I despair sometimes when it seems that we are at the mercy of the followers among us.

[Atticus]

A man in my small hometown was known for putting political bumper stickers on his car hours after the polls closed and once the winners were known. He did not really follow politics. He just wanted to be associated with a winner.

There seems to be a lot of that going around these days. How a candidate is portrayed by the media seems to be the primary determinant of whose poll numbers are rising and who does well in a primary. Some could not begin to tell you where their candidate stands on Medicare For All or minimum wage or the fate of Dreamers, but they support them because it has been made to seem like the smart popular thing to do: "Everyone is voting for __________!"

Yeah, I know. To some extent, it has been ever thus. It seems to be worse this time around. Critical thought and uncomfortable questions seem to mark one as a dinosaur to be ignored. And, if you dare to suggest that people are letting the corporate media determine their vote, you'll be called an alarmist---or worse.

I guess it's time for a break.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. I returning from a long break, slow and steady

[pwb]

2. It is like everyone at a game wearing sport jerseys of their teams?

That gets me.

[dweller]

3. i know how you feel ... i posted today what i thought might be

an uplifting email i got from Beto that ended
"the countless thousands who were completely devastated by what they saw happening to their country, felt utterly powerless to stop it, and, over time, quietly retreated from the world into darkness and despair. And today? How many millions are so heartbroken by what has come to pass in America that they have already retreated from the world?

I refuse to be one of them. I still have faith in this country, faith that we can follow the optimism of our founders, faith that we can follow the example of El Paso… but it will take all we have from all of us who are willing to fight to save this country to make it so. And in this struggle, as Lincoln said at another defining moment in our history, "we shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth."

it's in Editorials, with 4 recs, 1 my own ... oh well, i tried
enjoy your break

✌🏼