I voted. Anyone else feel the tension?

I just voted. You could feel the tension in the air. The people standing outside passing out information, the poll workers, everyone involved seemed to be observing, judging and worried if you're vote won't go to their side.

I've only voted in a few elections, but it seems they've gotten incrementally, and significantly, more tense. U.S elections in the past have been known for the generally respectful, dutiful and boring manner in which they are carried out. Setting the stage for a calm transfer of power.

In many countries power is concentrated very unevenly. Consequently, politics and voting in many countries is messy struggle for power and who gets what, which is becoming more what politics feels like in the U.S.

I'm glad I voted. To mentally put an end to this election. But, before it's officially over, here are a few final thoughts:

• The winner will face an uphill, obnoxiously loud and frustrating slow-churn struggle of a term. After all, these are the two least liked candidates in generations at a time that we are more divided and polarized than anytime in recent memory.
• Trump was better equipped to appeal to modern media landscape (think social media, reality TV etc.)
• It's the candidate that counts the most, not the party or cause. Think of the enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders contrasted with the lack of excitement for Hillary Clinton potentially being the first female President became an afterthought
• There is a glaring deficiency of the media in finding and vetting good sources, which should be a core competency.
• Most 'experts' rely too heavily on trying to look smart by just confidently repeating insider information or things they were told by someone else supposedly smarter.

The election exposed this fundamental flaw in the political power and media apparatus (ex: CNN, Huffington Post, MSNBC, FoxNews, major newspapers and leadership in both parties. Bloomberg Politics and CBS political team led by John Dickerson are exceptions.) The inability for most media to understand what's happening in real time, (think the rise of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump), is an embarrasing deficiency for a country as complex and dynamic as the U.S.

I host The Marcast podcast, where I try to figure out the world one podcast episode at a time