Race to the Bottom

Have you been following the toilet full of broccoli dumpster fire that is American politics? For your sanity, I hope not. Used to, a criminal indictment was something that would hurt your election chances. Now, it seems to help somehow? You can't make this stuff up.

Pictured: It's been a weird one. Also shout out to the international readers (you know who you are)!

Though I grew up Republican I've been voting Democrat for a while now (and officially changed over not that long ago). The change for me happened personally around 2017 and it's only gotten worse from there. I mean, we had an attempted coup! (and for anyone who disagrees with that characterization, tell me how it doesn't fit the definition exactly.) At this point, the Republican Party is quite far gone and I would argue that, at the very least since January 6, 2021, is clearly the worse option.

A common question I get when saying the above is "Why did it take so long? The Republicans have been terrible for forever!" The answer is, yes, they have been. But I really can't stand the implication that the Democrats have been doing great. So here are the reasons it took me so long.

1: Intellectual Honesty

This is probably the biggest one. When a Republican says that they want to build a wall on the US/Mexico border because they are a bit racist, you can believe them. I mean, it's horrible. But you can believe them.

When a Democrat says they want to help the poor, minorities or any oppressed group because they're people too, you can't.

To be fair, the Republican Party has been getting worse on this point. But the membership (in my experience) is more intellectually honest. The Republican party base may believe straight up falsehoods, but they actually believe what they say they do.

2: Dismissal Begets Bullshit

Here's the thing with the Alt-Right and Q's crazy conspiracies. The reason people believe them is that the broad strokes are plausible. For example, there are almost certainly illegal DC and Hollywood sex rings. Pizzagate itself? No. That's bullshit. That everyone and their mother is involved? Also bullshit. But some kind of politician/celebrity illicit sex ring? I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one currently operating. We even just stopped a few of them in recent history (Epstein Island, Harvey Weinstein, NXIVM, need I go on?).

However, the de facto party line of calling inquiries about things happening behind closed doors a "conspiracy" (or brushing things under the rug) just feeds the fire of the bullshit ones instead of people focusing on real issues.

I'll stop saying bullshit now.

3: Expectations to Fall in Line

I get pushback from my fellow Democrats for just suggesting that Biden (or whoever is the current figurehead of the party at the time) could improve. I mean, I don't think they are as bad as the competition (I wouldn't be voting this way otherwise). But Biden really does suuuuuuuuuck in many ways (see, e.g. being a total hypocrite on student loans).

I don't like being expected to back or agree with a candidate because they are the nominee. This isn't sports. You don't just cheer for your side and hope for the best.

By the same token, it's not good if a campaign largely rests on "we aren't the other guys." Just because you aren't the worst doesn't make you anything more than the less worse.

Demand more.

4: Name Calling

January 6th's attempted coup is also the Democrats' fault.

I mean, it's definitely more the fault of those that actually did it and/or support it. But nothing can unite the right quite like being dehumanized or demonized by the left. If you want to convince someone that they're wrong, you shouldn't call them names like deplorable. What do you think they play on FOX News to freak people out?

If Democrats just engaged in actual argument, it might be too boring for a news cycle. But they have been more than willing to provide sound bites of hate. The resulting division is their fault too.

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You should always be suspicious of someone who says a politician or political party is good. Democracy is always a choice of the lesser of the evils presented. It's like the twins. Both are terrible in their own way. And I'm tired of pretending they aren't.