10/25/2026
Alaska ballot confusion? NATO and sanctions, Accountability and upcoming events.
The Politics Chicks
Mamaw's Porch: Billionaires, Political Hypocrisy, and the Power of Your Outside Voice
*By LJ Parker | Mamaw's Porch n Politics*
There's knowledge in every strand of gray hair, and I intend to use every bit of mine.
Well, folks, pull up a chair, grab your coffee, and settle in. We've got some things to talk about.
I'm going to start with something I've said before, and I'll probably say it a thousand times again.
I'm not that stupid. And none of y'all are stupid either.
If it looks like it, smells like it, and you've stepped in it, chances are you know exactly what it is. You don't need somebody in a thousand-dollar suit standing on television telling you it's a bouquet of roses.
And right now, there's an awful lot of explaining going on in Washington.
Billionaires, Tax Dollars, and the People Paying the Bills
Let's talk about billionaires.
Mark Zuckerberg. Elon Musk. The Ellisons. These are people with extraordinary wealth and influence over the information Americans consume, the technology we use, and, increasingly, the political conversations we have.
And I have a question.
When did we decide that having enough money to buy a small country meant you should have more influence over American democracy than the people living in it?
Because that's what worries me.
We have wealthy individuals and corporations pouring enormous resources into politics while ordinary Americans are trying to pay their electric bills, buy groceries, and figure out whether their Social Security checks will stretch to the end of the month.
And don't even get me started on the tax system.
I believe enormous fortunes should come with enormous responsibilities. That includes paying a fair share of taxes.
Not finding another loophole. Not hiring another army of accountants. Not telling working Americans that they need to tighten their belts while billionaires enjoy financial advantages most families couldn't dream of.
That's bu****it.
And I said it.
Elon Musk and the Problem With Private Power
Now, let's talk about Elon Musk.
There seems to be a popular mythology surrounding certain billionaires that they personally invented everything they ever touched.
They didn't.
Musk played a major role in building and financing businesses, including the company that became part of PayPal. That is different from personally inventing every technology associated with those businesses.
But here's the bigger issue.
When a private businessman controls technology that governments, militaries, and ordinary citizens depend upon, we ought to be asking serious questions about accountability.
Look at Starlink and Ukraine.
The controversies surrounding access to satellite communications have demonstrated just how consequential decisions made by a private company can become during a war.
And when businesses receive significant government contracts, taxpayers have every right to ask what they're receiving in return.
How much public money is involved? Who makes the decisions? What safeguards exist? And what happens when a private company's interests conflict with the public interest?
Those aren't unreasonable questions.
Those are questions every taxpayer ought to be asking.
Because I have a real problem with the idea that public money can help build private fortunes while the public has little say over how that power is exercised.
Political Hypocrisy: Ladies, We Need to Talk
Now, this next part might make a few people uncomfortable.
Good.
I've been watching women defend Donald Trump with a level of devotion that I simply cannot understand.
And I'm not talking about having a different opinion on taxes, immigration, or foreign policy.
We can disagree about policy.
I'm talking about character, personal conduct, and the standards we apply to powerful men.
Trump has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. A civil jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll.
That is part of the public record.
And yet, I encounter women who seem willing to dismiss any discussion of his behavior.
I want to know why.
Would you excuse the same behavior from your daughter's boyfriend? Your granddaughter's husband? The man interviewing your sister for a job?
Would you tell a woman you love that her concerns don't matter because the man involved happens to agree with you politically?
I certainly hope not.
And that's what bothers me about political loyalty when it becomes more important than basic standards of conduct.
A person's political affiliation should not determine whether we take allegations of abuse seriously.
Not Republican. Not Democrat. Not independent.
Nobody should get a free pass because they happen to be on your team.
And women, especially, ought to understand why that matters.
Florida, Political Loyalty, and Accountability
During the show, a viewer raised questions about Florida politicians Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody.
And that opened up another conversation about political loyalty.
I've noticed that some of my most enthusiastic online critics come from Florida.
Now, I know perfectly well that Florida is full of thoughtful, decent people with all kinds of political beliefs.
But some of the messages I receive make me wonder whether people are evaluating their elected officials or simply defending a political brand.
There's a difference.
An elected official should be accountable for decisions, conduct, votes, and the use of public money.
That applies to every officeholder.
If somebody raises an allegation of wrongdoing, ask for the evidence. If someone claims public money has been misused, demand documentation and an investigation where warranted.
Don't substitute a political slogan for proof.
And don't decide that accountability is only important when the other party is involved.
Because that's not accountability.
That's a double standard wearing a campaign button.
Your Vote Is Your Outside Voice
Now, here's where I want everybody paying attention.
We've been hearing reports and predictions about voter turnout, and I understand why people get excited about participation.
I get excited about it, too.
But turnout headlines are not a substitute for casting your own ballot.
I don't care how many people somebody says have already voted.
Your vote still matters.
Check your state's election calendar, registration requirements, polling locations, and early-voting opportunities.
Make a plan that works for you.
If early voting is available and convenient, use it. If Election Day works better, know where you need to go and what you need to bring.
Some communities also organize Souls to the Polls events, helping people participate in the electoral process.
And remember something else.
A member of Congress doesn't vote on legislation that affects only one little corner of the country.
Congress makes decisions about federal spending, national security, health care, veterans' benefits, and countless other issues that reach far beyond an individual district.
So learn about the candidates. Look at their records. Ask questions.
And for heaven's sake, don't let somebody else do your thinking for you.
Independent Voices Need Independent Audiences
I also want to talk about the people creating independent news, commentary, interviews, and political discussions.
People like those of us sitting on our porches, talking to candidates, interviewing veterans, asking uncomfortable questions, and trying to make sense of what is happening.
We don't all have giant corporate media organizations behind us.
We don't have billionaires financing every conversation.
Many independent creators depend on their audiences to help their work reach new people.
And you can do that without spending a dime.
When you find a creator whose work you value, share it. Leave a thoughtful comment. Recommend it to somebody who might appreciate the conversation.
Tell people why you think the discussion is worth hearing.
That's how independent voices find their audiences.
And the more people who have access to different perspectives, the better equipped they are to question what they're being told.
Because democracy doesn't benefit from everybody repeating the same talking points.
It benefits from informed people who are willing to think.
There's Knowledge in Every Strand of Gray
Now, I want to finish with something especially important to me.
These gray hairs on my head?
I earned every damn one of them.
I've lived long enough to watch politicians come and go, promises get made and broken, and ordinary Americans find themselves cleaning up messes they didn't create.
I've watched our country make mistakes.
I've watched people stand up and demand better.
And I've learned that experience counts for something.
There is knowledge in every strand of gray.
We're not required to sit quietly in the corner because we've reached a certain age.
We're not required to surrender our opinions, our independence, or our right to question authority.
And we certainly aren't required to stop participating in our democracy.
So make those calls to your representatives. The Five Calls app is one way to find congressional contact information and communicate your concerns.
Read. Question. Discuss. Participate.
And when somebody tries to tell you that your voice doesn't matter, remember that the right to speak, organize, petition, and vote belongs to you.
Not to Elon Musk.
Not to Mark Zuckerberg.
Not to a political party.
To you.
And I don't intend to stop using mine.
Stay salty, my friends. Use your outside voice. There's knowledge in every strand of gray, and nobody gets to silence us.
Love y'all,
Mamaw
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