I already voted early. Inasmuch as I care about the results, I voted for the school board candidate who pledged to raise property taxes, because I have two kids in my local public school and as much as contempt as I have for my second ex wife who works in the same district, I would rather she be paid fairly. Inasmuch as I care about the presidential, I voted against the candidate who endangered my friends who live and work in the Capitol on 1/6/21.
I have also worked in professional politics for two decades, and I can assure you and all of your readers that West Wing was a fantasy and real life politics is Veep with more drinking. The United States is not really a cohesive nation state with a strong central government and never has been. It is more like an accidentally ultra wealthy Holy Roman Empire or European Union. We are absolutely not a representative democracy, we are a creaky coalition of fifty representative democracies each of which votes every four years on who gets to control the army.
It is entirely understandable to refrain from voting on these or any other grounds. It is also understandable to vote any way one wishes for any kind of reason. These are just mine. But in no case should one feel especially invested in voting, whether for oneself or anyone else. Live your life by whatever religion and/or code you wish, and that is the extent of the social power you can realistically wield.
I reccomend you And have been for two plus years. I just cannot wait for this election to be over. I just hope it is an honest election. Hope.
Are you voting? Yes. Already did
In person day-of or early ballot? Early ballot
Long-time voter or first-time or in-between? Long term
Totally involved or casually interested voter? Involved
Know the issues or vote the vibe? Issues
Listen to celebrity endorsements? Hell no
Follow newspaper endorsements? Nope
Have you changed your voting party preference in the last cycle? Yes
College-educated? Blue-collar? College
One issue voter? Nope
Ingest multiple media platforms? Yes
Political extrovert or introvert? Introvert most of the time.
Share the same view as peer group? Mixed.
I already voted early. Inasmuch as I care about the results, I voted for the school board candidate who pledged to raise property taxes, because I have two kids in my local public school and as much as contempt as I have for my second ex wife who works in the same district, I would rather she be paid fairly. Inasmuch as I care about the presidential, I voted against the candidate who endangered my friends who live and work in the Capitol on 1/6/21.
I have also worked in professional politics for two decades, and I can assure you and all of your readers that West Wing was a fantasy and real life politics is Veep with more drinking. The United States is not really a cohesive nation state with a strong central government and never has been. It is more like an accidentally ultra wealthy Holy Roman Empire or European Union. We are absolutely not a representative democracy, we are a creaky coalition of fifty representative democracies each of which votes every four years on who gets to control the army.
It is entirely understandable to refrain from voting on these or any other grounds. It is also understandable to vote any way one wishes for any kind of reason. These are just mine. But in no case should one feel especially invested in voting, whether for oneself or anyone else. Live your life by whatever religion and/or code you wish, and that is the extent of the social power you can realistically wield.