Jared Yates Sexton: Drifting To The Brink

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Jared Yates Sexton
@JYSexton
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Developments leading to the Midterms reflect growing authoritarianism and a worsening threat to democracy.

If we're going to have a better future we're going to have to disabuse ourselves of lies we've been sold.

Let's dive into the situation.

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jaredyatessexton.substack.com
Drifting To The Brink
The run-up to the Midterm Elections has been distressing as America seems poised to dive deeper and deeper into the crisis
9:20 AM · Oct 19, 2022

https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/p/drifting-to-the-brink

When I first saw the numbers I paused. Went to the kitchen, poured myself another cup of coffee, and then returned, ready to sort through the mess. Over the past few days The New York Times has rolled out the findings of its joint poll with Sienna College, and the results have been predictably dire.

The picture they paint is grim. According to the poll, over 70% of Americans believe the country faces an existential threat to democracy, while only 7% tabbed that threat as the most pressing issue in determining their voting in November. In combining answers listing “the economy” and “inflation” (45%) it is obvious, at least through this poll, what is going to drive people to the polls.

These kinds of things are maddening. Of course, electorates are frustrating. Routinely they contradict themselves, creating divided governments incapable of doing much of anything and citing either made-up nonsense or bastardized talking points as their reasons for choosing candidates. But something here is even worse than all of that. It is a fundamental misunderstanding, by voters and by politicians and by media, that speaks to larger challenges and threats.

On the most recent episode of The Muckrake Podcast we welcomed Danielle Moodie, host of WokeAF and co-host of Democracy-Ish with Wajahat Ali, to the show to discuss these polls and what they meant for the upcoming election. Moodie is a wonderful commentator and has an unparalleled knack for slicing through the humdrum and counterproductive bullshit in politics and finding the truth hiding in its core. And on this subject, she could not have been more right.

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