I, personally, know only 2 or 3 people who live in Winthrop. These particular 2 or 3 people (2 liberal Democrats and a Libertarian, I'm guessing?) are very, very different from the average resident of Winthrop. When I know more, I'll ask them whether they voted for this guy, and if so why. But I doubt they can speak for the average voter in Winthrop.
But I know why, really. Not in detail, but fundamentally. Nearly nobody knows about or has been following energy policy legislation, except paid lobbyists working for the utility companies. Because to be really informed about what has happened in legislative session after legislative session, you have to go to boring inconvenient meetings and study dry reports to struggle to understand jargon terms like "net metering cap" and "renewable portfolio standard". Nobody has time for that shit. There's a handful of us "nutty" environmentalists in each town, shouting into the wind about all this. The press doesn't explain it because it's boring, and nobody reads the local news, unless their name is in it. Thus the Winthrop State Rep can get away with this utterly unnoticed. Right?
After this meeting in which I learned the irony of some guy from Winthrop (of all places) throttling progress on pro-climate legislation, I didn't rush over to Winthrop and start canvassing the population. Politics is not my job. I have a job. I also have a kid (and no co-parent) and a house and a condo to worry about. After the meeting I went home to feed my kid and take a nap and now I should research to figure out a plumbing issue in the house...
But I know why, really. Not in detail, but fundamentally. Nearly nobody knows about or has been following energy policy legislation, except paid lobbyists working for the utility companies. Because to be really informed about what has happened in legislative session after legislative session, you have to go to boring inconvenient meetings and study dry reports to struggle to understand jargon terms like "net metering cap" and "renewable portfolio standard". Nobody has time for that shit. There's a handful of us "nutty" environmentalists in each town, shouting into the wind about all this. The press doesn't explain it because it's boring, and nobody reads the local news, unless their name is in it. Thus the Winthrop State Rep can get away with this utterly unnoticed. Right?
After this meeting in which I learned the irony of some guy from Winthrop (of all places) throttling progress on pro-climate legislation, I didn't rush over to Winthrop and start canvassing the population. Politics is not my job. I have a job. I also have a kid (and no co-parent) and a house and a condo to worry about. After the meeting I went home to feed my kid and take a nap and now I should research to figure out a plumbing issue in the house...
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