You would think your community would be your main concern. Events and developments within short distances constitute a bigger threat, relief and addition to your life. Despite the obvious, local newsrooms are dying, and all I hear in class is people conveying their continual regret in their lack of local news consumption. My claim is simple: you don’t need politics in your life, and it’d serve you to cut out news media completely.
I was in class talking amongst students regarding their weekend plans and quirky personal stories. Everything was fine until someone brought up voting. I was asked if I planned to vote, to which I answered, “No.”
The pack smelt blood bursting in commentary, and I was hit with flashbacks of my high school teachers saying, “I can’t hear when all of you speak at once.”
I was a bit overwhelmed and confused, trying to figure out where this passion for voting found its roots.
The shrewdest comment came from what appeared to be the classic internet liberal. With his negative presumptions regarding conservatives, he turned my way.
“So you’re going to let Trump win? You know you’re supporting fascism?”
A conversation concerning the ethics of not voting ensued. Frankly, I was stunned at the outrage. Where was this outrage in our recent Gubernatorial Election? 36% of the eligible three million voters came out to the polls. Could it be that we’re too preoccupied with the sensationalism of national politics, completely delusional about our true intentions?
Voting in its purest form never came in this country without struggle, but this was different. Something told me it wasn’t about voting but about not letting the other side win. The way the group reacted hinted at a real fear of Trump winning. That made me cringe.
We’ve always been obsessed with the good versus evil archetype. This captivating, beloved historical trope is found in many ancient writings, religions, movies, books, etc. We saw a recent example of this with President Biden’s 2022 speech in Philadelphia with the “hellish red background” attempting to craft the moment as pivotal in the fight against evil Trumpys.
We are being sold a good vs evil narrative that continues to disillusion normal, curious Americans into believing their opposing party’s neighbor hates them. We are not on the cusp of civil war. Our moment in time is a unique stamp in the tale of human history and should not be compared to past events. Your neighbor does not hate you, and the PBS documentary ‘Undivide Us’ furthered this notion, finding that 79% of Americans disagreed with the statement, “I could never be friends with someone who disagrees with me politically.”
It’s hard to take people’s opinions seriously because we present inconsistencies and form opinions from external factors. Social identity theory tells us we base our opinions on our associations and behaviors.
A 2003 study from Stanford analyzed how people judge policies when a reference group’s opinions, such as their political party, are made clear. It found people did not objectively assess policy when the reference group was given. On the contrary, when no reference group was given, people objectively developed an opinion on the policy. It’s not about trusting someone to think on their own, but trusting that their conclusion was met without meddling influences.
Everyone has issues they prioritize, but the issues and policies of a candidate are not all that drive voters. Stanford Report found that geographic and generational factors, perceived empathy and media framing affect our voters’ decisions, reminding us not to use people’s opinions to judge or vilify their character. It’s hypocritical to assume your opinions were built differently.
People’s opinions are fluid in nature, and even looking at Independents tells us that people do not know themselves to the level we might want to believe. Pew Research found that 38% of Americans describe themselves as independents; however, their analysis showed only 7% did not lean toward a party based on their attitudes. Both Stanford and Pew’s research findings illustrate a reminder to remain wary of identifying people based on what comes out of their mouths. You’re better off joking about Trump’s idiocy and Harris’ creepy smile.
In my daily life, I do not see genuine political interest in most political commentaries. Instead, I see an existentially enthralled host using news as fuel to America’s boiling pseudo-religious war, wrangling over to what extent we should open the Pandora’s box of how we should live. It is not as easy as eliminating voices or removing content. Looking at Mark Zuckerberg, we can see why. When talking about removing polarizing posts, Zuckerberg offered an explanation of how removing the content does not solve the problem.
“Our research suggests that no matter where we draw the lines for what is allowed, as a piece of content gets close to that line, people will engage with it more on average,” he said.
This shows we need to reset how we consume news media. If not a reset, an individual banishment of such content. From a utilitarian perspective, I say banishment is best because humans are naturally “more activated” by negative content.
There are more important things for you to worry about that actually benefit your life. Despite your relief or dismay with national politics, the gears of your reality only turn at your behest. Fumbling around with the morality of candidates and national politics is not worth the time, energy and demonization it carries.
I understand your strong passions for abortion, immigration and economic outlook, but ask yourself the following: Are you doing anything productive to further a larger agenda? If you aren’t, reexamine your intentions and be critical of your behavior; make proactive changes that do not rely on constant slander.
Recently, I attended a Manship event entitled ‘2024 Presidential Election: How to Analyze It like a Pro.’ In unanimous consensus, the panelists agreed this was an issueless election fueled by the lack of trust in Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s habit of offensive language. I attended the talk prepared to hear the difference in positions on Palestine, the economy and immigration, but I was served a dish of disappointment. I was fooling myself into believing a president, who will likely lose their house and senate majority, would change my life and tend to issues I believed in. This solidified my theory that this was simply a war between good and evil.
You have the wrong impression of America. Trump is not a fascist, nor is Harris, the savior of democracy. We live in a country with year-over-year worsening narcissism and lessened empathy. Holding our opinions in higher regard while allowing little patience to find the logic of opposing candidates is why we must learn to separate followers from their leaders. If we cannot bear to understand opposing candidates, who has the awareness to find common ground with a regular person?
The alt-right, extreme leftists are fans, fanatics using the symbolism of a candidate to galvanize people to perpetuate their own obscure viewpoints. If you cannot separate a Trump voter from Trump himself, you are not mature enough for political discussions.
I learned this lesson first-hand from Former Presidents Barack Obama and George Bush, the predecessor and his successor. Bush’s right-leaning perception might lead you to believe he was pro-deportation and pro-military intervention. President Obama presided over a military responsible for 563 drone strikes that killed an estimated 384 to 807 civilians while also deporting one million more people than Bush.
I had two family members deported under Obama. Still, those statistics represent a comparison to demonize Obama, only to provide context that perception is a powerful factor in how we remember candidates. I remember the elation lifting my feet as my second-grade eyes witnessed Obama win. It felt like skin tone did not matter, but that was my downfall. Politics is a subset of culture. Don’t get lost flipping it the other way around. Your candidate is not special. Put the poll numbers down and go for a run; it’s likely that you’re just a fan.
Mohammad Tantawi is a 24-year-old mass communication senior from Smyrna, TN.
