OPINION: Right between the eyes

Written by Marianne Mansfield

Tuesday’s election results were a wake-up call for me. Of course, I knew there were a ton of Republicans here in Washington County, and I suspected that many of them voted a straight ticket regardless of the platforms of the individual candidates. I almost always vote a straight ticket, too. Probably with a similar rationale, but different results.

What struck me between the eyes with enough impact to make me see stars was the recognition that political change here is such a precipitous uphill climb. The numbers are against those of us who yearn for different voices representing us. In the future, I’ll continue to work for candidates I support, but my expectations will be much more realistic. It’s less disappointing that way.

Tuesday night, I had trouble sleeping. I spent more than a little time wondering if those who have suggested I find a place to live more befitting my political beliefs might be on to something.  That night, I asked a well-traveled friend with whom I agree on most issues where she would head if she wanted to live among like-minded thinkers. Her reply?  Minneapolis.  I considered it for a moment, but it snows there, and I left the Midwest to escape the white stuff.

On Wednesday, I began searching the Web for some sign that the results of the elections hadn’t been as devastating as they felt. I was largely unsuccessful. I listened to the president I support, longing for a glimmer of hope that despite the overwhelming losses by the Democratic party, some good might come out of it all.  Although he claimed that he had heard the voice of the people, even I wasn’t convinced he intends to change the manner in which he deals with the legislative branch. Then, I listened to the newly anointed Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. He actually sounded slightly more conciliatory than the president, but I was still left with the feeling that gridlock and divisiveness will be the order of the day for the next two years. 

It was late in the day on Wednesday when I stumbled upon a Facebook item (yes. I do spend time there) that caught my attention. It was posted by US Uncut. According to Wikipedia, US Uncut is a decentralized direct action group in the United States established in February 2011 to combat corporate tax avoidance and highlight cuts to social spending and public sector jobs. The banner of the post read “Progressives Win Big on Ballot Questions.” It went on to list seven ballot questions that had been supported by voters in various states. Among the items winning approval were increases in the minimum wage in four states, a ban on natural gas fracking in four Texas counties, and the implementation of universal gun background checks in Washington state. These are issues I have supported, and will continue to support.

It led me to ponder the passage in our county of the RAP (Recreation, Arts, and Parks) tax, with 51 percent of the vote. Slim? Yes. But it passed. While the RAP tax hardly falls into the same progressive bucket as say, the legalization of marijuana, it does represent an example of Republicans and Democrats agreeing on something. Because, let’s face it, there aren’t enough Democrats in Washington County to make up 51 percent of the vote, unless the vote total is less than 100, perhaps?

What does the success of these mostly progressive ballot questions indicate about us as the American electorate? Perhaps it suggests that because whatever faith in our elected officials we might have had in the past is squelched even further by each month of inactivity and bipartisan bickering, we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands. We can no longer trust that our elected officials will represent our causes. We’ll just handle it ourselves. We’ll get the issues we care about on the ballot, and let the folks decide.

What’s more, the backers of the initiatives in those states, and the backers of the RAP tax here, obviously discovered ways to reach across political divides and convince a majority of voters that their measures were worth supporting. They might just be able to teach our candidates for political office a thing or two. How does one build support among disparate groups? I don’t know the answer, but the very existence of some successful ballot initiatives tells me that somebody knows how to get it done.

So, here it is. Despite my moment of doubt on Tuesday evening, I’m staying around for the foreseeable future. There’s something going on out there, and I want to see how it plays out.