"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?" -- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

While trying to explain the 2016 presidential election to my 12-year-old, Harry Potter obsessed daughter, it occurred to me that the only really good way to fully explain each of the candidates was with the Mirror of Erised, a magical mirror with impressive powers.

As Dumbledore explains to Harry and Ron:

After the Bernie Sanders campaign put single-payer healthcare in the national spotlight, it's no surprise that many of his supporters are continuing to carry the torch. An initiative proposing a single-payer healthcare plan, popularly known as ColoradoCare, was placed on the November ballot by a petition signed by over 150,000 people. If voted in, ColoradoCare would create a statewide health system supported by an increase in taxes as well as employer and employee contributions.

In the weeks since the California primary, when Hillary Clinton joined Donald Trump in becoming her party’s presumptive nominee for president, FairVote has tracked both candidates’ campaign appearances. FairVote’s similar analysis in 2012 showed just how much the candidates focus on swing states that might tip the election with our current Electoral College rules.

In the aftermath of the Brexit, there’s a rising sense of imminent political change in the United States. The spectacular, disruptive insurgencies of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump illuminated the alienation of millions of Americans from our government and politics.

The British seized their sole opportunity to reset their nation’s relationship with centralized governance from Brussels. Now Americans are seeking ways to reset our centralized governance from Washington, D.C.

Donald Trump’s fan base looks different from what you might imagine. Some characterize Trump supporters as caucasian men, likely living on a farm in rural Wyoming. However, Trump support is quite diverse. 

Despite some of the comments we have heard from Trump and the media's response, women and minorities do not always shy away from the candidate. Trump has support from individuals of every demographic.

In early July, the Pew Research Center found that 65 percent of respondents said the campaign was not focused on important policy debates. A study released by Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is now lending credence to that sentiment.

On Wednesday night during the DNC speeches, it was something totally off the screen that made my night, a tweet from a college professor who was a Bernie Sanders economic adviser:

I had to tweet back to Dr. Kelton, joking that seeing this graph was going to give me nightmares about her Financial Analysis and Economy class she taught when I was an undergrad -- and the huge piles of balance sheets we pored through.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) may be breaking federal tax laws by claiming 501(c)(3) tax status while favoring candidates preferred by the two major political parties. It is possible for a nonprofit to have a political agenda legally, but the privileged 501(c)(3) tax status is reserved for charitable and education nonprofits. It is a special tax status that implies that the CPD should educate in a nonpartisan manner.

There is no question about it: President Obama can give a great speech.

And no, I’m not going to follow that up by saying, “but, he’s a terrible President.” Because he is not.

My President? Yes.

A good President? I personally believe so.

But is he right about our state of democracy? Not even close.