“Political hobbyists are ruining the country” claimed the headline of New York Times opinion piece by a political science professor.
Huh?
Prof. Hersh’s premise is that political “involvement” that is confined to social media and dependent on cheap gotcha thrills and instant gratification replaces the slow and less flashy process of political organizing that changes elections.
With the hubris that comes from being twice the man’s age, and a nasty woman besides, let me make the alternative case: shallow participation in political discussion doesn’t ruin the country, it’s a reaction to a country threatened with ruin.
Further ruin results only if broad political interest doesn’t extend until the next election or if even a small slice of those now engaged don’t move more fully into the political arena.
Two things, long before the election of 2016, sent us down this road. With little evidence to back me up, I’d mark a sharp downward trend in our political health tied to conservative talk radio. “Politician” became a pejorative, conspiracies were seen everywhere, complexity was decried, and cynicism fostered. No idea was worth discussing if it couldn’t be expressed in six words of two syllables or less.
The second feature threatening us is low political participation. I suspect that factors from each end of the spectrum contribute. If you are reasonably content with the status quo, voting seems less imperative, much less running for office. If the political process is “dirty” and the outcome controlled by “others”, why bother?
And then there is the incessant public search for scandal or frailty on the part of candidates that makes running for office so daunting that fewer top notch folks are willing to risk it.
The good traceable to the current political events is a a broader interest in the Constitution, the role of the courts, the role of gerrymandering, and the value of a free press.
More folks are driven to broaden their participation in the political process, subscribe to major newspapers, and to focus on the good that government can do.
The danger, in this era of short attention spans, is that the populace grows more disheartened when mere political chatter and petition signing doesn’t effect change.
So, my charge, as an activist, is: go ahead and emote. It’s healthy and cathartic.
Then, follow up, huddle up, and vote.
