Just Like That, It's Over

Well, the 2022 Midterm Election is finally (mostly) over, and it’s time to bring this blog to a close. First, we’d like to thank you for following along. Whether you’ve read every post or only one, we sincerely appreciate that you trusted us to inform you about this Senate race.

A gif from the musical Hamilton after the Battle of Yorktown. Also how we feel about the election.

Secondly, we’d like to talk about things that we’ve learned throughout this project. Some of us on the team are pretty well-versed in politics, and others aren’t. It’s safe to say that this project pushed all of us out of our comfort zone and forced us to pay attention to a political climate that we’d rather push to the back of our minds. Engaging with the platforms of both Valentine and Schmitt made us more knowledgeable about talking points for the parties – you can have a vague idea that Eric Schmitt has cracked down on course content in schools, but finding out that he thinks it’s questionable for students to think about a book through a feminist lens is still shocking.

An assignment that Schmitt found questionable because it asks students to use a feminist lens. We covered this on October 24.

Additionally, we’ve learned the importance of not taking things out of context. Schmitt’s ad about Valentine’s stance on the police included a video of her saying that she’d love to work with Mayor Tishaura Jones, but the clip that Schmitt showed wasn’t about Valentine wanting to defund the police, it was about her wanting to work with leaders throughout Missouri to get things done. Taking things out of context is one of the main tactics of politicians and other actors in the political world. Always remember to do your research, but don’t end up going down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. If a politician is saying something weird about a bill, read through the bill! If you want to know how a policy may affect you, read breakdowns from liberals and conservatives – try to get a neutral opinion.

We’re not going to lie to you, non-academic writing can be really hard when you’re a college student used to pushing out papers and other, more “formal” toned, assignments. Relatability and personality are very important when writing for a public audience. Including stories about how policies may affect us helps to show our audience how policies may affect them, which is something we really wanted to push.

A picture from our October 14th post "Valentine and Unions." This is my dad and me at an IBEW Easter party.

Overall, we really enjoyed this project. Not only has it helped with our communication skills, but it’s also made us better political agents. We know how to tell what sources are reputable, language to look for in platforms, and how to reach out to candidates. We’ve also gained a massive amount of respect for people who work on political campaigns – y’all rock! Political campaigns are a lot of work, especially a Democrat’s campaign for Senate in a red state. There are a lot of moving parts and chaos, and we’re grateful to have been paying attention to Valentine’s campaign without being a part of it.

This blog won’t be making a comeback anytime soon (if at all), but we highly encourage you to keep an eye out for Truman students’ blogs in 2024! While there won’t be a Senate election in Missouri in 2024, a lot of other state offices will be on the ballot, and there’s always the presidency. We also encourage you to use this blog as a springboard for getting more informed on issues that matter to you. Politics matters, whether you’re actively involved or not. Remember to register to vote if you move, request an absentee ballot if you won’t be able to vote on election day, and stay informed. Thanks again for following along!