I’m a little older than our two presidential candidates. Unlike many people I know, I really do watch the news as it relates to each of them and their spokespeople. I read the local newspapers, online stories by the national press and, last but not least, countless Facebook posts.

I think Facebook has to be why the host of fact-checking organizations and sites have come about. It is a fact that many posts, articles and claims are not factual — but amount to either misleading part-truths or false and outright lies.

To be sure, there is more truth in Media Land than there are lies … but the latter often seem to be emphasized.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy, all types of media went wild. Every time he opened his mouth in the past year and a half, he received coverage. For months, one could have assumed he was running unopposed because of the singular coverage he received. Back then, Trumpers didn’t complain. But many Clintonites did, and they were laughed at.

Ever so slowly, the media (I include all media and information sources in this term) started to actually listen to what Trump was saying. They started to fact-check him while his followers were yapping to “Jail Hillary.” It certainly bothered his followers, not, that with all the alleged claims against Clinton, none has been confirmed. “Allegations,” to be sure; “factual,” nottttt.

As I write this, Trump’s national core seems to be sticking with him. It doesn’t bother them that his claims are usually unfounded or false.

Trump says, “Let’s make American great again.” But here’s what he actually does:

• He makes his ties in a foreign country.
• He makes his suits in a foreign country.
• He makes his shirts in a foreign country.
• He makes his hats in a foreign country.
• He makes his socks and underwear in a foreign country.

Yup, that makes America great, all right. His manufacturing is done in many foreign countries. When asked how his actions could hurt our workers and manufacturing companies, he responded that “foreign workers need jobs also.”

While speaking in coal and manufacturing states where jobs have been lost, he says he’ll bring the jobs back … while he’s buying iron for his U.S. buildings from China. In violation of trade agreements, China is using this country as a dumping ground … and their best-known buyer is Trump. Talk about facts and actions, promises and delivery — nonexistent! Talk about misleading and lying comments and promises!

His supporters stick with him, even though he claims Russia’s Vladimir Putin is a better leader than Barack Obama … urges the Russians to hack American government computers in violation of U.S. law … demeans the U.S. military, which (regardless of his comments) is in fact the most powerful military on earth.

His recent comments, in his own words, on the video comments that have been played over and over for the past few weeks show the kind of man he is. I’m not repeating his crass and demeaning words, though. If you haven’t already heard or seen them, you must not have electricity or TV, or you’re just plain lucky.

He is recorded saying he will touch any woman anywhere because he’s a star, and he just can. Then, when pressed by Anderson Cooper of CNN during the second debate, he denied he’d ever done the things he bragged about on tape.

Women across the country heard his denial and decided “enough is enough.” Despite the risk of being exposed to his hate and bigotry, they are coming forward — and he is demonizing them. He said he did it — they say he did what he said — and then he “unsaid it.” And his followers still march to his beat.

Yes, “make America great again” by repealing the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women the right to vote. Put them back to their subservient, right-free past. That’ll do it.

Men and women fought and died to make this country the great nation it is. Do we have room for improvement? You bet we do. Should women have an equal place in this male-dominated world? You bet they do. Are women, as a general rule, shown the respect they have earned and deserve? Not in Trumpland, they aren’t.

If Trump physically touched or groped any women I know, he’d be missing body parts. If he was alive at all.

Oh, and this election has been rigged. Donny told me so. He can’t define “rigged,” other than picking on the media — which initially focused only on him, propelling him to the front of the pack. The same media have finally learned that if his lips move, he’s lying, exaggerating or patting himself on the back. Now, he screams that they’re biased against him.

What I think people want — from both candidates — is their actual programs and proposals to improve this country, which is already great: How they can help the least among us. How they can provide affordable health care. How they can protect Social Security and the rights of the elderly. How they can improve our homeland defenses and our military. How they can protect the environment. How they can consider the best appointees to the Supreme Court.

If he wins, Trump says he will jail his opponent. He’ll be lucky if he’s not in jail himself by then because of his own misdeeds. But to claim he’d jail her shows his true colors.

By his actions, statements and deeds, Donald J. Trump wants to emulate Russia’s Putin and his manner of governing. That any true American can support this man and what he stands for continues to shock me.

Not that his supporters much care, but those millions of dollars he supposedly gave to the veterans don’t exist. He didn’t make the contribution he promised. That has been confirmed.

He says he’s really rich. Oh, yeah? He likes to brag. If he’s not lying, he’d release his tax returns to affirm his braggadocious claims. They’d also show how he stiffed the contractors and investors and the laboring folks who did the work. But not paying taxes and stiffing workers — that “means he’s smart”?

Why not talk about Hillary? I’ve pointed out that the charges raised against her are all claims and not fact. But even if all the claims that have been thrown at her were actually true, she would still stand head and shoulders above him. She has no peer in experience. She, being a woman, has a higher mountain to climb, as Barack Obama has had because he’s black. But climb it she will, and, like our president, she will be successful.

Men and women have a tendency to think on different levels. If ever our country has needed intelligence, calm and well-informed, it is now. If ever we needed a woman to lead this country, it is now.

We still have too many party loyalists who vote for R or D, instead of Q for qualified. Hillary Clinton is a Q. We need an intelligent electorate — and we need women to stand up and be counted. There is still an environment out there where the male tells the female how to vote! Where religions (in violation of IRS regulations) tell folks how to vote! Our creator gave each of us a brain and the ability to think. Use that brain! Know the candidates and what they stand for.

Remember, we’ll know if there’s a real chance of Trump being elected, because — as I’ve said before — the Canadians and Mexicans will start building those walls to keep us in.

Honor our great country Nov. 8. Get out and vote. Amen.