I’d like to discuss something I’ve noticed becoming more prominent over the past decade or so.
That is the idea that if the elected representative for your particular district (whatever- city, county, state, Federal) is not of your chosen party or ideological bent, that you are unrepresented, and that this is a problem. I think this is a pernicious view- you’re represented as a constituent of a district, not as a member of a party or as a viewpoint.
The reason I view it as pernicious, is that it’s opposed to the “win some, lose some” mentality that historically underpinned US politics, and it drives people to actions that are not conducive to good government. Some people seek to subvert the system if they feel like they’re not represented, and others disengage and don’t vote at all. Neither is a good idea, and we’re seeing both represented right now in national politics and in many states.
Do you agree? What are the causes? (my suspicion is that more nakedly partisan and identity politics have fostered this attitude). What can we do about it?
I agree that’s the way it should be, and was more like that in the past.
But what’s causing it is, more and more Republicans are openly saying they don’t give a shit about anyone other than the people who voted for them, and that they only give a shit to the people who did vote for them.
Take a look at the last 2.25 Presidencies. Biden was elected, and did everything he could to build up all of America. Most of the plans he created actually gave more to Republican-leaning States than to Democrat-leaning States. Meanwhile, Trump is out there, openly feuding with Democrat-lead States, cutting off as much Federal funding as possible, and now actively deploying National Guard troops to some of their cities.
And then, about giving only a shit to their own voters? Take a look at the individual polling on all the major questions of the day, and a large majority of Americans support what most would call the “Democratic Party” side of the question, including in a lot of cases pluralities or even majorities of Republican voters. But they don’t care about that, they just keep enacting the policies they want, and fuck everyone else. Take a look at the Leopards Eating Faces thread. Republicans all over the country are getting crushed by Republican policies, but as far as Trump and his Toadies are concerned, it’s full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.