Samantha Bee gave a civics lesson on her show tonight about which election was the most important. 2008 or 2010?
You have a 50/50 chance of being right, but just in case you're not sure, here's the answer.
"The most important election in your lifetimes was [2010], and you didn't vote in it, and you got your asses kicked," said Bee.
Granted, it was a midterm and not a sexy, movement-building general election with lots of bunting and flag-waving. No, it was "Just one of those boring midterm elections that Will.i.am doesn't make videos about."
The indictment: "Most of America felt it was fine to just sleep through this one."
The reminder: "You know who didn't sit 2010 out? People who were old, and white, and super cranky about something..."
"I'm sure they were just angry about how tall the President is. And just as you'd expect, when the voting public looks like the cast of Cocoon, they turned this country redder than Carrie's prom dress."
She reminded, "They shut down the government. They somehow turned 60 failed attempts at taking away people's health insurance into a badge of honor, and refused to vote on immigration reform, leaving Americans so frustrated they're willing to vote for the first two-bit wall salesman who says he'll stop Mexicans from raping their jobs."
"That's right. If you didn't vote in 2010, you built that."
The visual on this is breathtaking, and not in a good way. "But oh, my God, that is nothing compared to what happened in the states after moderates and progressives hit the snooze button in 2010. While the new Congress was putting a banana in the tailpipe of our democracy, the newly elected state lawmakers and governors did the opposite, unclenching their legislative sphincters and casting every shitty idea from deep within their bowels."
"Bankrupting school systems, redrawing Congressional districts, to doing everything short of bronzing pregnant women to block access to abortions."
Why was 2010 much more important than 2008? Because it was about "all the things that directly affect your life a million times more than the Presidency."
