The United States Of Socioeconomics?
My candidate won the Presidency, but before I party, may there be due reflection
Yesterday was Election Day of November 2024. Not accustomed to staying up late after an evening of news, being on the west coast during a national event, being tired of election news in recent days and not expecting an answer as quickly as I might from a sitcom, I offed the TV at quarter til 9.
As a Trump voter I still felt “cautiously optimistic” — a cliche a newscaster had acknowledged a few minutes earlier to emphasize that his campaign no longer expressed that constraint in interviews. Now, during the next morning, I’m not sure how much I still entertained the restraint because I knew my number sense and my imagination were both strong, or because I was assimilating my victory party with another event that I was increasingly conscious of.
What I’ve noticed for many election cycles as an adult has been the stark difference between urban and rural results. One of the more dishonest characterizations I’ve heard on conservative talkradio has been the implication that the country is mostly red when you look at a map. I don’t recall if this was alluded to by more than one commentator or what political event (probably a loss) inspired it, but geographical common sense overrode any solidarity he was trying to inspire.
Last night the red/blue contrast didn’t seem quite as confined by population density, nor even by racial density compared to prior years, though I know such things can change over time. I’ve also played around with expressing ranges on maps enough to know that selecting the right cutoff criteria can result in a stronger effect.
Still, why in this day and age of spreading technology is a rural (or ethnic) lifestyle so pronounced? Are those of us more accustomed to city amenities or the culture of the dominant race of our country or region taking ease for granted or unaware of how life is impacted for those situated as outsiders? I’m not asking this naively but rhetorically, for as justified as either side feels…even if the idea of change has no obvious answer, can we consider that one may be worth considering at this time?
Another factor I was especially disappointed to hear attributed to voting patterns was the old chestnut of education — and not simply because I assume others might voice or silently wonder that I’d aligned myself with the less sophisticated. The attitude that education correlates with more intelligent or compassionate choices concerns me because it might contribute to parents or students amassing debt and making vocational or training choices at a young age. (In one of his books, I think Michael Savage describes the increasing interest in college as a bubble — like one that occurs in investments/fads). My views have changed some over the decades and politics wasn’t the only way I was an eccentric student, but it’s another matter for a past choice to retain such a strong influence on a decision of this magnitude.
Of course, the gender gap was repeatedly mentioned. To the extent that’s abortion-related due to copious campaigning or Trump’s Supreme Court victories, I’ll leave the field for more learned or impassioned advocates, having satisfied curiosity by my acknowledgment. To the extent that other factors are in play, reading on may help you fill things in. I’m not being coy by suggesting that it will if you’re a crafty enough reader.
I don’t mind admitting a certain level of defeat in discerning truth in journalism today. I’d rather have the security of that due diligence than any authoritative veneer. I’ve read and heard certainties of all political attitudes from sources ranging from personal experience to professional expertise to daunting wisdom with convincing experience. Maybe I’m just trusting my limitless imagination too readily, but lacking direct political connections it’s all too easy to imagine corruption leaking in, no matter how well-intentioned a team is.
As informed as we may try to be, how sure can we be of something we weren’t in some way present for? This isn’t about throwing up your hands and doing whatever. It’s about the suspicion that, when push comes to shove, that I may be no more convincing of others than they are of me; is the chance of convincing them to help avert a social disaster worth any resulting resentment? It may seem obviously so if you believe in its likelihood — but all things considered may show you a different way.
My last article was based on this primarily. If it sounds like a New Age wonder at the Chinese saying about living in interesting times I accept having an honest question over dishonest answers.
To the extent you have awareness and opinions of any allegations regarding Trump or Harris, those are referring to above about the gender gap. Not that I believe there should be one based on what I said about research and belief. Just that if anyone wants to fill in the blanks about the serious matter of beliefs and reasons by applying anything they’ve come to believe or experienced about others, who am I to say they won’t somehow heal any of this in the scheme of things?
