All Politics Are Local?!?

It's an old saw in American politics -- even though the first time I heard it was from Tip O'Neill (during the 1980s), it seems like it was an old saw even before he was actually *quoted*. It's something I fall back upon whenever I hear someone (mostly in the media, but also occasionally here on ILX) pontificating about something going on here in NJ or NYC and totally missing/obscuring the local factors. But is this really an accurate way to look at and discuss politics?!?

It's an old saying over here too, and it's accurate. Even our national legislative public representatives have local offices where they help people fill out forms a couple of times a week.

All politics are loco.

I found this pretty good, not entirely what you're talking about but - http://plainblogaboutpolitics.blogspot.com/2010/07/q2-nationalization.html

Abbot OTM

OP statement is OTM re politics. Just like anthropologically humans don't really get communities larger than certain numbers. It's hard to understand the number of people living in a big city let alone an entire country. You don't know who your geographic neighbors are, you don't share similar geographic concerns, weather concerns, coincidences of time and location, etc. You do however care about the street in front of your home, the local school, the local whatever -- that's the stuff that touches you day to day. I'm always surprised by people who consider themselves completely apathetic politically but will protest something that they feel has immediate local repercussions on their lives and the ways they envision their communities.

I did not vote for the following offices today in my county:
Clerk of Courts, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff, Treasurer, Controller, Coroner, County Commissioner, District Attorney, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas

also I guess there were some primaries. i feel like a bad citizen, but also i blame my local press for doing nothing to inform me about any of the candidates for these various local offices.

I'm always surprised by people who consider themselves completely apathetic politically but will protest something that they feel has immediate local repercussions on their lives and the ways they envision their communities.

this no longer surprises me, tbh ime paying attention to any politics above the level of getting the potholes & local parks fixed is just a waste of time. good for party small-talk

school board elections tmmrw - should i vote for this college freshman?

http://www.thedp.com/article/2017/04/lower-merion-school-board-harrison-meyer

If you are dissatisfied with the current composition of the board and see that this kid has put in the work to run an ambitious campaign, and if his statements and positions seem reasonable, then why the hell not?