Multiple things can be true at once.
- The election process in the US is horribly constructed in the first place
- It’s executed even more poorly
- Nevertheless, voting does determine who sits in the seat
- It does matter who sits in the seat
- The person who sits in the seat will represent the wealthy and powerful, not you
- It does matter who represents the powerful, because they can be pushed (by the people, and by the powerful) in different ways
- Even if we get the right person in the seat, and do a very good job of pushing them, it won’t be enough
- We need to do it anyway, because that act of organizing isn’t only to influence politicians — it’s also to influence ourselves, and improve our ability to find a path to real victory
Don’t think that voting alone is sufficient. Don’t think that voting and organizing are sufficient. But also don’t think that voting and organizing are not necessary.
This line of reasoning was already perfectly captured in Office Space: https://youtube.com/watch?v=yZjCQ3T5yXo