Dear Presidential Candidates:

Hello, it’s me …

… and a lot of other people who would like you to explain a few things. You see we’re trying to get to know you because we love our country.

We were wondering …

… if after all these debates you’d like to go over everything.

Hello, can you hear me? I’m in California dreaming about who you might actually be.

We need to figure out who to support. This has been a struggle for many of us. You see, you simply seem out of touch. Help us help you.

With all due respect, sometimes we question if you are even human. We see robots on the debate stage and you simply can’t compete. (Star Wars already won that race.)

Let’s get back to the basics. People want to connect. Yes, we need to make sure you can lead our country — but you will resonate more with a dash of relatability and more human qualities.

hu·man·ize

ˈ(h)yo͞oməˌnīz/

1. make (something) more humane or civilized

2. give (something) a human character

3. to inspire human kindness with humaneness or human kindness; civilize: to make (someone or something) seem gentler, kinder, or more appealing to people

synonyms: civilize, improve, better, educate, enlighten

The concept of ‘humanizing your brand’ is still critical. Yet, just as one can’t fake experience, they can’t fake this either.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. The 2008 election, and even 2012, demonstrated the importance of connecting with us as voters. The Presidential seat was won arguably as a result of the human connection that the winning candidate made with voters — when, where and how they wanted to connect.

And those hard-sell social media messages spamming us via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram? Or the fake posts where you’re kissing babies one moment and shouting the next? That’s not how this works. This is a two-way dialogue. Not a monologue.

When you post messages in all caps, it is the equivalent of yelling at us. It makes us want earmuffs. Simmer down, please. We prefer calm, cool and collected commander in chief candidates.

There’s such a difference between us and a million miles.

The way you speak about technology during interviews and on the debate stage makes our ears hurt. It’s also scary. I’ll refrain from calling one person out because you’ve all had your moments.

You can’t fake this stuff. We’re all human too and we see right through.

Hello from the outside. (of your bubble)

It’s no secret, to both of us — we are running out of time.

At lease we can say that we’ve tried.

Sincerely,

Caring Voters