I heard a strange rumor recently that there are people out there, far, far away, who don’t spend the majority of their time thinking about politics. Instead of obsessing over tweets, binging on cable news 24/7 and pulling their hair out over the all-caps STATE OF OUR NATION, they’re – ahem – living their lives.
I envy these people. But for many of us, politics in the era of Donald Trump has demanded our nearly undivided attention. I’m not talking about those of us whose jobs require it, but everyday Americans who feel as though politics has become too important to ignore.
Some are part of the so-called Resistance, the legions of Americans who for one reason (or all of them) believe President Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy and way of life. And some are Trump supporters, who believe keeping him in office is the single most important issue of their lifetimes, that Trump is quite simply the last thing standing between a white nationalist civilization and the culture-canceling Visigoths.
Politics and government weren’t meant to be the omnipresent center of gravity in our daily lives, all but replacing family, community, work or church.
Our elected officials were never meant to be celebrities or cult figures who demanded our undying attention and adoration. Presidential elections weren’t meant to be four-year-long events that bleed seamlessly into one another. Our psychological well-being shouldn’t be dependent on who is in office.