5 ms·

> how NJ got into this predicament? Possibly due to attitudes like describing an average citizen beating a career politician as “a predicament”

by rlt 5y ago

WhisperingShiba 5y ago
GOT 'EM. Real talk, I think there is a certain level of education we should desire for politicians, since generally speaking, it denotes a certain dedication to understanding many facets of society. That said, career politicians are completely bogus all the way through.
gumby 5y ago
There is a minor way in which this situation can become a predicament. Outsiders who become governors don’t tend to have a network or know how the mechanisms work, so tend to either get nothing done or end up having little input into things being done by those who do know those things. But having an outsider as a legislative member is generally a good thing. In California we have term limits, so no member of the legislature (or any other position) can have the time to develop expertise. This gives lobbyists a lot more power.
- travoc 5y ago
  For those who think government has too much power, getting nothing done isn’t as bad as it seems.
  - gumby 5y ago
    I kinda like having speed limits, food safety rules, building codes, courts, free vaccines (removing barriers to your vaccination helps me, just as mine helps you) and a bunch of other things governments do. Having lived in countries both with and without generally well meaning and competent government, in my experience the former is vastly better despite its manifold faults.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
FredPret 5y ago
I know right, we’re watching democracy in action. This is what a really good system looks like
- moffkalast 5y ago
  It's still a pretty shit system. A good system would have more than 2 people and instant runoff.
  - FredPret 5y ago
    ... so run for election, then there will be 3 people
    - moffkalast 5y ago
      Not from the US, my country already has a multiple party system.
dmz73 5y ago
I am not form the U.S. I think the problem is not that average citizen managed to beat the career politician, that is (possibly?) the good part. In my view the problem is that this average citizen now has to deal with other career politicians and if he doesn't have the experience in these dealings, his constituents will probably end up worse off. What is the solution? I don't know, I am an average citizen so I would prefer someone who has more knowledge about these things to work on it and then present options to us average citizens in a clear and unbiased manner.
ryandrake 5y ago
It's not that he's an "average citizen" that's objectionable, it's that, based on quotes posted in other sub-threads and the campaign video that someone posted, he ran on an anti-mask, anti-lockdown, COVID-downplaying platform and won. The question is how did NJ get into this predicament where people with these views are winning elections? I can see this happening in Mississippi or something, but New Jersey?
- ludicast 5y ago
  I dont think you realize how unpopular the masks and lockdowns are among people. Especially when it comes to kids being masked. I believe the platform for the right has consolidated to - ending mask/lockdown/mandate - letting parents have a voice in their children's school agendas - making fun of runaway inflation This is going to be difficult to run against, in many states besides "Mississippi".
  - ryandrake 5y ago
    Eye opening for sure. I just thought these people were merely "loud but a tiny minority"-- a handful of trolls and professional victims performing for YouTube. All those wacky people ranting at School Board meetings make great Internet entertainment, but surely there weren't significant numbers of them. I guess I need to get out more. Can't believe being against public health has actually become a legit, winnable political platform. All over a little piece of cloth. Unbelievable.
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  South Jersey and suburbs all over the state are just as conservative as places to the south or west of it. The CRT moral panic successfully mobilized a lot of suburban voters to get involved in local politics.
- PKop 5y ago
  Because masks and lockdowns go against their interests, and they oppose people like you mandating these policies on them. It's just that simple. And the numbers of these people is much much larger than you're aware of, likely for reasons of media bias hiding this information from you and geographic diversity of political views and values.

> how NJ got into this predicament? Possibly due to attitudes like describing an average citizen beating a career politician as “a predicament”

by rlt 5y ago

> how NJ got into this predicament? Possibly due to attitudes like describing an average citizen beating a career politician as “a predicament”

WhisperingShiba 5y ago

GOT 'EM. Real talk, I think there is a certain level of education we should desire for politicians, since generally speaking, it denotes a certain dedication to understanding many facets of society. That said, career politicians are completely bogus all the way through.

gumby 5y ago

There is a minor way in which this situation can become a predicament. Outsiders who become governors don’t tend to have a network or know how the mechanisms work, so tend to either get nothing done or end up having little input into things being done by those who do know those things. But having an outsider as a legislative member is generally a good thing. In California we have term limits, so no member of the legislature (or any other position) can have the time to develop expertise. This gives lobbyists a lot more power.

travoc 5y ago
For those who think government has too much power, getting nothing done isn’t as bad as it seems.
- gumby 5y ago
  I kinda like having speed limits, food safety rules, building codes, courts, free vaccines (removing barriers to your vaccination helps me, just as mine helps you) and a bunch of other things governments do. Having lived in countries both with and without generally well meaning and competent government, in my experience the former is vastly better despite its manifold faults.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

FredPret 5y ago

I know right, we’re watching democracy in action. This is what a really good system looks like

moffkalast 5y ago
It's still a pretty shit system. A good system would have more than 2 people and instant runoff.
- FredPret 5y ago
  ... so run for election, then there will be 3 people
  - moffkalast 5y ago
    Not from the US, my country already has a multiple party system.

dmz73 5y ago

I am not form the U.S. I think the problem is not that average citizen managed to beat the career politician, that is (possibly?) the good part. In my view the problem is that this average citizen now has to deal with other career politicians and if he doesn't have the experience in these dealings, his constituents will probably end up worse off. What is the solution? I don't know, I am an average citizen so I would prefer someone who has more knowledge about these things to work on it and then present options to us average citizens in a clear and unbiased manner.

ryandrake 5y ago

It's not that he's an "average citizen" that's objectionable, it's that, based on quotes posted in other sub-threads and the campaign video that someone posted, he ran on an anti-mask, anti-lockdown, COVID-downplaying platform and won. The question is how did NJ get into this predicament where people with these views are winning elections? I can see this happening in Mississippi or something, but New Jersey?

ludicast 5y ago
I dont think you realize how unpopular the masks and lockdowns are among people. Especially when it comes to kids being masked. I believe the platform for the right has consolidated to - ending mask/lockdown/mandate - letting parents have a voice in their children's school agendas - making fun of runaway inflation This is going to be difficult to run against, in many states besides "Mississippi".
- ryandrake 5y ago
  Eye opening for sure. I just thought these people were merely "loud but a tiny minority"-- a handful of trolls and professional victims performing for YouTube. All those wacky people ranting at School Board meetings make great Internet entertainment, but surely there weren't significant numbers of them. I guess I need to get out more. Can't believe being against public health has actually become a legit, winnable political platform. All over a little piece of cloth. Unbelievable.
heavyset_go 5y ago
South Jersey and suburbs all over the state are just as conservative as places to the south or west of it. The CRT moral panic successfully mobilized a lot of suburban voters to get involved in local politics.
PKop 5y ago
Because masks and lockdowns go against their interests, and they oppose people like you mandating these policies on them. It's just that simple. And the numbers of these people is much much larger than you're aware of, likely for reasons of media bias hiding this information from you and geographic diversity of political views and values.