I know you’ve heard that your vote matters; and that’s not just hyperbole. There have been quite a few legislative races here in Mississippi that were decided by less than 10 votes. Showing up to the poll and casting your ballot on election day is important. And here in Mississippi, since it seems that everyone is a “Republican” (regardless of what policies they actually push), the primary election on August 8th is just as important, if not more important, than the general election in November.
But using an acronym that a friend of mine taught me, TINVOWOOT (There Is No Voting Our Way Out Of This). There are other interpretations of what one may mean when using the acronym TINVOWOOT, but this is how I will explain it: your vote isn’t the only thing that matters. If your plan to turn our state and country around is only to show up to the poll on election day, I’m afraid to be the bearer of bad news, but little will change. It is your voice that matters as much as your vote.
On the last day of the legislative session this year, we voted on the $700M pet projects bill. The bill only garnered a pithy two NO votes from Republicans, myself and my desk mate, Representative Joel Bomgar. One representative, who often brags about being one of the most conservative members of the MS House of Representatives voted YES for the bill, saying that the NO vote wasn’t worth “upsetting leadership.” He, of course, is running unopposed and knew that no one would question him over his hypocritical vote. Few constituents follow what goes on under the dome, even fewer are vocal about it.
Famed Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Freidman once said “I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do the right thing either, or if they try, they will shortly be out of office.”
It’s not only your vote that matters, but it’s your voice that matters.
Your voice matters before the votes are cast on election day by telling your friends and family who you are voting for, and why they should do the same. Look past the typical politician's rhetoric and find the candidate that actually believes in the Republican platform. Vote for the candidate that’s actually read the Republican platform. The MS Freedom Caucus will be releasing our list of endorsed candidates for legislative seats in the coming weeks, to help support those candidates. Use your voice to help campaign for those candidates. Make calls, knock on doors, tell your friends and family when breaking bread. Your voice matters.
Once elections are over, hold your politicians accountable. Use your voice by questioning their votes, and don’t let them think that no one will know what they’re doing. Let them know that every vote will be reviewed and critiqued. Use your voice to make politicians know it is politically profitable for them to do the right thing, regardless of what leadership wants. Use your voice so that they fear you, their constituents, more than they fear leadership.
The Good Lord gave you a voice and the Founders saw fit to protect your right to use it. Don’t let it go to waste. Your vote isn’t the only thing that matters.
