If Mitt Romney’s heavily gaffed three-country trip abroad isn’t enough of a sign, the uproar of Chick-fil-A should be. This is an election year. Elections mean division in America. It’s just part of the game.

Presidential election season is like a “Real Housewives” dinner party but with a lot less wine and a lot more talk about the pros and cons of big government.

There’s something else that happens to go with an election year. Elections come hand-in-hand with the Summer Olympics. Every four years, we have politicians jumping through metaphorical hoops while American athletes try to win at very real games of hoops against the rest of the world.

At the same time our country is being pulled apart, we’re all coming together. Everyone can agree that the great USA deserves every last medal the Olympics have to offer and then a few more. Manifest destiny doesn’t only apply to the west coast of North America.

We can turn off our Fox News and MSNBC and flip to NBC to root for exciting newcomers and veterans we haven’t thought of in years. If they’ve got “USA” sewn on their uniforms, they’re ours, and they’re heroes. Whether competing in swimming or table tennis, they’ve got red, white and blue in their veins.

For once, everyone is tweeting, talking and Facebook posting about the same thing. People are even watching the same thing every night, and that hasn’t happened since there became more than three television channels. Wednesday night’s broadcast had 30.6 million viewers, and heartthrob swimmer Ryan Lochte is a constant trending topic on Twitter.

Whether we’re ready to admit it or not, Americans are class-A hero worshipers. Give us as many teen heartthrobs as possible to stick on our walls and team jerseys to proudly wear to make us happy.

Celebrity entertainers are continuously ruining their reputations and letting fans down, so athletes are the obvious go-to. They’re often just as attractive with just as amazing physiques. Plus, they rarely get into as much trouble.

That’s what makes people like Lochte and gymnast Gabby Douglas household names this Olympic season. Lochte is as good looking as any Hollywood hunk. Douglas has the look of an up-and-coming film ingénue. They’re both also talented, hardworking and winning American glory and gold in London.

Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you’re bound to love them. These winners remind us that although we may have a less than stellar unemployment rate and a generally shaky economy, we’re America. We’re all about truth, justice and the awesome way on this side of the pond.

No one can say seeing our name on the top of the medal winnings list doesn’t fill him with pride. Who doesn’t love knowing that USA-made Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever — barring anyone from ancient Greece?

This is a hard year for America. You’re bound to think at least one of your friends is an idiot for his or her choice candidate. You’re going to get fed up with the political journalism and presidential debates.

But when it comes down to it, we’re all rooting for the same team to bring home the gold.

Ariana Romero is a junior magazine journalism and political science major. Her column appears every week. She can be reached at akromero@syr.edu or followed on Twitter at @ArianaRomero17.

Published on August 3, 2012 at 2:41 pm