> Skip the theater built for a national audience. Go find the room small enough that showing up still means something.

This is terrible advice.

Yes, voting is problematic as the essay describes. But not nearly as problematic as the alternatives. Also yes, the local elections, boards, and committees are the most important things (and the things people tend to pay the least attention to), but ignoring national elections is a disastrous idea. It just makes it easier for the big snakes to get into positions of power. I'd rather have the small, more manageable snakes.

Voting is also a form of consent. If we aren't consenting anymore, then we're being ruled, not governed. And being ruled is exactly the opposite of what the United States stands for.