OREGON PRIMARY LISTENING FOR MILLENNIAL ROAR

Tuesday is election day for the Oregon Primary. But you already knew that.

No?

Now you do.

Out here in the real west, not some landlocked desert version of ‘out west’ in states like Idaho, or Utah, or Arizona, we drag ourselves to the table, pick up a black or blue ink pen, open the voters’ pamphlet and mark up our mail-in ballot.

It’s an Oregon state tradition followed a few other states:

As of 2022 eight states, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, hold elections almost entirely by mail, with general elections also held via mail in Vermont.

That’s a pretty good group with Oregon and Washington and California holding down the entire west coast. I get a headache looking at the east coast and all of the state lines and and jurisdictions and how Rhode Island has the same number of senators as California.

The entire west coast has two state lines: Washington to Oregon, and Oregon to California. Along with two International borders at Canada up north and Mexico down south.

From a lot of places out here the entire east coast is a New York City parking lot paved over, and over, and over. They have different election days.

Here, the day before the Oregon Primary we pull up a stump and leave dark marks on our mail-in ballots.

After the public questions about the mail under Louis DeJoy, drop the signed ballot envelope off at a collection box. I use the one by the police department. Is there one more secure?

Millennial Voting In Oregon Primary

Dear Youths,

The Oregon Primary is a good time to put a stamp on your future.

Millennials are the largest generation today, both nationally and here in Oregon.

Specifically, the single most common age in Oregon today is 31 years old. The five largest single ages are all 29 to 33 years old. The eighteen largest single ages are between 25 and 42. This is a very large cohort that will continue to impact many aspects of the economy and society in the decades ahead.

This is a quote from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. My apologies for not finding better source material with a weird twist of conspiracy, accusation, and hidden agenda ‘truths.’

While you thumb through the Voter Pamphlet, and do it like homework in honors history, look for “Prior Government Experience.”

By now you’re all old enough to have had a bad boss in a bad company of organized witch hunts after each new management team failure.

You’ve had beloved strung out professors who managed to show up on the verge of withdrawal and deliver brilliant analytic insights into the book they wrote for assigned reading before cooking up their next hit.

Millennials, you are old enough to have seen the choices made by people your age that resulted in death, aimless drifting, and the trail of broken promises and heartache left in the wake of their irresponsible lifestyle.

Look through the Voters’ Pamphlet, read the mailings, and vote. These people need help more than jail, maybe help in jail.

A Very Millennial Oregon Primary

A primary election, especially a mid-term, is a warm up for the big show.

Young voters in the largest demographic should lead the numbers.

This is what they did in 2016.

The claim is that you young and aware voters didn’t elect Trump. Who did then?

Older, whiter, voters.

Did anyone check Trump’s prior government experience? Why? He had the name familiarity and instant recognition accorded successful television stars. He liked the mirror and the bright lights and found his way toward both.

Older, whiter, voters saw Trump as the figurehead of a governmental system they didn’t understand and don’t care to understand. ‘Ain’t that ol’ Trump sumptin? He raising hell, kicking ass, and taking names. Yes, he is.’

Look at the Voters’ Pamphlet for prior government service experience, occupation, and anything resembling the Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves, or Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson.

This is a chance to show you’ve learned better to do better.

Millennials and members of Gen Z—which together make up the American adults born since 1981— now represent 31% of the electorate, up from 23% in 2016 and just 14% in 2008. 

Young voters also had record turnout: roughly 50%, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, a jump of 11 percentage points from 2016 and likely the highest youth voter turnout since the voting age was lowered to 18.

Talk about among yourselves to get in on the buy-in of participatory representation.

A Fair And Honest Vote

Do your part, Millennials, and vote in such high numbers that it tips elections away from candidates who can’t accept election results.

You have the power in numbers to set a public agenda based on who you vote for and what you need.

Besides, if a vengeful guy can’t accept what has been acknowledged as a loss, what good will he do if he’s ever elected again?

If your answer is, “No good,” then keep an eye on local candidate who spew the same vitriolic swamp goop as Florida Governor DeSantis, or Texas Governor Abbott.

Shy away from anyone who copies Tate Reeves blazing trail to the top in a state rated 50th in education:

This is some of what Reeves believes on his wiki page.

“Reeves is a staunch Donald Trump supporter.

In his 2019 campaign for governor, Reeves promised, “If I’m elected governor, I will work for President Trump.”“

Your guy is supposed to work for his constituents, not a golden icon of shit-talk.

If you can’t see a golden icon of shit-talk, get a super bright light and rub some horse paste on it.

Vote for candidates who at least listen to science, if not understand it, and not another self-absorbed know it all who ‘knows more than anyone about everything.’

Cast votes for candidates with views close to your concerns.

Your parents are getting older and you want them to stay active and our of your hair? Vote for expanded Social Security and Medicare.

Do you want a country you can point to and tell your kids, “I voted for clean water, clean air, and natural spaces.”

No one wants to be a loser or a sucker, and no one wants to be played like one.

Vote accordingly. Hey, Millennials? Vote like it’s a juice box and a trophy for all of the adults who make fun of participation swag. They need help, but don’t know it.

You do. This is what you get with experience and age, and now you’ve got both.