Trego's Mountain Ear

Over 50 years ago, I switched  from a candidate I had endorsed to his opponent (Bob Brown,  if anyone cares) two days before the election.  Bob and I have remained friends  for a long time, and part of the reason is that  we both know that my support for any politician is conditional.  So long as a politician breathes, he or she has the ability to do something to shaft me, or to stomp the hell out of something I believe in.  Ignore the dangling preposition – it’s bad enough that the internet is kicking on and off as I write.  I don’t need the ghost of Mrs. Sherman getting new allies in teaching me grammar.

So long as a politician lives, he or she can, and probably will do something reprehensible and let you down.  I imagine that Jefferson Davis wasn’t a damned bit surprised when Lincoln introduced the Income Tax – but I suspect that more than a few abolitionist Republicans were absolutely gobsmacked.  Just a hunch, you understand.

I’ve had some folks (dedicated democrats) call me a trumpkin.  I’ve had MAGA supporters classify me as a libtard.  It’s pretty simple – Trump went against my beliefs with the rent controls during the Covid thing.  Biden did the same.  No taxpayer dares sleep while a politician of whatever side yet breathes.  The only politician who can’t roll over and shaft you is a dead one.

Bob is Montana’s closest thing to a good, reliable living politician.  He’s retired from that life, so can’t harm anyone.  Admitted, we won’t vote the same – he despised Trump more than Hillary, I despised Hillary more than Trump – but that’s really the second stage of responsible voting.

The first stage of responsible voting is voting against the politician who shafted you.  I’ll be doing that on Neil Durum.  Neil did worse than just shaft Trego taxpayers.  He set it up so I will have to vote to raise taxes on my neighbors.  He has an opponent – of whom I know nothing – but his opponent has not put me in a spot where I will have to raise taxes for the school because of his vote.  Zoey Zephyr voted against the bill – but Neil Durum, who had the opportunity to vote in Trego’s favor chose to vote the other way.  Did he even think about what his vote would do, or did he just thoughtlessly vote party line?  I don’t know – but responsible voting is voting against a politician – of whatever party – who has voted against you.  I’m voting responsibly.  I have no problem voting Democrat when a Republican votes against my interests.

Another responsible thought is term limits.  Our legislation on term limits can be simplified and improved at the same time.  It should be: One term in office, one term in prison.  Simple.  Elegant.  Hell, I even have New York liberals supporting this concept.  Admittedly, they only support it if the politician is Donald Trump, but you have to start somewhere.

Vote for the least harmful candidate running – and vote against the candidate who has done you harm.  An earlier age used tar and feathers to express disapproval – but that seems a bit messy.  For now.