The Countdown

From the outset of this blog in March 2011, I have not been evasive about my worldview. At the same time, across 2,400+ purposefully eclectic posts, I've mostly steered clear of politics. My reticence is not connected to the strength of my beliefs and core values. I've avoided politics on this blog largely for the same reason I avoid the subject in day-to-day conversation - the power of confirmation bias.  

All of us are all hard-wired to seek out information that reinforces our strongly held opinions and tune out the information that does not. Though it's possible to neutralize that automatic internal screening mechanism - one that helps us make sense of the world - we can't do so without a fair amount of effort. Complicating things in our 24/7 news/TVs in every public space/Smart phone in every hand world is the unceasing barrage of misinformation hurled at us these days via rogue Internet sites and uneducated bloggers, our "friends" on social media, and those conspiracy theorists and tweeters/re-tweeters with millions of followers. I see little percentage in adding to that divisive screaming fray with my puny blog and predictable political positions. What possible purpose would it serve except to confirm the biases of any like-minded reader? If I'm not adding value or helping to reverse the incivility of what passes for nuanced political discourse these days, what is the point? Call it confirmation bias, preaching to the choir, or screaming into an echo chamber. It's all the same stuff. Which brings me to my plans over the upcoming ten-day countdown. 

Sometime around ten days from now - could be later - we'll know who'll be sworn in next January as our 47th president. Between now and November 5th, I'll publish a few posts, none of which will touch on the final pleas of either viable candidate or mention those battleground states we all know will decide the winner. And even though my vote is less than critical - New Jersey has not been in play in a presidential election since the early 80s - I will vote to help ensure the popular vote reflects my voice, however marginally. If that sounds weary to you, mea culpa. I do have a more compelling reason, one I've mentioned previously and connected to my politics, forged by studying U.S. history: I will vote to honor those who came before me and were denied that right. Let the countdown begin.