The Daily Escape:
San Miguel Peaks, Uncompahgre National Forest, CO – November 2021 photo by Tad Bowman
Wrongo’s column on how we need to rehabilitate our Constitution drew several comments saying that it was a fool’s game to even try to change it, given our political dysfunction.
One reader, David P. asked how we might accomplish such a heavy lift. It is only possible if people get more involved in the political process. That got Wrongo thinking about why so few individuals really actively participate in the political process today. From Ezra Klein:
“Obsessively following the daily political news feels like an act of politics, or at least an act of civics. But what if, for many of us, it’s a replacement for politics — and one that’s actually hurting the country?”
Klein interviewed Eitan Hersh of Tufts University on his podcast. Hersh talked about “political hobbyism”, by which he means following politics as a form of entertainment and/or an expression of self-identity. He differentiates it from the actual work of politics.
Hersh’s research shows that a lot of people who believe they are politically engaged are really only passively following it. He also thinks that their following it passively has played a key role in making our politics worse.
For Hersh, the real work in our politics involves some sort of local engagement and/or organizing. His point is that voting and contributing money have their place, but these are fundamentally low engagement activities, especially if you’re not wealthy enough to impact policy.
According to Hersh, if you contribute money to a candidate because that candidate said something that made you feel good, that’s less real political engagement than it is a kind of consumerism: (emphasis by Wrongo)
“A lot of what’s happening in small-dollar donations….you’re watching a…politician grandstand and make some speech. And because they grandstand in a way that you liked, you react by giving a $5 donation….So, what’s really going on is you have no goals except to reward a politician for saying something that feels great in the moment. I think that makes politics worse rather than better. And you are doing it more for yourself — for your own kind of emotional…ends — rather than to move politics in a direction….”
More from Hersh: (brackets by Wrongo)
“If you look at the number of people who are spending time on politics, there’s about a third of the country that says they’re spending about two hours a day in news consumption….Almost none of [this time]…let’s say 2%, is real community or volunteer engagement. The rest is mostly news consumption and sharing, talking, and debating online.”
Hersh makes the point that the people who spend the most time on any political engagement are White men, particularly college-educated White men. They know more facts, but they are not the group that’s working with their Parties on organized politics. That would be women. Racial minorities, particularly Blacks, but also to some extent Latinos, spend less overall time on following the news, but more of their time is spent in actual political activities.
Wrongo does precisely what Hersh says is indulgent consumerist behavior. He reads about politics and writes this silly blog. He contributes to candidates he likes/admires. Wrongo also volunteers on a couple of committees in his town, but he’s invisible in local politics.
Reader David P. does much more. Once a week he goes to an office of his local Democratic Party and makes canvass calls. His is a life-long arc of true political engagement. Working on campaigns, attending rallies, and yes, donating money, and commenting on blogs.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Wrongo thinks that offering opinions and informing the public via blogs is important. Blogs that are done well inform people, and they spread information. That’s the mission, because god knows, people are totally misinformed by both politicians, and the mainstream media.
In “The Cause, The American Revolution and its Discontents, 1773-1783” by Joseph Ellis, he says that before the revolution, colonists didn’t think of themselves as Americans. They described their fight for independence as “The Cause”. An ambiguous term that covered diverse ideas and multiple viewpoints. Unlike in England at the time, even working class colonists were literate. And they were fully engaged in the process through word and deed.
Most Americans today are literate, but what will it take to get them off the couch? What will it take to get Democrats to put themselves on the line for an idea, or for a candidate?
We say, “how can we lose to these guys?” When we see that Republicans have left our America’s democratic values behind, when we know that they actively intend to undermine the integrity of our elections.
How dangerous does the threat to our democracy have to be for people to get involved?
Or have we so totally surrendered to reading social media on our phones that we’re no longer capable of putting ourselves on the line for what we say we believe in?
My reaction is to note that we are old (you and I). Our long term goals don’t exists. My concern is for folks my son’s age. He votes only rarely and thinks its all a shit-show. He voted for Biden and is in the main a Democrat but he is disgusted with the catechism from the left, whether on gender (so really, “Cis gender”) or the emphasis on privilege – great on the blackboard but it does not help the 55 year old who lost his job pay the rent.
I am disappointed with him – but I can’t disagree with him. And he is earnest – has a great job, volunteers (maintaining a hiking trail) and is well read. I don’t see much interest from his cousins either.
Our system is skewed against cities and suburbs and in favor of rural America – he lives across from Manhattan and is rightly pissed off at the whole mess.
Terry, I agree that we’re too old to be the force behind the change that’s needed today. My youngest child is 50, the oldest is 60. They range from mildly engaged in politics to disengaged, but all vote. The enthusiasm gap won’t be breached by my kids, but it’s possible that our 12 grandkids will be energized enough to be activists for change. I think all we oldsters can do is try every day to force the Dem leadership, the Jan6 committee and Marrick Garland to speak loudly every day about the attempted coup and the R’s attempt to subvert our election process.