I somehow want to both upvote and downvote this comment at the same time. You’re right that it was the candidates’ jobs to earn votes. It was the voters’ jobs to properly assess the real risks and benefits of each of the two candidates that, between them, were guaranteed to take home a win for one and only one of them. (Edit: there was a time for protest/passion votes too, don’t get me wrong, that was the primaries though, not the general)
The candidate failed. The voters failed. But importantly, and I think by design, the collective ability of our youth to be able to critically evaluate their options also failed, which seems indicative that our education system failed to provide the foundational skills required for a functioning democracy. And that last thing, well… that thing has been a key part of conservative politics in the US since before I was born in the Geriatric Millennial Days last century.
Erosion of education has been something I’ve been watching happen my entire life, and I was on the bleeding edge of the WWW. I thought the internet would help make humanity more connected, united, and educated. Somewhere things went off the rails enough that we hit an event horizon moving into something resembling a shitty Continuum reimagining, so my Utopian expectation was clearly misplaced. My disappointment is immeasurable and my sadness comparable.
Pretty sure it was the candidates job to earn enough votes. Thanks Harris and the horrible Dem establishment campaign plan.
I somehow want to both upvote and downvote this comment at the same time. You’re right that it was the candidates’ jobs to earn votes. It was the voters’ jobs to properly assess the real risks and benefits of each of the two candidates that, between them, were guaranteed to take home a win for one and only one of them. (Edit: there was a time for protest/passion votes too, don’t get me wrong, that was the primaries though, not the general)
The candidate failed. The voters failed. But importantly, and I think by design, the collective ability of our youth to be able to critically evaluate their options also failed, which seems indicative that our education system failed to provide the foundational skills required for a functioning democracy. And that last thing, well… that thing has been a key part of conservative politics in the US since before I was born in the Geriatric Millennial Days last century.
Erosion of education has been something I’ve been watching happen my entire life, and I was on the bleeding edge of the WWW. I thought the internet would help make humanity more connected, united, and educated. Somewhere things went off the rails enough that we hit an event horizon moving into something resembling a shitty Continuum reimagining, so my Utopian expectation was clearly misplaced. My disappointment is immeasurable and my sadness comparable.