I wrote this for BlueNC earlier today as a response to the reaction to our US Senate Race. You could say it's mildly autobiographical. -Sam
Denial: You live your life outside of politics. You ignore everything political, you reject that there might be a problem or you simply assume the government will take care of you or leave you alone. Or, you're politically minded but not a partisan. Politicians are in DC, all's right with the world.
Anger: Something changes. America goes to war, or a political party wages war on everything you know and love about your country. Or both. You become angry and find an outlet for that anger. You're angry at the political process, you're angry at the system that could create such dysfunction. Your response is not so much logical as it is emotional. You have a visceral feeling, a compulsion, a need to be active, to feel like you're making a difference.
Bargaining: You win. You find out that winning isn't everything. Governing is hard. Maybe too much damage has been done. It turns out that some of the people you support break their promises. Some of them would be called showers in French. They have affairs, they act like human beings ... but you still have to support the party! Because the alternative is evil! They will destroy America! You're still doing the right thing ... And the politician I like is awesome!
Depression: Why do it? Everybody is terrible. No matter who controls the government, civil rights will slowly be realized but there will still be special interests who will always find a loophole or a court decision or a way to break through, and what can you do? Why should you care? Why was all your work for naught? There is no new politics. And the one good politician was an ephemeral dream that I projected onto someone who, in the end, was just a human being.
Acceptance: There are some things we can change and there are some things we can't. There may always be negative campaigning in politics, or corporate control, or spineless leaders. There may be people who are entranced by a candidate we know - from experience - to be a less than worthy vessel for our ideals. Our candidates will fail from time to time, but we do what needs to be done.
I want to be able to look at myself and know I did my duty. I'm driving people to the polls, I'm making calls, I'm raising money. I'm using my education. As well, because I aspire to a certain level of honor, I apologize for any cross remarks I may have made. I apologize for the times when I took things personally to the detriment of others. Nevertheless, I do not and will not apologize when I have stood behind reasoned opinions that stem not from emotion, greed, or awe but from a reasoned awareness of what we have to do to win. I hope all of you can do the same, not with malice, but as an iteration of the logic that flows from the premise we all share: a Republican Congress and White House will be harmful to our State and our Nation in a way that a Democratic majority, however inadequate, can never be.
This isn't a eulogy, and I'm not in the same camp as this Kossack. I've been through these stages. The Democratic Party will always have problems, and so will Barack, Harry, and Nancy.
But we gotta win.
Original is here.
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