Burnout — What is political burnout? What is emotional burnout?
Well these and more is why I’ve been absent for so long from the political scene, indeed from DK as well. Prior to around September of last year I was very active, not just on DK but in the political scene as well. Then I finally reached the point of total and complete burnout. Let’s talk more about that.
Political burnout — Since Trump was “elected” (albeit because of an outdated electoral college) it has been a never ending roller coaster of one downer after another. The news from the political realm was full of bad news on a daily, sometimes almost hourly basis. Rarely was there any good news. Sure there were and are lots of dedicated Democrats (and dare I say even a small handful of Republicans) who are working their tails off trying to right this sinking ship and they deserve much credit for staying in the fight and never giving up. But in the end because of a crooked and criminal administration and Senate (do you hear me McConnell?!?) very little true progress has been made.
This had been building up inside me ever since Trump got elected and started squatting in our White House and finally over the course of months and years it reached a critical mass and I slowly but surely reached complete political burnout. What was the point I asked myself numerous times? Nothing is making a real difference. The American experiment is dying a slow and painful death. I didn’t want to feel that way and perhaps deep inside I knew better — that we CAN turn this around before Trump and his Republican enablers totally destroy the essence of America, but inside me all I seemed to feel was this sense of complete doom.
I hated myself at some level for feeling this way but It seemed I couldn’t help myself. This sense of doom just wouldn’t go away.
Emotional burnout — let’s face it when America is being run by Republicans who always put party before country and will do anything, including violating the Constitution to get their way and stay in power, there is no question that this can easily lead to a state of emotional burnout as well.
Emotional burnout in my case may have been triggered because of the political burnout but it is different as well. My emotional burnout caused at least some level of overall depression, anxiety and an almost complete loss of hope. I lost my sense of optimism that has always been at the core of who I am inside.
I still donated to Democratic candidates and campaigns as I could afford to do so but my active involvement dwindled almost to a standstill.
That was then, this is now — Over the last couple of months or so I have worked hard to turn my political and emotional burnout around and make it into something positive. I had just finally started reaching the point where I could no longer sit on the sidelines, I have to DO SOMETHING.
I have to stop wallowing in my self-pity and sense of doom and get back in the game and start fighting like I always used to and do my part to help turn this disaster around.
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Here we have Trump flouting the idea of delaying the election, threatening to not accept a defeat and doing everything possible to rig the election in his favor! Look at how he is trying to destroy the USPS and to stop any VBM (vote by mail) measure even at the state level. He is doing these things and much more, all in an attempt to keep himself and his Republican enablers in power and to hell with what is good for America and it’s citizens.
Let’s state it like it is — Trump wants to become a dictator for life, he always has since he first got into the race 4 years ago.
Come election day we will all either be celebrating or lamenting another loss and realizing that we are stuck with Trump for another 4 years.
For myself I know without a doubt that if we don’t win in November I will never forgive myself if I don’t do my part. It is time to get back off my ass and start fighting again — I need to become again what I used to be with balance of life and politics.
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And please do NOT forget that it is not just the White House we have to win back, we must also take control of the Senate. Even if Biden wins, he will be largely hamstrung if he has to deal with a Republican controlled Senate. And then we must also keep the majority in the House.
And let’s not also forget that we have state and local races all across this country that are critically important as well. Real change in many ways starts at the bottom and works up.
I vow to do my part to help us WIN BIG in November!