Dylan Ratigan and the Importance of Voting in the Era of Celebrity Politics
Dylan Ratigan, former MSNBC talking head, has entered the New York 21st Congressional race against Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik. Though he brings celebrity to the race, his experience leaves much to be desired. Specifically, his voting record: he has none. Not just as an elected official, but as a private citizen.
Ratigan is 45 years old, yet has never bothered to cast a vote in a single election, missing 27 years of opportunities to exercise the sacred right of participating in a democracy. Ratigan has said he has never voted because he was “disgusted” with the candidates put forth and seems to plan on casting his first-ever vote for himself in the Democratic primary, if he gets on the ballot. During his candidacy announcement, he was cavalier and joked about not having voted, but I take voting seriously and so should other young people.
As the president of the St. Lawrence University Democrats, I have helped organize countless voter registration drives. SLU Democrats worked with the Canton Democratic Committee this past November to call people on election day, reminding them to vote. We organize rides for students and faculty directly from campus to polling stations in and around Canton. In 2016, we went door-to-door before and on election day, offering rides and directions to polling locations. We think our work helping people vote is, and will continue to be, valuable.
In his defense, Ratigan tweeted, “I’m running for Congress, but I’ve never voted in my life. I always thought the choices available didn’t reflect the potential leadership for this country. I worked for truth via journalism, and small business via veteran-run farms. I thought that was enough. I was wrong.” He’s right: he was wrong, and it wasn’t enough. Several strong candidates are already running for Congress in the North Country, and they have been working tirelessly on local issues, touring the district and meeting voters. These candidates believe in the system they hope to be elected into, something that couldn’t be said for Mr. Ratigan until he decided to join the race.
If Ratigan is so interested in improving the North Country and removing Elise Stefanik from office, he should have voted for either of her previous two Democratic challengers. It appears he thinks he can enter an already crowded race and use his celebrity to control the conversation, which will ultimately hurt the North Country and its residents.
If you’re wondering what solutions Dylan Ratigan offers for the North Country, don’t bother with his campaign website: a tiny statement about the political class and finding common ground is all you will find. In this blurb, he denounces the political class, who offer “no real plan for jobs. No solution for the opioid epidemic. No honest solutions for healthcare.” But out of the seven people currently running for the Democratic nomination, Ratigan is the only one who doesn’t outline his issues and plans on his website.
Unsatisfied with the website, I checked his Twitter. He pinned a tweet promising his views “on everything from healthcare to banking.” The problem? It’s a link to buy his book. While other candidates are working hard to put forth their proposals and explain their priorities, Ratigan expects you to purchase his. The North Country deserves someone willing to fight for the district, not a celebrity only willing to grace us with his grand ideas for $16.99. If Mr. Ratigan is sincere about wanting to become more involved, he should support one of the capable candidates already running.