Last week was Election Day. As you likely know, several states (including Texas) elected a multiple statewide offices, from Governor down. The entire U.S. House, many Senate seats, and thousands of state legislative seats were up for grabs. For many years, I’ve spent Election Night refreshing Twitter and watching television, perusing the real-time results with enthusiasm. This year, I spent the evening reading a book and then fell asleep on the couch. I’m glad I did.
This essay is no place for partisan politics and it never will be. However, the ideas of rural revitalization are inextricably tied to state and national policies that help or (more likely) harm our rural places. A passionate localist can care nothing for partisan politics but should stay informed on policy and the political culture that drives them.
You do not need my amateur expertise to see the toxicity in our current political culture. Everything is the Most Something. It is the Most Important Election. That guy’s idea is the Most Dangerous. The stakes are the Most Dire. We are asked to vote accordingly. Depending on the candidate, we are told to vote to save democracy, save Christianity, save the planet, and more.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of consequential issues, but much of this is a scam. Just look under the hood. Everything is dire, so give us money now! They don’t tell you that most of the money will enrich the people asking for it, not actually improve the world. What about the candidate who desperately pleads for your vote because their opponent is a dangerous lunatic? They might have donated to help their opponent defeat a reasonable person in the other party’s primary, because the lunatic was an easier target in the general election.
These are real-life examples. We are treating politics as a 24/7/365 sport. I like sports as much as the next person, but this is toxic and unhealthy for our society, communities, and relationships with one another. “Red Team Good, Blue Team Bad” (or vice versa)! Give us money and buy our merch and you’ll save America!
The real world is slightly more complex.
Last fall, I set out to get statewide political candidates to learn about rural issues. We had several candidates visit Stamford. Other candidates and influential types from both parties contacted me and reached out to learn. It was not about swinging an election (I’m not naïve enough to think I have that influence). It was about getting folks to listen. Some did. Some did not. It’s a start.
Rural Texas is not better simply because Republicans won in Texas. Rural Texas would not be better if Democrats won instead. Rural America will not be “saved” by a red team or a blue team. This is not sports, nor is it a Marvel Comic where such heroism is possible. We need to place less of our hopes and dreams on a particular political team. Those teams are full of flawed humans. Some have noble intentions. Others have selfish goals. Either way, they could not “save” us if they wanted to.
People are seeking identity in politics, because we have spent decades destroying the institutions where people formerly found identity, like local communities. All manner of political grifters and demagogues have seized upon that and turned politics into a desperate bloodsport. I’m over it.
Healthy local communities will never be built with Red Team/Blue Team antics. They will be built with local leaders who invest themselves and inspire others to invest and breathe new energy into places that need it. Whether you are elated or dismayed by the Election Day outcomes, I encourage you to take part of your energy that you apply toward political culture and apply it to building healthier, stronger local communities. If we did that, we would be stunned at the results. And if we as a people treated politics less as an all-consuming sport, our political candidates would respond accordingly.
Our political culture needs a makeover, but it does not start on Election Day or the campaign trail. It starts with each of us acting with a better, stronger sense of community.
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to West of 98 wherever podcasts are found.
Very good read.
Beautifully expressed, James. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words!