While Latinos turned out in record numbers in the most recent midterm elections, I believe 2018 will be remembered as the year when women tipped the scales politically. Perhaps it is in part the rebound effect of the Hillary Clinton loss, or that women feel the issues most important to them have been under attack, women appear to be taking more control of their politics. This includes Hispanic women. In 2018, Hispanic women were an unprecedented force in many key elections and seemed to also break away from their male counterparts in how they voted. 73% of Hispanic women voted for Democrats, as compared to only 63% of Hispanic men. The number of women elected to office in 2018 also demonstrates this trend. In the 115th Congress, women will control about 20% of the total seats, an all time high. My guess is that women will control about 40% of the seats in both the senate and congress within 20 years, and in my view, it can’t happen soon enough. The female perspective on national politics has been sorely lacking throughout our history. It has recently been noted that Hispanic women make 80% of the purchase decisions in their individual households. Think about that. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume they will have similar influence in how their families vote in the near future.
Inflation has impacted all of us. The price of almost everything has spiked faster and harder than at any time since the 80s. Few things can obliterate a modern economy more than out-of-control inflation.
For most people, there is little upside to writing about the January 6th hearings, but as you probably know by now, I don’t worry about those things. We all must stand for something. The hearings have almost everyone taking sides before a single witness is called. Democrats believe that the events of January 6th were a calculated effort to undermine our democracy by demolishing two of the most sacred tenants of our nation, free elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
Most people consider themselves either a conservative or a liberal. I think if we forget political parties, which flip their positions on things all of the time, and instead focus on the actual definition of what it means to be a conservative and what it means to be a liberal, we might be able to temper the emotional reactions some of us have with political discourse.