The Sidetrack

In case I one day feel like writing again

Just under a decade from now, the redistricting process will be underway again in Utah and much will be the same. Republicans will have a legislative majority only slightly smaller than today's. There will be a Republican governor. There may me one Independent in our federal delegation, but no Democrats. Elections may be breaking 55-45 instead of 65-35, but still mostly going to Republicans. 

The demographics and population centers of our state, though, will be very different.

Ah, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Utah. A day for Republican lawmakers state and federal to tweet a few "safe" quotes from King, and applaud his "message of unity."

King wasn't a unity guy. He was a radical fighting injustice. Some crossover there, but a lot of daylight too. The only "unity" he spend his final months talking about was the intersection of racism, inequality, war, and power. There are some great reads out there I wish everyone would spend time with. King's own words, of course.

In all the excitement of a potential war with Iran with President Hamberder at the helm, I missed this new year Noonan nugget:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi made herself look ridiculous this year when she backed lowering the voting age to 16. This is an idiotic and destructive idea, an epic and hackish pander, and is offensive to the baseline reality that the adults of a great nation have the right to govern its affairs.

A legislative staffer friend long ago suggested I write something about my experience as a transparency activist in Utah. It's a cool story. Every time I try to tell it I'm reminded it isn't about me or any I have skills I bring to the table. My skills -- professionally and politically -- are limited shouting words and making confident guesses, just like lawmakers, but with a better track record on guessing right.

The Republican Party had been on track to spit up something like Trump for quite some time. Inevitable without a course correction that never came. One party shitting the bed with their nominee usually means a brutal loss. 

I know, I know. Electoral college luck. Clinton Mehs. Clinton team too comfy.Two counties in Wisconsin that decided what the hell lets see what happens. Angry white dudes. Crazy white evangelicals. Etc. But we shouldn't ignore this because didn't help.