Hey Hubski. It's been a while.
As of late. I've spent a lot of time working on a state house campaign. I live in a republican strong hold, and I'm helping a dem. It's an uphill battle, for sure. That said, it's the only thing keeping me from becoming a disillusioned young man when it comes to politics. I've knocked on hundreds, maybe a thousand doors, talking to innumerable voters. There's been phone calls too, but no one likes those. What is everyone else keeping up to with regards to politics? Ignoring it? Running yourself?
I caucused for Bernie. Made it through two rounds. I looked very closely at third party candidates, then recoiled in horror at how unsuited they are for any political office at all. And when it came down to it, I filled in the little circle next to "Hillary Clinton", and went down the ballot and voted straight Democrat all the way down. (Except for WA State Treasurer, where we have two Republicans running against each other.) This is the first time I have voted a straight ticket. I'm usually far more nuanced, and vote for a combination of Republicans and Democrats, depending on their positions, voting history, volunteering, etc. But the Republican party has turned into the party of No. They do not stand FOR anything. They simply squat like a frog in the road, and block traffic. So I voted straight Democrat, all the way down the ticket, as a repudiation of everything the Republican party stands for today. It was a tough pill to swallow for someone who has never claimed a party affiliation, but anyone who calls themselves a Republican today, has lost my respect. Conservatives? Yes. Republicans? No.
County and city level elections are the only ones I'm willing to debate with family & friends from now until the 2018 primaries, but after that it's back to local stuff. Local & primaries have the best (positive potential):(anger caused) ratio in my opinion. I'm in Texas. I want Texas to be purple. The demographics have been trending this direction for years, and Trump has pushed it closerr. I think a swing state this big would pull the whole political arena toward the center. And I would like that, even if many don't. No matter what happens here the Donaldians will still love him. And I'm afraid that no matter what happens the Christian right will react by pulling the party even farther their direction. They are a hugely influential here. I don't want them to nominate Ted Cruz for anything. That's why primaries are important to me. I want a "fiscal semi-conservative" who is willing to compromise to get a centrist policy through. I also want a candidate to stand up and say "I'm Pro-Life, buy I have to admit we lost the Roe-V-Wade battle more than forty years ago. So I promise to FIX the best way to reduce abortions: sex-ed won't be 'Abstinence Only' anymore." But that won't happen in Texas any time soon. Damn the pathetic options we have. We nominated the two most hated candidates in polling history. I won't vote for Donald because I would rather have a secretive politician with flakey ethics, because she will at least try to leave a positive legacy for the county.
Unfortunately, I've already become disillusioned. I started off as a bright, young lad who was a poll judge in the 2012 primaries (despite narrowly being cut off from voting in the ensuing presidential election by a month), and continued to vote. This was especially true in local elections as I knew my vote counted for more, and I had a stake in the election, as I'd lived there my whole life. As it stands currently, my parents moved last December to a new ward/district, and I'm not living there most of the time (though it's considered my permanent residence) due to my university being in a different town. As such, I don't give a shit about the Presidential Election, with the candidates being sociopaths, not giving the fuck about the Constitution or foreign policy, or simply unqualified. At the State level, my Federal and State Representative choices all suck, whether it be due to policy positions or a simple lack of responding to constituents. This lack of response is due to my (attempting to) keep in touch with the offices and have my concerns voiced. At the local level I have no clue and frankly don't give a shit as my parents just moved there, I'm rarely ever there, and I don't plan on staying there. Is there a solution to my disillusionment, or am I just fucked for the foreseeable future?
The House and the Congress still matter and if you've found a worthy local candidate, support him or her for all they are worth. Were you a Bernie supporter earlier on? As for what I'm doing: nothing. I'm in Canada, but I'm supporting my Democrats Abroad friends, some of whom are phone banking for good Congressional candidates from here.
I haven't met you. Most of the community here doesn't represent a lifestyle I have come into. With regards to politics, this is ever more the point. And that being said, I'm pretending to hoard gold, seeing that I lack the flexibility to live beyond hand of mouth at this moment. We're fucked, the political system is broken into two super-groups. This isn't news, but news today isn't anything more than the sum of those listening in (theoretically). That's where we're headed... As a more 'educated' person would agree, I spew "nonsense" most of the time because most people are better off skipping over my points. The issues we are faced with are systemic. They aren't going to be fixed by our governmonkey.