What Are They Thinking?

I don’t get into political discussions very often, although these days it’s almost impossible to avoid them. Still, it’s a fascinating subject, especially because we’re witnessing a phenomenon that I have a hard time understanding: people voting against their own best interests.
 
For instance, some women vote for politicians who won’t support an equal pay for equal work law. I guess we can assume that means they’re OK with being paid less than a man for doing the same job. I don’t get that.
 
And then there are the 20-somethings who are working two jobs for lousy pay and still barely making it. A significant number of those folks vote for members of Congress who voted against increasing the minimum wage.


 
Every so often you see bumper stickers or a lapel pins with the letters “WWJD”. That stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” Those folks presumably stop and ask themselves that question before making important decisions. Maybe so, but a lot of them voted for Donald Trump. Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure Jesus would have voted for someone else. Anyone else.
 
And then there’s the outrage, as sanctioned by Congress, that forbids Medicare and Medicaid from using their huge buying power to negotiate lower drug prices from the big pharmaceutical companies. So millions of us—people who take handfuls of pills every day for our diabetes or high blood pressure or high cholesterol—are paying more than we should for pills that are literally keeping us alive. Many times more. And yet we vote for members of Congress who looked the other way when that sweetheart deal was put together.
 
One man’s opinion: we need to get rid of the dark money in political campaigns. We need to stop and correct the flagrant gerrymandering of Congressional districts. We need to bring back the Fairness Doctrine. And we need an much better informed electorate.
 
Piece of cake!