As Election Day approaches, our nation becomes more divided.

We are divided by red states and blue states, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals. Presidential candidates try to divide demographics and regions trying to gain our support.

At the same time, however, the dog days of summer are turning into fall, and people all over America are uniting to cheer for their favorite sports teams. In the eye of athletics, we are not divided by our political beliefs but our athletic allegiances. The split between red and blue is not between Democrats and Republicans, but Badgers and Wolverines.

The power of sports has the ability to unite us no matter our political alliance, religion or creed. It has the ability to capture a nation based on something we can all enjoy, not something that will divide us.

But, with much of the talk on TV these days shifting toward politics, one has to ask which has the biggest influence on our nation: sports or politics?

Sports in America have the ability to shift the nation at any point. They divide us, unite us and even cause us to sit in sub-zero temperatures covered with no more than a pair of shorts and body paint. They cause people from all over the country to come together at one spot simply to watch their favorite team play.

We even hold social gatherings to watch sporting events. In February, millions of people across the country will sit down together to watch our favorite sporting event: the Super Bowl. Although we do debate about which team is going to win, we realize we share the passion and the enjoyment of the game rather than letting our differences separate us.

Politics, on the other hand, divide us more than it unites us. Politics can turn friends into enemies and tend to make people angry no matter what their views are.

There is no better example of the power sports has to unify our nation than what happened after the Sept. 11 attacks. After our nation was torn apart and in mourning, we came together to celebrate our nation on the playing field. All over the country, people tuned in to watch the Yankees and Mets as the people of New York showed their strength and resiliency by cheering for their home teams. Even those who were not fans showed support for the New York teams in one of our nation’s most trying times.

On our campus, politics play a huge part in our daily lives. Several political groups from both the right and left constantly bombard us, looking for our support. Soon, we will see the political world bare down on Madison because of the strong student involvement in the political process.

Although there is an extreme political riff on campus, we still come together to cheer on our university. No matter who we are going to vote for, we can celebrate Wisconsin’s accolades on the field, court or in the pool. Each fall on six or seven Saturdays a year, over 80,000 people from across the state and the country put their beliefs aside and converge in Camp Randall Stadium to cheer on the Badgers. On those days, we are not red or blue, but cardinal and white.

Although sports can have a more profound influence on our nation, people shouldn’t ignore politics, especially this year. As a nation, we have the ability to participate in a free democratic process, which is available to many countries across the globe. Talking about the process should not be discouraged either. Sharing views with friends and family is the best way to make sure you are an informed voter and make your decision for the right reason.

But as we decide who we are going to vote for on the first Tuesday in November, remember to not let your political views come between you and your friends. Instead, accept each other’s differences and bond over what both of you have in common. We are all Badgers, and we will all stand together.

Ben is a senior majoring in journalism and history. If you want to debate something other than politics, e-mail him at [email protected].