The Great Political Resignation
We’ve heard a lot about the so-called “great resignation”…people leaving their jobs in a post-COVID world for a host of reasons often tied to quality of life.
There seems to be a form of that going on in the political world. For example, yesterday 36-year congressional veteran Peter DeFazio of Oregon announced he would not seek re-election next year, the 19th House Democrat to call it quits. Many in the House choose to retire after redistricting each decade, but it appears more Democrats this time are heading for the exit, making it harder for the party to maintain its razor-thin majority.
But it’s not just Democrats. Word came yesterday that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker…a Republican in a deep blue state…would not seek a third term. He’s been called one of the nation’s last prominent moderate Republicans.
Both seemed to be in good shape regarding re-election. So when an incumbent in a pretty safe seat decides to call it quits, what’s really going on?
Maybe it’s just gotten too partisan, too nasty, too much about verbal jabs and tweets and soundbites and less about actually governing. Maybe being on the political frontlines during the pandemic took too much out of folks.
Either would be totally understandable. I’ve tried to give a lot of grace to office holders during the early days of COVID, because they seemed to honestly be doing the best they could in unique times. Many since have turned it into a political game, but early on was different.
And frankly, why any decent person gets into big time politics these days is almost beyond me. What you have to go through just to earn and keep the job…not traveling a district or region and talking with voters, that’s the fun part for most. It’s all the organized sniping, the constant fund-raising, the hatred on all sides.
I’m probably making too much out of this. But the more people that voters liked bail on a career of public service…leads me to be concerned about who will follow them.
