Taking A Time-Out On Politics

screencap of guy crying

I fully expected Hillary Clinton to eek out a slim victory in the election and I would spend this time talking about reforming the system so we can expect better candidates in the future. Donald Trump blew that out of the water by winning in an upset. I’ve decided to continue to call for reform but this will be my last political blog post for awhile. I need a break.

I plan to stick with church and state issues for now but I won’t be posting about anything concerning national politics after today. My head hurts.

Here is what I wrote on Facebook last night when it was looking very grim:

I’m hoping this is premature but the numbers don’t look good. As of Wednesday morning, should Trump win I plan on withdrawing from politics in general. I am not registered with any party so that will remain but I won’t give any more money to national parties and I will not sign any petitions for any issues people care about. I will still hold the views I do but I will not be expressing them in public on FB or my blog after tonight. I will be less likely to support any causes except for separation and church and state.

I think I should do what others do and sit on the sidelines until each election and pick some single issue to justify sitting out and then complain about the results.

I’m just tired of fighting to help all the people in this country and watch as the forces of racism and bigotry and lack of facts winning again. It is like following the Cleveland Browns – how much more can I take.

My vacation might be short or long but I’m on a break

I’m taking a break from active participation in most political things for now. I spend a lot of time banging my head trying to get people who are suppose to be like minded to support my work with the Secular Coalition for Ohio and my head hurts right now. I am having a hard time believing people on the left side of the aisle can actually work together toward a shared goal. There is too much territorialism and demand for purity IMHO. Then to add to that having to deal with the anti-intellectualism and bigotry on the right and I just don’t have the stomach to fight it all right now so I need a break.

Trump winning was a rejection of Hillary Clinton and not a revolution since 90% of incumbents were reelected.

This morning, GOPers, like they do when they win, demand unity of the country but rarely give it when they lose.

The other buzzword we will be hearing at least for the next two years is “bipartisanship” which really means doing exactly what the GOP wants with no compromise.

The jobs aren’t coming back, healthcare costs will once again force people into bankruptcy and/or an early death, there will be no wall, and there will be a lot of promises Trump made that will not be completed like reopening coal mines.

I had a letter to the editor published on Tuesday with the theme of reforming the election system:

This week, we once again gather and count all the ballots to choose our elected representatives.

Voter turnout for elections is far lower than in most other democracies. Cynicism about politics and government is rampant as people see the influence of big contributors on laws and policy and corruption scandals involving campaign contributions. The cost of running for office continues to escalate. Uncontested and non-competitive elections have increased in frequency, with a re-election rate of incumbents that tops 90 percent in both federal and state races.

In 2010, the Supreme Court reversed a 100-year-old ban on corporate and union expenditures on political speech, unleashing unlimited spending from these sources. The “Citizen’s United” decision has worsened the dominance of corporate influence in our democracy.

A majority of people agree that our election system needs reform, but it seems people only care about it once a year when it is time to cast another ballot.

My challenge to my fellow citizens is to ask: What are you personally going to do now to reform our elections?

You can support federal laws that will reduce the need for massive funding for campaigns. Support efforts to overturn the Citizen’s United decision. Here in Ohio you can tell your representatives in Columbus to create more competitive districts as called for in the redistricting reform law passed by voters last November.

If we want better candidates in the future, then we need to work on a better election system now.

What Will You Do? published 11/08/2016 Findlay Courier

I still believe the election system needs to be reformed including ending the use of the Electoral College.

See you on the flip-side.