Political Hobbyists In Isolation

An article in The Atlantic earlier this year makes a forceful case for the parasitic privilege of political hobbyism. It aptly describes how I and most of my friends engage politically — from the grandstands with a bag of popcorn. Engagement from a place of privilege.

The arena of politics is fascinating to observe, yet it is not an appealing place to enter daintily. “Making an impact” is not easy work from the couch and requires more than discussing broad, theoretical topics at home.

Or at least it wasn’t until a month or two ago. Now the couch is exactly the place to get engaged, to stop scrolling Twitter and to enter the arena, if only in a small way. Isolation makes it harder to knock doors or attend civic gatherings, but it caters to the political hobbyist. “Making an impact” from the safety of one’s own home will never be easier.