Politics is one giant fight over beliefs, turf, lives, money, airspace, bodies, and more. Of course, it’s going to be rough. Of course, people are going to say rude things. And the closer you get to the center of the fight, the more people are going to rip you apart.
I had an ill-fated run for local office last year, where I learned many tough lessons. One personal revelation was that I really dislike it when people tell lies about me on the Internet and when they deface my lawn signs. Yes, you can laugh. It’s all silly now. But at the time, I was upset.
It turned out that my skin is too thin for toughly fought elections. I much prefer the role that I have right now, which is behind-the-scenes and, actually, more meaningful; I get to help people without losing sleep at night. Sometimes, losing is really winning.
Even from afar, I have a low tolerance for toxic politics. I hate when people tell me what to think, cloaked in syrupy slogans. I hate hypocrisy, anger, and personal attacks. With the return of X/Twitter to the political game — everyone is back — the temptation for toxicity is pervasive. I love politics, so I’m always trying to find a pure space, where people can talk about issues and policy devoid from nastiness. But it’s hard to escape the cringe-factor.
Read more at Apt. 11D, the newsletter
Apt. 11d 
I just found out Tim Walz is a Nebraskan. We’re naturally polite. Like me and Gerald Ford.
LikeLike
And Walz has got it! Don’t know enough about him yet to have an opinion.
LikeLike