Fourth & Democracy | Rory Goes Back-to-Back, Swalwell Drops Out, & Trump Lashes Out at Pope Leo

One of the reasons Americans are so fed up right now is that the average person has been priced out of entertainment. The tradeoff is always what people are willing to put up with from the government and how affordable their lives are, and that bargain has been broken. These days, I wonder if the Costco hot dog and soda combo is the last good deal we have.

An afternoon at the ballpark used to feel like that sort of bargain. You could attend a game, sit in the bleachers, and eat hot dogs and popcorn for a reasonable price. It was an easy way to enjoy being around other people, some entertainment in the game, and a day outside. For my birthday recently, I went to a Colorado Rockies game. It was the home opener, I expected the tickets would be a little more, but $86 (per ticket) to sit in left field for one of the worst teams in the league felt unreasonable.

The entire experience was the bare minimum. From the food, to the crowd control, to vendor placement and employee interactions. It just felt off and lackadaisical. That just seems to be par for the course in America these days: the working class pays a premium to escape the chaos, and still gets the bare minimum in return.

We’re paying more than ever for things that are supposed to give us a break from all of this, and it still feels hollow. We aren’t really asking for luxury, just a fair shake at quality of life.

Yet, here we are.

While Trump fights with the Pope, we try to enjoy Rory McIlroy’s win at The Masters. The scandalous news with a Super Bowl coach and a sideline reporter grabs our attention, and the Democratic base holding one of their own accountable might feel like a moment of civic pride–even as we sit on the brink of resuming war with Iran.