But I’m going to take a different approach in 2024. I plan to focus on four areas that I believe will be the year’s most important.
That doesn’t mean I won’t write off the news — I will when the occasion calls for it. But you can count on seeing the following themes over the next 12 months:
The 2024 election cycle. This will be the most angst-filled campaign of my lifetime. I’m not interested in writing about the campaign’s nuts and bolts and poll numbers; plenty of people do that. I want to examine why a substantial minority of people love Trump and what that says about society. I want to examine why voters of color, an essential Democratic base, seem to be abandoning Joe Biden. Most importantly, this topic dovetails with what I believe will be the single most significant issue in 2024.
Redistricting. Voters have little appreciation for how political power plays will impact the country for the next two to four years. For example, based on where we are today, it’s likely Trump will win the presidency but get thwarted his entire term because Democrat’s illegal map rejiggering will give them control of the U.S. House. In Ohio, Democrats have made it far more challenging to argue that voters should rise against unconstitutional gerrymandering because they inexplicably approved illegal Republican maps. The presidency matters less than who wins the complicated redistricting battle.
Prices: I don’t mean the economy, which is doing just fine for the segment of society with financial means. I mean how skyrocketing prices will impact everything from daily living, to the social programs that look to help the poor, to the election. (Biden’s tone deaf when he wonders why he’s not getting credit for a bustling economy. It’s prices, stupid. They’re crushing the average Americans you claim to support).
Race: We’re in a new era of legalized racism meant to stop Black people from making societal gains. Conversely, the age of Trump has given rise to White grievances from people who feel they’re the ones under attack, especially from those who don’t look like them and have all of a sudden surpassed them economically. Throw in the coming Black-Hispanic conflict, and the issue of race has taken on a new and more complex dynamic.
I can and will explore these topics with academics and experts. But I want to talk to you, the readers, on all these topics and hear what you have to say. I want to talk to people about how rising prices impact their families. I want to talk to White people concerned about their place in society. I want to find Trump supporters who can tell me why he’s held in such high esteem.
I find it interesting that (lots of) people will send me emails, but few want to be quoted about how they feel. In almost all cases, people fear they’ll be criticized for their views, whether from the left or right.
I get it — I have my share of puncture wounds from the arrows fired my way. But we live in a country that claims to embrace free speech. Use that right.
If you want to talk, you know where to reach me.
Here’s to a prosperous 2024.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each week. He can be reached at raymarcanoddn@gmail.com.
About the Author