I am a voter. I have voted in every election since I turned the voting age of 18. In college, I proudly filled out my absentee voter ballot. While working crazy hours as a reporter, I still found time to squeeze in a visit to the polls. I consider it my essential duty, plus I just want to make sure that I my family doesn’t go entirely Republican. Someone just has to vote Democratic and I am proud to do so, relishing my role as the black sheep of the family.
But politics has always been a one-way conversation for me. The politicians shared their views. I listened, made my choice and voted. There was never a dialogue. The conversations came from within my family, in the form of arguments with my sister who keeps trying to prove her point until I cry “uncle” and agree to disagree. I have never written a candidate. I have never participated on a political campaign. I have been content to listen, make my choice and vote.
When reading “The First Campaign,” I kept thinking that Garrett (the author) was right on target with his assessments about the changing face of politics and challenges facing our country and our future leaders. Yes, this nation needs to consider its domestic issues in the face of the globalization. Yes, people want to be more engaged in our government and its politics. And yes, politics is increasingly becoming a two-way conversation. Blogger Fusose Talks explains that it’s almost like politics is catching up with the at-the-time radical ideas of the “Cluetrain Manifesto”. Instead of “markets are conversations,” you can say in this current election that “politics are conversations.”
But what I want to know… why am I not participating? I’m still receiving the one-way conversations and I appear to be content with it. For a few classes, I’ve been asked to explore the online websites of candidates and dip my foot into the politics pool, but other than that, I am not a participant. Why? It’s a question I ask myself when I see my friends donate money to candidates, when my sister participates in a campaign, or a classmate volunteers to hand out stickers. Why do I still just sit back?
As I read “The First Campaign,” I wanted to say I have changed. I am part of the online two-way conversation. I am looking up candidates’ platforms online. I am blogging about my favorite. But I am not. I voted. I have argued my beliefs with friends, but that is where my politics have ended.
Maybe my “first [online] campaign” isn’t here yet. Maybe I’m still trying to find someone who inspired me to volunteer or maybe I’m not yet ready for the two-way conversation. I don’t know, but I am looking for the answers.
