One of our readers sent me a long anticipated response to yesterday’s piece ‘Careening’. ‘So what can I be doing as I feel adrift and overwhelmed.’ This is a person feeling unsure how to act upon what I am advocating. I am amazed it took anyone so long to ask but I appreciate her doing so. And my answer is simply the steps I see as missing or seriously underplayed in our political system rather than a detailed recipe for assuring we can fix our nation malaise in five easy steps.
Do we know what our individual priorities are? Seriously—what are the top five things YOU care about the nation addressing over the next two or four or six years? Do you have a list? Note I am suggesting positive achieving rather than merely ticking off things you don’t want to see but one can address it through negatives, if you prefer. (My most fundamental approach to strategy was always working towards a desired outcome so that makes more sense than constantly finding things you don’t like but you may be different).
I mean make an actual list—on paper with a fountain pen, or a ballpoint, or chalk, or on your computer. Make sure you identify an objective you want to see as the outcome to live with rather than saying you want something pretty vague like world peace. Specifics matter in politics, weight loss, and football scores.
Do you want the country to pass immigration reform by the end of the next Congress? Do you want to see the United States enact laws which mandate measurable changes to fossil fuel emissions to begin reversing climate change pressures by 2030? Do you want to see mandates to increase federal spending by 15% on Head Start and Women’s Infants and Chldren’s food support? Do you want to see your local library ban every book by a Chinese or a Korean author? I am making these up as I go along but they are examples of what you could prioritize as the most important outcomes you seek in the next term of the President or Congress or your local school board. It depends on YOUR desires for the future. Or these may be 180 degrees away from your but put them down.
Next, go to the website (and I guarantee they exist as we have a newly declared mayoral candidate in Annapolis for 2025 whose website I visited yesterday morning when I saw that he plans to challenge the incumbent) to see what the current candidates are proposing. look in detail at what this woman or man says is most important for the future. Does the candidate’s avowed plan address the things if most importance to YOU?
Sure, if it is totally infeasible stuff, you may want to eliminate a candidate but the beauty of a collaborative, compromise system is that we actually can accomplish things when we try—or we did for 220 years—so knowing what matters to the candidate is worth your time.
Read the literature they send you. Read it to see whether and how they address topics, even if not the items you most cherish. Again, visit websites more than once.
If the person does not seem at all simpatico with your views, then you can eliminate the person. Or, you can engage with the candidate’s campaign to ASK specifically where she/he comes down on the issues that matter to YOU. Send a letter or, better, send an email inquiry. If you don’t get a response, that is telling in itself but you can go back again to repeat the question. You can also call the campaign office with a specific question on term limits or aid to Malawian rebels (don’t know that they exist but you get my point). Get YOUR questions answered rather than allowing the candidate to drive the conversation. These people are trying to earn your vote so make them answer you. If you don’t like the answer, you can go elsewhere or you can explain why YOU they better think the candidate might also consider your views I representing the constituency if elected
I am not a fan of debates as I think the presidential circus format over the last quarter century is embarrassing but you can attend debates to hear how agile the person is on his or her feet. Politics, when functioning, is the art of compromise. If someone can’t seem to view anything other than through a narrow lens, ask yourself if that person fits your desire for sending someone to govern. If so, great! If not, engage with the campaign (or existing office if the candidate is an incumbent) to alert them as to why you think there is another view worth pursuing and enacting as law. No need to be intimidating, of course, but part of our problem is that politics has become so vague, distant, and candidate-driven rather voter-driven. Basics matter every single day.
These are initial steps that are all under YOUR power. Here is the thing: I am not a politician but I think we, John and Joanna Q Public, are misreading things. Politicians are keenly interested in our views but we have surrendered our role too often. No, I will not pretend or naively state that politicians always listen to positions that their biggest donors oppose but we have seen races where biggest spenders lose rather than always win. Why is that? Because some candidates spark passion among their potential voters while others become complacent. Look for someone to support rather than someone for whom you hold your nose as better than the other creature.
Of course you can become involved in campaigns as well, of course, but these are initial steps that matter. These things matter, folks! They sound like a lot of time but governing a country of 340+million which sees itself as just, equitable, and a power REQUIRES TIME. Be part of the solution rather than just the recipient of its effects.
You can, of course, also run for office. Yes, you.
Beyond my thoughts, what would YOU recommend? What would you advise? How are you already involved? I welcome the details as you care to share.
Thanks to all of you for pondering this vital question. Please keep those questions and thoughts coming as actions create consequences.
I love these wee orchids.
Be well, be involved, and be safe. FIN