• About Us
  • Write For Us
  • Advertising
  • Support
  • Contact Us
October 3, 2023 10:41 pm CDT
Heartland Newsfeed
  • Illinois
    • Local
      • Capital Area
      • East Central Illinois
      • West Central Illinois
    • Regional
      • Chicagoland
      • Metro-East
      • Northern Illinois
      • Quad Cities
      • Southern Illinois
    • Obits
    • Executive Watch
    • Legislative Watch
    • Road Conditions
      • Illinois
    • Weather Closings
      • Central Illinois
  • Missouri
    • Regional
      • Northeastern Missouri
      • East Central Missouri
      • St. Louis Metro
      • Southeast Missouri
    • Executive Watch
    • Legislative Watch
    • Weather Closings
      • Greater STL Metro (IL/MO)
    • Road Conditions
      • Missouri
  • Weather
  • National
  • World
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • OPINION
  • Radio
    • Affiliates
    • Network Schedule
    • Network Streams
    • Podcasts
  • Features
    • Business Directory
    • Classifieds
      • Current Ads
      • Job Board
        • Job Listings
        • J2CTalroo
        • Post a Job
        • Receive Alerts
        • ZipSearch
    • Community Calendar
    • Live Video
    • Newsfeeds
    • Puzzles & More
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Calendar
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

Heartland Newsfeed
No Result
View All Result

KNAPP: Things always change with Election Day

Thomas Knapp by Thomas Knapp
November 5, 2022
in Columnists, Commentary, Opinion, Opinion-Editorial
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Donate
0
Election Day
SHAMAS/ADOBE STOCK PHOTO

“Election Day” has become a fuzzy concept lately. Officially it falls on “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.” However, most states offer early voting in person or by mail these days.

Millions of Americans have already cast their votes. The probability that we won’t know all the winners and losers on “election night” is in the neighborhood of 100%. The U.S. Senate race in Georgia may well go to a runoff. Some Congressional races may come out close enough to justify a recount. In other races, prospective sore losers have already announced their intention to litigate any result they don’t like.

Even though I’m writing this on the Saturday before “Election Day,” there’s a good chance you won’t see it until Wednesday or later. So now feels like as good a time as any for the “morning after” column.

So, how was it for you? Are you basking in the afterglow of “your team’s” victories, or venting loudly about the unfairness of “your team’s” losses?

Are you convinced that, after all the months of constant foofooraw leading up to “Election Day,” anything substantial really changed between Monday and Wednesday?

It didn’t. We’ve still got the same problems we had before. We’ve still got the same people (minus a few old faces and plus a few new) who will spend the next two years promising to solve those problems. They’ll solve those problems if we’ll all just vote harder … next time.

The most important election ever? Pfft…

The same people telling us that this is the most important election ever said the same about the previous election. It’ll never end because they will say it again about the next election.

Those of us who believe that voting harder will solve our problems will find reasons why voting harder didn’t work this time.

Their team lost its Senate majority or didn’t gain one. The House changed majority parties or didn’t. The dog ate their ballots. There was spit on that baseball or lead in that bat.

Believe it or not, life will go on next week the same way it did last week.

Which, I guess, is better than the alternative.

I’ve worked full-time in politics for more than two decades and part-time for more than three.  I can summarize what I’ve learned in six words:

There’s nothing new under the sun.

The issues we tussle over may change in detail, but they don’t change in essence. Voting harder answers the question “who do we let run our lives?” We should instead be asking, “Why let anyone run our lives?”

I follow (and occasionally practice) politics for the same reason a junkie seeks the next fix or a compulsive gambler places just one more bet, not because I expect voting harder to change my life for the better. It’s a nasty habit and I really should quit. But the dog ate my ballot.

What’s your excuse?


Thomas Knapp
Website | + posts

Thomas L. Knapp is the director and senior news analyst for the Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism. Knapp is a journalism veteran of over 35 years and a full-time libertarian writer, editor and publisher since 2000.

Knapp has been the publisher of Rational Review News Digest since 2003 and a former columnist for Antiwar.com.

  • Thomas Knapp
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/thomasknapp/
    KNAPP: Make impeachment great again
  • Thomas Knapp
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/thomasknapp/
    KNAPP: Bank collapses: Yes, it’s a taxpayer bailout
  • Thomas Knapp
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/thomasknapp/
    KNAPP: Time for the spoiler whining
  • Thomas Knapp
    https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/thomasknapp/
    KNAPP: Look for the Libertarian label Nov. 8

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Telegram
  • Print
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...
Share198Tweet124Share5Send
  • Workforce training center opens in Litchfield

    1497 shares
    Share 599 Tweet 374
  • Missouri law to crack down on porch pirates

    980 shares
    Share 392 Tweet 245
  • Missouri Dems critical of proposed tax cut

    959 shares
    Share 384 Tweet 240
  • No management pay raises in UPS deal

    917 shares
    Share 367 Tweet 229
  • McARDLE PAPERS: The most corrupt committee in the national Libertarian Party

    915 shares
    Share 366 Tweet 229

OPERATING HOURS

Online all the time 
Office Hours: 8 AM to 8 PM

Sitemap | Published Press | Privacy Policy
Staff Email | Independent Media | Buy traffic for your website

LIVE WEBSITE VIEWERS

Some rights reserved 2017-2023 by Heartland Newsfeed, a subsidiary partnership by Heartland Internet Media Networks and Heartland Media Group of Central Illinois LLC. Content published by Heartland Newsfeed staff is covered by the BipCot NoGov license. This allows use and re-use by anyone except governments and government agents. License on record. JNews theme designed and developed by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • World
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • Travel

Some rights reserved 2017-2023 by Heartland Newsfeed, a subsidiary partnership by Heartland Internet Media Networks and Heartland Media Group of Central Illinois LLC. Content published by Heartland Newsfeed staff is covered by the BipCot NoGov license. This allows use and re-use by anyone except governments and government agents. License on record. JNews theme designed and developed by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

WP Radio
WP Radio
OFFLINE LIVE
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00
%d bloggers like this: