#voting #voters #elections #economics #politics #jobs #FinancialWellBeing
Voters feel as if they’ve lost control of their lives, and no politician(s) are going to be able to give it back to them.
That point was made during a discussion among Katy Tur, Catherine Rampell and Mark McKinnon on Tur’s show “The Moment” on MSNOW Sept. 22, 2026.
Rampell, an economics commentator on MSNOW, and McKinnon, a political consultant, were discussing how voters may react in the upcoming midterm elections.
The Republicans this cycle have made promises, but didn’t keep them. In past cycles, Democrats did the same.
With gasoline, grocery, housing and health-care prices skyrocketing, with employment prospects uncertain as artificial intelligence comes to the fore, it’s no wonder people are feeling as if they have no control over their lives.
In more cases, young people feel destined not to do as well as their parents financially. In past decades, the opposite was true in most cases.
When you have to buy clothes for work, gas up your car to get you to work etc., it may cost some people more to go to work than to stay home, if they work for low pay.
For these folks, hope isn’t going to cut it. Tomorrow will be a better day rings hollow. Becoming better off over time is, well, a fallacy – or, perhaps, fantasy.
Still, when evaluating whom to vote for, one has to rely on promises. When politicians break those promises, regardless of party affiliation, voters get discouraged.
When they get discouraged, a gut reaction is to not vote for anyone. But, almost every time, when one doesn’t vote, the result is disappointing at best, disastrous at worst.
Voting is an act of faith. Therefore, when voting, one has to assess the person’s record, affiliations and overall personality. As with many life choices, one has to choose something. Making the best choice sometimes is hard, but making a choice often is bold. Avoiding a choice is, well, chickening out.
All decisions have consequences. If no decision is a decision, it WILL have consequences. If you can stop the immediate bleeding by making a decision, that is bold.
Sometimes, voting decisions are based on having nothing left to lose. Though it may be tempting to make an emotional decision in the voting booth, it’s best to go into the booth armed with real evidence.
A good rule of thumb on which to base one’s voting decision: look at who is most benefiting from the status quo, and who is not.
If you are not benefiting from the status quo, vote for change. Certainly, if change comes, it may not be everything you want. But, if the status quo is not giving you much of what you want, change can be better.
The 1940s and 1950s are viewed by many as the best years for America. It’s impossible to go backward. It’s inevitable to move forward.
If whom to vote for is not a cut and dried decision for you, make the best decision possible. If it is cut and dried – at least in your mind – think about why that is.
To borrow from a Lee Ann Womack lyric, if you have the choice to sit it out or vote, I hope you vote.
Make a plan to vote, based on the rules in your jurisdiction. But, please vote. Don’t sit this one out.
Peter