early-november things

the temptation to not vote is massive when every other person on your feed threatens to end their friendships with all those who don't vote. (this includes a number of people I know, and also minor Kardashian-adjacent Steph Shep.) I'm not sure I want to be friends with someone who doesn't think to phrase their statement as "please vote for this candidate if you can" — who doesn't realize that the "simple" act of voting is more difficult for so many than it should be, and importantly, that it cannot in itself change anything for the better. (why not threaten to end your friendships with all those who vote for, like, Ted Cruz? I'm not saying that you should do that — maybe just don't post anything??? — but let's all stop pretending that we don't have strongly-held political opinions.)

(here's a piece re: Obama's "don't boo, vote" variation on this.)

anyway, I did vote, and all I'm going to say about any of it is that I would like those clamoring for a Beto O'Rourke presidential run to sit down and think a little harder about what it is, exactly, that they're proposing. it's a bad idea!!!