a gentle reminder
Non supporters matter, too
Nonpartisan snarky alert to begin: we departed the silly season to descend into the downright stupid season this week as we are now fewer than 52 weeks from the next presidential election. It’s stupid because the punditry of all colours, flavours, and anything else don’t remember that life has things occurring other than aforementioned elections over the next 52 weeks. I digress, unfortunately, from my short and sweet reminder today.
American elections may be a winner-take-all system but representation is a nation/state/district-wide full responsibility.
Huh? What on earth does she mean?
When Governor Andy Beshear won reelection last night with roughly 52% of Kentuckians who voted, his opponent Cameron still garnered 47% of said electorate. Beshear will remain Governor of the State of Kentucky, not simply for the 52% who supported him at the ballot box. His responsibilities are not merely to the 52% of the voters (not necessarily the state since so few people vote in ‘off cycle’ elections) but to the entire state.
The checks and balances of our elaborate political system across the board reinforces this point.
Too many victors recently behave as if winning by relatively small margins engenders the right to eradicate the ideas, if not existence, of those they defeated. They seek to do this in the most eggregiously spiteful manner. How is that working out?
It’s tearing us apart. We are hemorraging civility, reason, respect, and sanity in the name of ‘we won so screw you’.
Of course I have strong views on things. Of course my views don’t always win the day; frequently I am disappointed by decisions. But I recognise and respect that in the court of public opinion, my power as a voter is to support the most proximate voice to my views that I can. I also have to encourage others to support measured folks who respect this reality. Elections are snapshots in time not irrevocable choices by the way.
Voting for ahistorical and anti-historical ignorance fosters hatred and division. Ironically, those who are advocating those prescriptions do so on the grounds their views have been discarded in the past. Rich.
The stakes are indeed sky high for our republic to survive. We are never going to agree on everything but we ARE all in this place now.
For Beshear to win a second term in ruby red Kentucky, he must be on to something that is not radical but inclusionary.
Just a thought but one I think worth teasing out.
What do you think? Thanks for reading and thinking today. I appreciate your time, whomever you are and whatever your perspectives.
It was a wonderful Wednesday morn. Be safe and be well. FIN