Ward leaders had stuff like this memorized in their heads back in the day. I think it's fascinating how Democrats and Republicans cluster around themselves on the same streets. Also this kind of map doesn't have the problem of the exaggeration of the rural vote.
ο»ΏI often think Rural America, at least in New York State is getting redder, while the inner suburbs and even some of the outer suburbs are getting bluer. Maybe that observation is antidotal, not based on facts, but I could also see that being true.
Rural areas are undergoing a lot of change, old ways of doing things are being confronted by a new reality of the world that doesnβt work the way it once. Technology continues to replace mechanical labor, automation means more economic output with fewer people working in rural areas. Natural resources are more regulated, but also are managed much more efficiently with greater output.
The problems of cities β pollution, crime, and violence β are spilling over onto the ways of rural life. While most rural areas donβt have a significant issues on this front, urban politicians which tend to be Democratic are pushing for one-size fits all solutions, noting the real problems they face. And that is generating a reaction against their policies in rural areas.
As a private citizen, I am not particularly wed to one political party or another π΄ π
I think pragmatism makes a lot of sense when it comes to politics these days, but it sure seems like most people are clearly in one camp or another, certain how they are going to vote long before Election Day. But I like to learn the facts, learn about the individual candidates and issues, and make my decision myself. I don’t need a political party or ideological group to tell me how to think.
I often feel like people are using politics as a way to avoid personal responsibility and not address problems in their own lives and own communities. While I’m sure whoever occupies the White House or the State Capitol or City Hall has some minor bearing on your life, the truth is what you choose to do, the people you choose to associate with and the community you choose to live in has as much larger bearing on your life.
Do vote. It’s a low cost activity that doesn’t take much time. Early voting and absentee voting makes it even easier. In the autumn, spend a Saturday afternoon knocking doors and maybe a weeknight or two making calls. Attend public meetings and protests, be heard. It does make a difference to scream at and put pressure on the politicians, as few do.
But remember, the buck ultimately stops at you, and your life is only as good as you make it.
A deep breath is what we all have to take. Days, months, years, of planning, scheming, hard work, volunteering, and campaigning come to an end with the selection of our next generation of leaders, who will decide what direction to take our country in the next two to four years. The millions of phone calls come to an end, the campaign signs and literature go in the garbage, and the pundits size up the next generation of elected officials for the next two or four years.
It came to an end rather abruptly by the filling in of a few scantron ballots by a few million voters. The machines at the end of the night, instantly tallied them up, and the results were announced. Some candidates became elected officials, while others will spend the next few months paying off their debts and pondering what wrong. Elections always have a definitive timetable, and they come to an end.
Β We now move onto the month of November, the election but a memory. The leaves are gone from the trees, the days are colder, and evenings approach around 4:30 PM. The days are often crisp, but there is always a chance for a quick inch or snow when the weather is right. Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner. But a few more weeks remain before winter fully sets in.
One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is the anti-vax movement, which came to be as an reaction to the overly communitarian promotion of the COVID vaccine in the months after the pandemic. Getting vaccinated became a patriotic thing, it was something you did not because you didn’t want to get sick but because it would save the lives of the elderly and disabled.
It may very well be good to save the lives of the elderly and disabled. Many are inevitably very nice, good decent people. But at what cost? Getting vaccinated isn’t free in sense of your own time and motor fuel, it certainly hurts, and there is some risk — though probably the risk of dying in a car crash on way to the pharmacy far exceeds the risk of sickness after getting the jab.
I’ve never thought vaccines should be required or thought of as a way to build herd immunity or keep your community safe. But I do think they are worthwhile, because who wants to get to sick, stay home from work bed-ridden or spend costly time in the hospital? While I’m sure protecting the elderly and disabled is a noteworthy goal, keeping oneself healthy is a most worthy goal. There is no need to have a parade for those who get vaccinated, but you should consider getting your flu and COVID shots, and any other recommended vaccines like TDAP because who wants to get the whooping cough?
Vaccines are a lot like voting. Truth is the risk for most people getting the whooping cough, COVID or flu in any particular year is low, but vaccines are considered free, preventative maintenance for one’s health under most plans. Voting in most cases won’t change election outcomes, but sometimes it does. But it’s cheap, in most cases about the same cost as getting vaccinated, or these days with Early Mail Voting even slightly cheaper as you can do it from home.
I don’t like patriotism or community spirit as a motivator to take individual action. But I do think enlightened self-interest is important, and you should do things that are right for yourself and your family. Both voting and vaccination should be very inexpensive in time and cost, as their benefit for most in cases will be fairly minimal, but they do offset a large risk and can do often make a difference around the edges.
