In the final week of this election season, it’s hard to see beyond politics. The attack ads have been coming hard and fast (love that mute button!) and the stakes are high. Voters are concerned about existential issues.
I fear the rise of a Marxist-Leninist DSA from the left, especially one that is demonizing Israel and American Jews, and, on the right, I fear masked ICE agents who violently arrest individuals, often without cause, and use surveillance I believe violates the Fourth Amendment.
An upside to living in an autocracy (not a phrase I ever thought I would write) is that you don’t have to worry about politics because it’s unlikely you have any influence. In a democracy, it’s imperative that we pay attention.
At the same time, we need to reject the political takeover of our entire lives. Between the 24-hour news cycle and social media, it feels like there is no respite from divisive fearmongering.
So here’s a challenge:
Despite Tuesday’s results, whatever they are, let’s not allow politics to totally control our lives.
Let’s remember all the things outside of politics that we have in common, regardless of political persuasions, such as sports, nature, music and shared American cultural heritage.
Let’s put more energy into institutions that tend to enrich our lives, like synagogue, school or the library.
I recently hosted a dinner for four complete strangers, all fans of a children’s book. We discussed many “political” issues, but because we said no politics, the discussions were rooted in the people and values surrounding the issues, rather than monikers and labels. It’s still possible!
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Recently I had a reminder of how wonderful democracy is. I received a media alert from Sec. of State Jena Griswold’s office, encouraging early voting. I inquired why she was specifically encouraging early voting. She responded: “Voting early gives voters the flexibility to research every question on their ballot and cast their ballot at a time that is convenient to them and enables county clerks and election workers to process ballots early and report more complete and timely results on Election Night.”
I, a journalist, emailed an elected official with a question about a communication she issued. Shortly after, I received a thoughtful response to share with readers.
In this campaign cycle, there are candidates locally and nationally who speak only to preferred outlets or constituents. At its core, democracy is about accountability of leaders to the people — all of the people. Let’s not lose sight of that.
© IJN 2026
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