| With just a week until Election Day, the focus grows more intense on predicting outcomes. And that means more intensity and even rancor in the debates on our cable news stations and social media outlets. It's getting vicious out there. I used to think politics was fun, and, like so many, I pored over polls and loved listening to pundits and politicians predict the coming results and argue about the merits of their candidates and issues. Even as a kid in presidential election years, I stayed up until all hours watching the Republican and Democratic national conventions – back when it often took until the wee hours of the morning to know who the nominee was going to be. When an election ended, my buddies on the other side and I would rib each other for weeks about it, but that was fun, too. Now, I just can't wait for it to be over. Why? I think that by entrenching ourselves so deeply into our partisan bunkers and so viciously demonizing the other side, we've taken all the fun out of politics. We're just angry instead. While it's always been a serious business, there should also be a joy to democracy, a celebration of the process. We live in a free country and get to decide who our leaders are going to be. That's a big responsibility – but we should also have fun while doing it. Part of enjoying it is being prepared to accept defeat when that happens. Campaigns should end on Election Day, or at least shortly thereafter. They shouldn't drag on forever. Let us all have a break in the meantime. That, too, would be fun. For that to happen, we have to accept the outcome, win or lose. To be more specific, we must quit litigating the outcome, both in the courts and in the court of public opinion. Even if we don't like the outcome, stop arguing about it, whether the accusation is based on foreign interference or irregular ballot counts. Concede, and then wait a few months and argue about the next election. Sometimes, it feels like those of us who accept completely the outcomes of both the 2016 and 2020 presidential races are a small and exclusive club. Starting with these midterm elections, let's all work on expanding our ranks, so politics can be fun again. Deal? Happy voting! |
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