I love the idealism, I lost mine decades ago.

Realistically, this is America we're talking about. A literal pandemic that killed millions was only worth a 16% bump in the total vote count. The sooner you come to terms with the fact that this country is not and has never been a real democracy, the sooner you'll be able to stop relying on the electoral system to save the world.

Also, I resent the assertion that I don't pay attention to politics. I pay too much attention to politics. To the point that I predicted this exact scenario for the 2024 election back in 2015 when the DNC first started openly conspiring against Bernie, months before they ratfucked him out of the primary. I was the only person among my family and friends not to be surprised when Hillary lost in 2016. I knew the incumbent for 2024 would have to drop out to give the VP a chance at winning against Trump literally years before we learned that Biden was going to be that incumbent. I feel like Cassandra, cursed with foreknowledge that none will heed.

Anyways, the problem isn't "trends" or a lack of interest from the youth, the fundamental issue is that electoral politics is a trap. Do vote in local and national elections, of course, but if voting is all you're putting your energy into then you're doing it wrong. And our political media ecosystem is designed to ensure that most people do it wrong by investing literal billions into election campaign coverage.

The real forefront of American politics is the union movement. Now that they're starting to throw off their old business-friendly management and implementing democratic processes for replacing them, they're taking position to become the driving force behind the new left. Watch for that over the next few years as the Republican party falls apart from the blowback against Trump's attempts to steal the election while the Democrats continue triangulating to the right to pick up the "moderate" leftovers and alienating their own left wing.