in which the primaries will be run. The Democrats seem to have talked more substance in settled manner while the Republicans make much better TV being much more aggressive. The media will definitely have much more to show with the GOP (whether good or bad).

Do we have our top frontrunners already? I think so, but a scandal can change the entire scene.

Election Day is still a long ways away. In waiting, I'll continue watching the West Wing and remain optimistic that we will have an idealistic President as Josiah Bartlet or even presidential candidates like Matt Santos/Arnold Vinick (trying to limit the number of spoilers) in the near future.

Be prepared for a more divided nation and plenty of hate speak on social networks in the next 56 weeks.