There’s always an aviation angle. People were flying – across the country, across the Atlantic – to cast ballots, often because of challenges they faced trying to cast their votes absentee. That’s a lot of time and effort considering each is about one of 160 million registered voters in the United States. But people are passionate! Many of you are elated today, while just as many are apoplectic.
WHO IS THIS DIVA pic.twitter.com/Y8OQRJzsMc
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) November 5, 2024
My brother did this pic.twitter.com/oqdRfWjgeD
— Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) November 6, 2024
It’s easy to critique the woman making a transatlantic trip to vote for Kamala Harris because it was futile, however a single vote was always going to be futile – Pennsylvania, for instance, wasn’t going to be decided by one vote! Most of the time and in most places, voting is purely expressive.. performative.. but that’s exactly the case for this woman. She cares deeply about the outcome and wants to participate even if she’s not affecting it.
Is it entirely rational? In a subjective sense, yes. She’s pursuing a narrative she believes matters to her. Is it entirely consistent? If we infer some things about her likely politics, such as environmental concerns, then probably not (although it’s complicated).
- Remember that American Airlines alone consumes 1% of global fuel (and so do each of United and Delta).
- At the same time, not all flying contributes to harmful emissions equally. It’s a small portion of flying that does, and it seems as though this can be mitigated by changes in altitude.
- Although we’re not quite to the point of knowing for certain in advance which flying, and being able to adjust, though it seems like we’re close.
I’d prefer making a trip like this using miles. First, it feels like that’s what miles are for, being able to pursue the passions that matter to you. And when you’re getting a good deal on miles, it’s usually because the airline expects to fly a plane anyway but not to sell the seat they’re offering on points. And that’s precisely when you have the least impact on the environment through your travels.
Sure, flying to vote may seem like it doesn’t make sense when it doesn’t alter the outcome of the election. But for the people doing it, it’s fun! And if they can travel on points then the fun seems to come with less baggage, fewer negatives, both in terms of cost and possible criticism over environmental impact.
Meanwhile, about half the country will be the perfect target markets for airline ads like this one today:
WestJet running ads on IG for the US election – I actually love this. Great top of funnel move that’s going to get a bunch of shares and tags. pic.twitter.com/SmtnXFtgHm
— Stefan Kalczynski (@stefkal_) November 5, 2024
Maybe making a one-way trip is psychologically the easiest. Everyone who flew to cast a ballot only to see their candidate lose faces the prospect of flying back. Given that the whole point was to participate in a collective act that failed, the return flight home especially has to be truly deflating. Let’s just avoid fisticuffs in the cabin over the outcome.
Of course they didn’t affect the outcome, which was probably preordained by Vice President Harris holding her final rally on the famous steps from Rocky in Philadelphia where, I’ve seen pointed out, she declared, “And here at these famous steps, a tribute to those who start as the underdog and climb to victory…” forgetting that Rocky lost.
Camel-a has been preposterous or ludicrous throughout .
Her and Brandon’s policies have been nuts from the beginning , and we can thank our lucky stars that their nutty policies are now going to be ended .
@ Alert… Since you are doing it, can you answer the question of what is the point of name calling when referring to someone you don’t like? Both side do it obviously…
Camel-a reads in the New York Times that she is not a moron , and she is such a complete moron that she believes it.
That is akin to the Mad Hatter reading Mad Magazine .
@patrick … I admit that I am a “deplorable” and “garbage” , as described by Brandon and Camel-a.
Trump is my driver today , and he will make a stop and cook me some McDonalds .
Camel-a reading the New York Times , is akin to the Mad Hatter reading Mad Magazine .
Someone who goes to extraordinary efforts to vote should not be mocked. Regardless of who one chooses to vote for, it’s a civic duty and a right that should not be taken for granted.
thank you, Ron.
Let’s not forget that the entire concept of a democracy has existed for a very small portion of human history.
Americans have a CHOICE to vote even though it is a right and a responsibility.
The final totals were driven by significant divisions within American society that need to be addressed not just for the betterment of America but for the world.
Well it proves irrationality and hysteria. Climate Change is going to destroy the planet in ten years yet the people believing that will fly across the ocean to cast a vote that can be done by mail. Same behavior during COVID. No logic and intelligence.
@Tim … Are you referring to the significant divisions between us citizens , and the illegal alien Venezuelan gangs ?
Hopefully The Donald will address this issue , to the betterment of us citizens , and for the sending home of the Venezuelan gangs .
@George … +1 . The dinosaurs also worried about climate change and what they could do about it .
What a waste. I sent in 4 mail-in ballots in Montgomery County, PA and I ahve never lived there!
Democrats made the rules. Enjoy!
Gary, to be fair, Rocky did win in basically every sequel.
Maybe Gary and Ben will stop their ridiculous Ted Cruz/Cancun obsession
@Sean … +1 . Also , this is The Donald’s Third Presidential election victory in a row .
I keep hoping that disaffected democrats will take these airlines up on their offers so that their threats to leave can be fulfilled. Trump won, even the popular vote, so the USA is irredeemable.
But, Belarus is an affordable socialist paradise! The PRC is shiny and clean with great public transpoer and free healthcare. Sure, they don’t go for the LGBTQ+=& thing, but whatever – different culture. Canada has little Justin running things (for now), so if your like corrupt, inept socialist creatures, Canada offers an awesome option. As a bonus, housing is unaffordable for the hoi polloi, and taxes are super high. Its awesome! Then there’s Venezuela, a socialist paradise. And they hate Trump too!
I’ll even donate my miles for a one way flight to somewhere really far for Joy Reid, any idiot from The View or Bobby DeNiro – just so they can happily no longer exist here.
Get to it lefties! Time to go!
@sean – right, so she was setting herself up perfectly to run a campaign sequel in 2028..
It’s pretty clear now more than ever the 2020 election was stolen just by vote count alone.
Trump needs to launch a massive investigation in the 2020 election using the full force of his government. People need to go to jail.
He better pardon all the jan 6th patriots and proclaim it as Ashley Babbit day.
The ‘2020 was stolen’ stuff really is stupid. When Trump was President and in charge of the federal bureaucracy he was so incompetent as to let it be stolen from under him… but those same agents provocateur couldn’t manage the same feat when their side ran the bureaucracy? Democratic governors in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina couldn’t assist this time? Okey dokey.
The reward you get for :
Hiding dementia from day1.
Illegally putting a person the ballot that wasn’t elected in the primaries
Putting a person on the ballot because she’s black (?)
Putting a person on the ballot because she’s a woman.
Putting a person on the ballot with the lowest iq in history.
Putting a person on the ballot who can not even hold a basic conversation.
Putting a person on the ballot who dodges every question.
Putting a person on the ballot who has NO policy except ‘im not trump’
Putting a person on the ballot who divides the country, not unites it.
Putting a person on the ballot who plays the race card.
Did they really expect this to work ????
It shows how dumb people are when they fly here to vote. Typical for the left