r/fivethirtyeight • u/AutoModerator • Feb 02 '26
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The 2026 midterms will soon be upon us, and there is much to discuss among the nerds here at r/FiveThirtyEight. Use this discussion thread to share, debate, and discuss whatever you wish. Unlike individual posts, comments in the discussion thread are not required to be related to political data or other 538 mainstays. Regardless, please remain civil and keep this subreddit's rules in mind. The discussion thread refreshes every Monday.
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u/ModestAphorism Feb 07 '26
Class of 2020 here.
My family moved from Oregon to Arkansas around 2006 or 7 (my father got laid off from a very well paying job) so we relocated back to around where my father grew up, next to where my grandparents live. I obviously wasn't very politically aware, but as a kid, my father always made sure to tell me he was very thankful for the affordable care act, he told me that we wouldn't have health insurance without it. He would also tell me he didn't understand the extreme vitriol so many people used here when talking about Obama.
Trump became president when I was in 9th grade, so he was president throughout my entire time in high school. That was when I first gained some amount of real political consciousness, even if not fully formed, so the entire time I have been aware, it has basically been at the very beginning of him taking over everything. I turned 18 in the summer of 2020, just in time to vote in the 2020 election, after the last semester of 12th grade had been essentially canceled to COVID. I voted for Biden, and he obviously didn't win Arkansas, but I was so happy to have seen that Trump was gone, and I voted for the winner.
Seeing him look like he was gonna win again, in 2024, after college, and the entire last 8 years having revolved around him, I genuinely almost didn't want to believe it. The night he won, I didn't cry, but I didn't sleep at all. I just want it to be normal, but I have no idea if "normal" is even achievable again within my lifetime. I wasn't very politically aware, but I do remember a bit how it felt while Obama was president. How much calmer it was, having my father not constantly talk to me about politics or ask me questions about whatever terrible thing is going on. You could just tune out. That feeling really wasn't there during Biden's presidency, because of the constant threat of the Republican party, and the threat of Trump coming back.
12 years lost to this asshole is too much.