Voter disaffection in the US comes as no surprise. Approval ratings for Congress have been in the single digits.
Everyone could come up with a list of complaints:
Gridlock.
A Congress beholden to special interest money.
The wealth gap.
Unemployment and wage stagnation.
Student loan debt.
Wholesale gerrymandering that creates “safe” districts for the members.
Voters are fed up. They’re relinquishing the title "voter."
Some search desperately for ways to express unhappiness. They toss out their old party affiliations in large numbers. They’re officially called “declines” – meaning they decline to accept any partisan label. That must be a step away from declining to participate.
Will Talley of Frederick told Bethany Rodgers, a reporter for the Frederick News-Post: “…no matter what party is in office, the citizens are the ones somehow left out.”
Left out. What a commentary.
There has been some talk of opening the Maryland primaries so that anyone could vote in either party primary. And some political voices have talked about trying to “re-engage” voters. Just talk, so far. Wonder what they’re waiting for.
You would think the politicians might have some concern for this feeling. No doubt some do.
But what did Eric Cantor think before he lost last week? The suggestion he didn’t see it coming could tell you all you need to know. He lost by ten percent. If you don’t see that coming, you’re just not paying attention.
More of the country needs to fight back as the voters did in Virginia. Voting early, today or tomorrow, or on Primary Day, would be a start.
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