Taylor’s Takes: I’ve been selected for [political] jury duty
As a registered voter in the once great state of Massachusetts, every few years I expect a card in the mail. Most people dread finding this card in their mailbox. I react with anticipation.
The card is a request to appear for jury duty.
For over fifteen years, I’ve been sporadically receiving my jury duty summons. For over fifteen years, my summonses have ultimately ended up being canceled. And for over fifteen years, I’ve been disappointed every time I’ve received that cancellation notice.
I’m not dismayed because I have to report to my regular routine on the date I had mentally set aside to sit in a courthouse. I’m dismayed because I feel robbed of an opportunity to partake in the civic process of the bearing out of justice. I feel that every responsible, level-headed American voter should have to engage in that process at least once in their lives, if not for any other reason than to gain a greater perspective of and appreciation for it.
But I will continue to await that opportunity.
On the other side of the coin, as someone who has been interested in politics for all of my adult life while simultaneously working in conservative talk radio, I have decided to undertake a completely voluntary civic duty.
I am a delegate for the upcoming 2026 MassGOP convention.
Last year, Republican voters in my town decided to resurrect the local Republican Town Committee. When I heard about the newly re-formed committee, it occurred to me that, after nearly twenty years of talking about local, state, and national politics that, outside of voting in elections, I had done very little, if anything at all to contribute to the political process.
When I initially registered to vote in 2009, I registered as a Republican. I’ve always held Republican ideals, but at some point, I switched my affiliation to unenrolled. I reasoned with myself, as many others have also done, that if there were ever a reasonable Democrat on the ballot, I want the opportunity to support them. I also wanted the chance to engage in any future Rush Limbaugh-esque Operation Chaos antics.
Well, in order to be a voting member of my local RTC, I had to show allegiance by once again registering as a Republican. I did so. And I’m not going back, either.
I was soon approached to be voted in by the RTC membership as one of eleven delegates. I’m happy to say that out of the eleven candidates for the eleven open delegate seats, my friend Jesse St. Gelais (candidate for State Representative for 8th Bristol District) and I were the top two vote-getters. Neither of us had submitted ballots voting just for ourselves, either.
So, next weekend I’m off to Worcester to represent the Town of Acushnet in this great democratic process.
I’m enduring the incessant phone calls, text messages, emails, and mailers from each of the gubernatorial candidates and their running mates, throwing stones at each other with each missive.
I’m about 85% sure of who I’ll be casting my vote for to face Maura Healey in the general election, with a week for me to completely make up my mind.
While I’ve been told the convention can be largely a snoozefest (much like I’ve heard concerning jury duty), I’m excited to be a part of the process and finally engaged, both professionally and civically, in a process I’ve been intrigued by for over twenty years.
And nobody can send me a cancellation notice for this.
See you at the convention!
