I think your level of "American" is fine.Yes I do believe your right, I am a "half empty" sort of person. It's just my personality.
Perhaps I'm bit older than you are and jaded as well, but I don't buy into the "duty to vote" line like I once did. I'll vote on issues that affect me directly and on those races where I think there's a reason to pick one candidate over another. I will not honor a trumped-up(pardon the pun) system when it comes to presidential elections by casting a meaningless vote due to disenfranching rules like the Electoral College. Just one man's opinion.