It’s election season in the United States of America. This particular election seems fairly important — but then again, don’t they all. This time around, both major political parties are out to sell the population on the notion that only their party can save America. I have my own thoughts, but I’m not going to share them here.
Instead, I’m going to zoom out and look at politicians as a persona. Politicians rarely run on maintaining the status quo — they run on change. “Vote for me and X will happen!” They try and sell you on the world being a different, better place if you put them in office.
Career politicians are an even more interesting case study. The logic for many ends up being something like, “Keep me in office and I’ll be sure to do X!” Few ask them why they didn’t do that very thing during the current term. They’re running on the promise of change, but have no track record in making actual changes happen.
My first, and only, foray into politics was sixth grade student council. I wanted to run for president (because why not). There were already multiple people running for president, and they were more popular than me. A teacher pulled me aside and recommended that I withdraw my candidacy and run for treasurer instead. Nobody else was running for that office and the teacher wanted me to experience student government. I was heartbroken, but I accepted. When I watched the remaining candidates deliver their speeches to the school, I was struck by just how hopeful all of their language was. There were promises of better lunch food in the cafeteria and school store, and maybe even a hot tub in the cafeteria (or was that a “Saved by the Bell” episode?). I don’t remember who I voted for, or really who even won. I also don’t remember much of any of the substantive change that was promised. It felt like “lip service” at the time, and probably ended up being exactly that. I served my term as treasurer and never did anything with student government again in my life.
If politicians are an archetype, then so are we — the electorate. We are hopeful and impressionable. We are eager to believe things that may or may not ever become true. We want change. And we buy the myth every single time around. We are ultimately never content, though. We know that we want something to change, but we don’t always know what or why, or even who the best person is to lead us there. Voting, however, is the one thing that we have.
Voting is the ultimate expression of the change we want to see.
R.E.M. — “Exhuming McCarthy”