Party of unpopular presidents has lost an average of 37 House seats.All key national mood indicators well below historical averages.President's party usually loses seats in midterm elections.USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising three boys in Nolensville, Tennessee, with his particularly patient wife, Justine. We really ought to be more faithful in the upcoming elections. Our votes are the measure of our fidelity to the privilege of self-governance.
![midterm elections 2018 polls midterm elections 2018 polls](https://i.redd.it/ytnjccfjgrt01.png)
Expecting more from them doesn’t require monumental effort, but we must be willing to ask a few uncomfortable questions and hold our representation accountable. The Constitution gives us tremendous power over our leaders in America. What has Mark Green done to earn your vote other than being a Republican? Has Steve Cohen provided effective constituent services or is he just another reliable Democratic vote? Has your representative actually advanced meaningful legislation or does he drop partisan messaging bills to book a slot on cable news? The inquiry isn’t particularly complicated. We can’t latch onto entertaining personalities and forget to ask whether such representation has any substance behind it. What has your representative done for you? Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter: Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee. Americans want our leaders to be engaging and interesting. That’s true regardless of whether our proclivities lean liberal or conservative.Īt the same time, every modern politician must be able to communicate and engage in the era of mass media. It doesn’t make for snappy advertisements and sound bites. Leading a large, diverse nation like ours is exceedingly complex. Many of us are so politically hopeless that we don’t care at all. Consistently enforced laws and predictable regulation? Our leaders simply pick and choose what suits their political ends. Non-invasive bureaucracies? We’ve managed to politically weaponize all of that. We’ve had poor governance for so long that we don’t have a realistic baseline to judge the product coming out of Washington, D.C.įiscal sobriety? Nope. The litmus test is essentially whether they’re on our team or not. Our expectations are remarkably low for our elected representatives. The dark truth is that most of us don’t believe it can change. Wade is antithetical to American democracy | Column How my 'Prodigal Son' brother taught me what family really means | Column We must face Southern Baptist Convention's 'soul murder' and right the wrongs | Column How Bacon’s Rebellion of the 17th century accelerated legalized racism in America | Column Outrage about overturning Roe v. 4 Tennessee primary election | Editorial Voter turnout totals are shameful More: Learn about candidates running in the Aug.
![midterm elections 2018 polls midterm elections 2018 polls](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/Midterm-elections-2018-1578021.jpg)
He’s hosted candidates on the air, but the level of interest and excitement hasn’t been what either of us expected for a seat almost certainly flipping from Democrat to Republican. My friend and SuperTalk 99.7 radio host, Matt Murphy, noticed the same phenomenon. The ones who did couldn’t tell me much about the candidates on the ballot other than platitudes pasted on campaign materials. The majority of Tennesseans aren’t interested enough to vote.įor months, I haven’t been able to understand why nobody seems to care that a seat for the United States House of Representatives is up for grabs in Tennessee.Īfter polling my friends and family, many didn’t even know there’s a primary election on August 4, 2022. Don’t let the flurry of activity confuse you. My social media feed suggests I ought to have a bizarre obsession with 5th Congressional District candidates Kurt Winstead and Andy Ogles. Political fliers have littered my home over the last month. We must be willing to ask a few uncomfortable questions and hold our representation accountable.Gallup says Congress' approval rating has fallen to 16%, but politicians are not held to account.
![midterm elections 2018 polls midterm elections 2018 polls](http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/shared/npr/styles/x_large/nprshared/201810/653956907.jpg)
A review or elections in 2018 showed far less than 50% of citizens bother to vote in congressional primary and general elections.USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising three boys in Nolensville, Tennessee.