A colleague asked how I talk to young voters about this election.
Mostly, I’m trying to center questions like:
Given that you won't find perfection in any person or party, on the evidence...
- Who do you believe is thinking about you and the people you care about?
- Who do you expect will ensure your access to the medical care you need?
- Who will protect the right to equal protection under law for your brown and black friends and family?
- Who will ensure equal protection under law for your friends and family who are immigrants to this country?
- Who will work proactively to protect the environment and reverse the human causes of climate change?
- Who will work to assure the place of our nation *alongside* our allies around the globe rather than in opposition to them or seeking to dominate them?
- Who shows the will to resist oppressors on the world stage without fear or favor?
- Who do you anticipate will work to improve the wages of people who work for a living?
- Who appears to understand your contribution to the real economy — as someone whose work contributes to the gross domestic product … as someone who circulates a large percentage of your income in ways that support jobs in the real economy of housing, goods and services,.. as someone who, at a minimum, pays sales taxes that support significant state and local government services….
- Who has expressed a committment and a plan for fairer access to safe and more affordable housing?
- Who shows a readiness to curb the impulses of irresponsible capitalists who don't care who pays the price for their obsession with producing more wealth for the already wealthy — including their willingess to continually punch holes in the economic future of the US for the short term benefit of financial elites?
- Who has shown a willingness to protect you from the ravages of unregulated gun violence?
and so on….
How do *you* talk to young voters about this election?
