"I actually had a chance to talk to college kids when I had a lot more sense. Largely, they believe everything that happens in DC is happening with every Democrat everywhere."
This is it. You nailed it. Young people have no experience with active and working political parties in their own backyards. I remember that Friday night football is where a lot of local politicians did their relationship building. All kids see now are caricatures on social media, not their neighbors in politics.
All young people have ever seen is the nationalization of politics. Many adults believe the media narratives are reality because they were probably never involved in politics until Trump came along. Either they got on board with MAGA or they got involved because they despise MAGA. I have had some confounding conversations with people who are convinced if I'm a Democrat, I must be a radical. This kind of all or none thinking has led to a lot of despondency about politics and the ability of persuasion to work.
It becomes a vicious cycle of people dropping out of the system and just not voting. Republicans have no ideas or policies. They just cling to power and a big part of their strategy is based on Democrats not voting. Regardless of what happens in the fall, if Texas Democrats keep doing what we are doing now, we can revive those despondent voters through organizing, showing up and if we do get elected delivering the goods for them.
Thank you for this. Please let us know when you make the deranged optimism shirt. I need one ❤️ hosting my third civic coworking space tomorrow. Just diligently working to keep connecting with people in my network, one by one to get them to the polls
Well, this may be my new favorite column. I do not subscribe to the Observer but they want me to and often send me articles. Did not see the compliment one. 😎
Yeah. I was really disappointed in the post by Gus Bova of the Texas Observer. I guess if you dig through the whole thing, he eventually makes kind of a left-handed compliment. Having said that, I do not know of anyone besides you who provides information on down-ballot candidates and elections as well as political events like what has been happening in Tarrant County.
I haven't been paying as much attention to my Substack addiction these days. So, I didn't go back and read the Observer article. Now I have. My take on Bova's take is that it is the difference between a publication with a detached editorial voice written by a journalist taking up a position which works for the needs of his publication rather than his heartfelt beliefs.
On the other hand, Michelle is writing about her actual thoughts and beliefs without the mediation of an editorial stance. She also does something pundits never do. Which is to provide all those operational details we need to get our political work done. Reading Lone Star Left is sort of like having coffee at the Dairy Queen every morning and getting your finger on the pulse of the community.
Bova ultimately makes a good point about how grassroots work. Jaded journalists either don't have a sense of how people make their own luck, or take the stance that such a thing does not exist. Journalism doesn't examine how, especially in Texas, real people just gut it out until things get better through sheer effort. It's interesting that Bova noted the reality of Texas Democrats making their own luck and gave Michelle credit for gutting it out.
We need both kinds of writing. It is a shame we don't have useful local political writing any more though. There was a time when reporters sat in the Dairy Queen and got their finger on the pulse of the community. Michelle fills that void nicely.
"I actually had a chance to talk to college kids when I had a lot more sense. Largely, they believe everything that happens in DC is happening with every Democrat everywhere."
This is it. You nailed it. Young people have no experience with active and working political parties in their own backyards. I remember that Friday night football is where a lot of local politicians did their relationship building. All kids see now are caricatures on social media, not their neighbors in politics.
All young people have ever seen is the nationalization of politics. Many adults believe the media narratives are reality because they were probably never involved in politics until Trump came along. Either they got on board with MAGA or they got involved because they despise MAGA. I have had some confounding conversations with people who are convinced if I'm a Democrat, I must be a radical. This kind of all or none thinking has led to a lot of despondency about politics and the ability of persuasion to work.
It becomes a vicious cycle of people dropping out of the system and just not voting. Republicans have no ideas or policies. They just cling to power and a big part of their strategy is based on Democrats not voting. Regardless of what happens in the fall, if Texas Democrats keep doing what we are doing now, we can revive those despondent voters through organizing, showing up and if we do get elected delivering the goods for them.
Politics, who knew, right? Let's go!
Thank you for everything you do! We appreciate The Lonestar Left!!
🫶🏻
I love that the Texas Observer wrote that story about your work! Congratulations! 🎉
💙💙
Thank you for this. Please let us know when you make the deranged optimism shirt. I need one ❤️ hosting my third civic coworking space tomorrow. Just diligently working to keep connecting with people in my network, one by one to get them to the polls
🫶🏻
Well, this may be my new favorite column. I do not subscribe to the Observer but they want me to and often send me articles. Did not see the compliment one. 😎
People keep saying it won’t happen. The numbers are there but is the “will” there?
Yeah. I was really disappointed in the post by Gus Bova of the Texas Observer. I guess if you dig through the whole thing, he eventually makes kind of a left-handed compliment. Having said that, I do not know of anyone besides you who provides information on down-ballot candidates and elections as well as political events like what has been happening in Tarrant County.
Ha, thanks John. I took it as a compliment, not everyone can be a big picture thinker. 😉 Besides, now I have a new amazing tagline.
Thank you, Michelle! Just shared on bsky! Let's make some 'miracles'!!!
I'll take one of those tee shirts!
I haven't been paying as much attention to my Substack addiction these days. So, I didn't go back and read the Observer article. Now I have. My take on Bova's take is that it is the difference between a publication with a detached editorial voice written by a journalist taking up a position which works for the needs of his publication rather than his heartfelt beliefs.
On the other hand, Michelle is writing about her actual thoughts and beliefs without the mediation of an editorial stance. She also does something pundits never do. Which is to provide all those operational details we need to get our political work done. Reading Lone Star Left is sort of like having coffee at the Dairy Queen every morning and getting your finger on the pulse of the community.
Bova ultimately makes a good point about how grassroots work. Jaded journalists either don't have a sense of how people make their own luck, or take the stance that such a thing does not exist. Journalism doesn't examine how, especially in Texas, real people just gut it out until things get better through sheer effort. It's interesting that Bova noted the reality of Texas Democrats making their own luck and gave Michelle credit for gutting it out.
We need both kinds of writing. It is a shame we don't have useful local political writing any more though. There was a time when reporters sat in the Dairy Queen and got their finger on the pulse of the community. Michelle fills that void nicely.