On the way back to the train station, I ran into Spike who was off walking with Starlight Glimmer, an ex-villain that Twilight Sparkle and her friends had convinced to change. She (very reluctantly) agreed to a brief interview.
“So, Starlight Glimmer, what are your political views?”
“Well, you know my past. I was so fanatically in favor of forced social equality that I brainwashed an entire town of ponies and almost destroyed space-time in an act of blind revenge.”
“I uh…didn’t quite know all of that.”
Starlight Glimmer let out a very disappointed sigh.
“Of course you didn’t.”
“Do you still believe in social equality, but to a lesser extent?”
“No. Well, I don’t know, to be honest. I’ve stopped putting any faith in ideology. After becoming a tyrant, I recognized that nopony is good enough to lead anypony else. We’re all terrible. Why even vote? We should be making the world a better place with kindness and friendship, not policies.”
“So will you be voting next month?”
Starlight shook her head.
“Not a chance. It wouldn’t change a thing, anyway.”
At that moment, a train whistle cut through the air, and I bid a hasty farewell, retreating to the station.
I had been given a lot to think about on the train ride back to Canterlot and the CNN headquarters.