RE: Who Gets the Blame for the Upcoming Recession?
You are viewing a single comment's thread:
We get the Government we deserve.
During the elections I phone-banked, knocked doors and volunteered at early voting.
I and some others formed a coalition and were able to defeat three candidates supported by a somewhat corrupt local PAC. The fourth candidate from that slate is now in prison for felony extortion.
The volunteering process destroyed any illusion I had about participation.
Approximately 0.15% of the 161,495 registered voters in my county were willing to volunteer. People are largely indifferent until they are materially impacted in some way.
In March of 2026 we will have Primaries we will have 34,000 voters +- 1,500 or approximately 32% of registered voters. The magic number for a Republican Candidate to win the nomination for a County-wide race will be approximately 10,000 , for a Democrat Candidate it will be 5,000. Our County skews Democrat.
I'm trying hard to like our incumbent Congressman, I spoke with him at the County Convention this past Thursday. I told our County Chair to pass it our Congressman didn't support some significant spending cuts, I'd do my best to make him spend several extra $100,000 in his Primary. I don't know if I could beat him without an incredibly talented candidate but, I can make it cost.
I have the list and addresses of voters who participated in the 2024 Primary in our County, this is about 90% to 92% predicative of who will vote in the 2026 Primary. My goal will be to knock on 2,000 doors.
This is what it takes to shift politics. Focused work and some understanding of the local mechanics.
I want a good Government, first at the local level and then expanding outwards to the extent it can be influence. I'm willing to work for it.
"Good government" is an oxymoron like "benevolent mafia." There is no representation in either form of organized crime, but at least the latter is honest about its intent to be racketeers and extortionists. Society came before the State, and real progress happens outside the sphere of politics.
Coming from a small rural area, I appreciate this sentiment directly. I am old enough to recall a time when we came together and got things done.
Political engagement is actually a start to that. People have to be reconditioned to come together and do things again. These habits have been lost. It still exists in small Churches, and other domains of volunteerism, but volunteerism as a whole has substantially declined.
Self-agency has declined. Most of our neighbors are captured by devices and easy entertainment. Something has to bridge that gap.
I agree on building community. However, partisan politics inevitably drives wedges as people vie for power in a zero-sum game. There's a reason divisiveness escalates in each election cycle.
That's the problem, but if they are personally affected, then they are also easy victims for demagogues and populists like Trump and Musk.