Election Anxiety

17 Oct, 2024

As the Election approaches, my anxiety rises. The world today feels chaotic: the genocide in Gaza, rampant nationalism spreading through Europe, and disinformation campaigns from China and Russia aimed at creating instability and shifting the geopolitical balance. And that’s not even touching on our domestic issues.

With less than a month until Election Day, the extent of far-right manipulation of election laws is alarming, favoring the former president. I live in a heavily conservative county within an already right-leaning state (outside of the more progressive enclaves like Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio). My vote may not seem like it matters much, but I’ll still be heading to the polls for early voting on Monday, no matter what.

I’m deeply concerned about what’s to come. Even if he doesn’t win, he’s already planting the seeds of violence and chaos, claiming that any loss would be due to a “crooked left.” His followers accept this narrative, despite knowing deep down that it’s false.

Throughout his time in office, many of his supporters saw no real improvement in their lives. His policies favored the wealthy and the business elite, leaving those near or below the poverty line behind. Yet, they still believe that a man who lives in luxury and has shown disdain for people like them genuinely cares about their well-being. Do they truly believe that?

And then there’s Project 2025. Even if we assume that he had no direct involvement (though I doubt that), those he’s empowering are eager to see it through—and they likely will. This has been a long-term plan, developed over the last 40 years, inch by inch, from local offices to the national stage. It started with figures like Newt Gingrich and evolved into the Tea Party movement. The neo-cons thought they could control this base, but it grew beyond their grasp. Now, a man with no scruples holds the reins, steering this movement, not the neo-cons.

For women, LGBTQ+ individuals, Muslims, Jews—really, for any minority in this country—these are frightening times. Previous elections were often labeled “the most important of our lives,” but this time, it feels like we’re truly on the brink of danger and chaos. Yet, many dismiss it as just another political cycle, saying, “It won’t be that bad; it never is.”

“A visionary left at this moment is better suited than routed establishment Democrats to catalyze an uprising against Trump and Trumpism—engaging the protest voters’ pain and fear rather than pathologizing them, as many did (to disastrous effect) during the election.” “Together we can propose plans for a democracy and economy that work for the vast majority of people living in them, calling out the system as rigged, showing the ways men like Trump rigged it and charting a tangible way forward.” -Kate Aronoff

Would things have turned out differently if Democrats had taken this advice to heart? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s not all doom and gloom.

“There is no final victory, as there is no final defeat. There is just the same battle. To be fought, over and over again. So toughen up, bloody toughen up.” -Tony Benn

It’s time to get back up and do the hard work. The future of this country depends on it.

#2024