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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 20th, 2025

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  • You’re right, it is delaying the inevitable. But legislation is still being written right now. Policy is still being debated right now. Having an additional Dem in the Senate early could sway other moderate GOP members on the fence to vote against bills being touted by more extreme members of their party.

    Sure, by pure numbers and inevitability, it doesn’t matter on paper. But it does matter because there’s more nuance and interpersonal politicking happening that the general public may or may not be privy to. Every backslide in seats or power could set off a cascade of changes. Nothing happens in a vacuum on Capitol Hill.


  • Because polling currently suggests that there’s a bug leftward shift in American politics coming. If the special election were to happen now, there’s a non-zero chance that the GOP would lose the seat to a Dem.

    Hiding McConnell’s death would mean that, even though he wouldn’t be voting, the Dems wouldn’t get an additional vote in the Senate early.

    That’s the justification, but it’s still just a conspiracy theory. Also, I’m not a poli-sci person, so I don’t know about Kentucky’s special election rules or if Mitch’s seat is being contested this year.


  • Hard disagree. If you won’t take the time out of your day to explain to a curious passerby something about your identity that puts you in a minority, you are making an active choice to passively perpetuate prejudice.

    It’s not even about the information. As a member of a group, whenever you encounter someone not from your group you unwittingly become an ambassador for your group to that person. Whether you like it or not, that person’s opinion of your group is directly influenced by how you respond.

    If you politely educate, people will come away with a more positive opinion of your group than if you dismiss or demean them. And if their curiosity is taking up too much of your time and energy, you have the advantageous ability to refer them to resources that you know and trust.

    The general population, in my experience, puts more stock in anecdotal evidence than research. Add onto that all the pop culture and pseudoscience articles and the advent of AI like ChatGPT, you’re putting blind faith and trust in someone else’s ability to learn about something that is a part of your daily life.

    Now, some people who struggle with social interactions should be given the patience and grace they need. But denying your role as an ambassador of your group because you see it as ‘not your responsibility’ negatively impacts your community. It’s an incredibly selfish, shortsighted act that causes harm through follow-on interactions.