Politics

To Vote or Not To Vote — Depends On Where I Live?

The other morning (her morning, my early evening), I spoke with my youngest daughter to wish her a happy birthday and just to hear her voice. She’s the grounded one, the practical, pragmatic, solidly herself one. I enjoy her predictability and open-faced happiness. She says she doesn’t understand depression. She’s never experienced it herself. Oh, she’s been unhappy. Her preferred reaction to that unhappiness is to ‘do something’. You’d think she’d resonate with Michelle Obama. I still have hope she does.

We don’t usually talk much about politics, she and I. Or, rather, I talk about politics, and her eyes get glazed, and she ‘uh huhs’ me into silence. It’s just a bit maddening. Especially for someone like me who awoke to politics at the age of ten and decided then and there which party I would support and never wavered through good times and bad. I find politics to be required for a citizen of the ‘shining city on a hill.’

I’m not the least bit naïve. I know every party has an agenda, and that truth is often colored either red or blue according to whim or expedience. There is always a ‘deal’ to be made. Donald Trump didn’t invent that aspect of the political game. But there is one party that works to support people and another party that supports businessmen. To me, it’s pretty clear which one…