This post is being written just a couple of days before “the most important election in our lifetime..” Of course this is the 12th such election since I voted in my first one in 1980. Each one of those 12 was characterized as “the most important” election ever in the history of the nation. The passion with which the talking heads shout this warning gets a bit harsher each cycle. Not because the elections are more important, but because the competition for viewers/listeners has gotten deeper and wider. At one time, it was pretty much your local newspaper’s coverage and maybe “point-counterpoint” on 60 minutes that drove political discussion. Then came cable TV, followed by a.m. radio’s emergence as a source for political commentary, which expanded to Sirius/XM. Today, all manner of streaming options have evolved. National politics is inescapable, which adds to the perception of the urgency. Every outlet needs ratings.
Since I earned the right to vote, I have experienced eight administrations – four Republican and four Democrat. And this is what I’ve learned: my life was not impacted in any significant way during any of those administrations. Don’t get me wrong – my life has been impacted greatly by all manner of events during those four-plus decades. But nothing of significance that I can place at the feet of a sitting president.
Most of the major impacts in my life (and probably yours) have been rooted in the decisions I’ve made. It’s easy for any of us to look back at the major crossroads in our lives and wonder how our life might have turned out differently if we’d made different decisions. What if I’d gone to a different school, chosen a different major, chosen a different spouse, turned down that job offer and accepted the other one, etc., etc. But I can’t look back and say that had George H. W. Bush had beaten Bill Clinton in 1992 or if Hillary Clinton had beaten Donald Trump 24 years later my life would be better or worse. Every administration makes some contributions and makes some mistakes. Often the mistakes are linked more to unintended consequences than malice.
The irony surrounding the last minute urgency from both campaigns and their media surrogates is that the media surrogates are largely acting against their self interest. For example, Fox viewership has skyrocketed during the Biden administration as folks tune in to hear why every Democrat proposal is a disaster waiting to happen and if Trump can come back and save us from sure destruction. CNN and MSNBC never had better ratings than Trump’s first four years, as folks tuned in to find out when the next effort at impeaching and convicting this wannabe dictator was going to start. Yet, just a couple of days before the election, they are both pushing as hard as possible to elect an administration that will surely cost them ratings. At least Rush Limbaugh was honest when Bill Clinton defeated Bob Dole in 1996. On the day after election day he declared himself the biggest winner as he would have four more years of pontificating about the Clinton administration.
Thanks to faux media hysteria designed to stimulate ratings, we tend to give presidents too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don’t. We perceive they have more power than they actually do. Harris is not going to be able to implement a tax on unrealized capital gains. Trump is not going to be able to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. The quality of life that we experience will continue to be based on the decisions we make and the opportunities we seize rather than which political party occupies the White House.
So, my advice to friends, family and colleagues is simple. There is no need to don sackcloth and ashes if your preferred candidate doesn’t win. If you are financially wealthy, you will probably continue to be financially wealthy during a Harris administration, even if you are forced to pay more in taxes. If Trump is elected, you are not going to be rounded up and placed in a concentration camp. Take a deep breath. It’ll be fine.