Today I tried digging into political stuff with Sharon McMahon’s party comparison series. Honestly? I usually avoid politics like the plague – feels overwhelming and full of yelling. But I kept hearing buzzwords like “fiscal conservatism” and “social safety net” and had zero clue what the actual differences were. Figured Sharon’s down-to-earth style might help.
Diving In & Getting Stuck
Grabbed my laptop around 9 PM – terrible habit, I know. Jumped onto YouTube and searched “Sharon McMahon political party differences.” Bingo, found her main comparison video right away. Started watching, feeling kinda proud for adulting. Five minutes in? Totally lost. She was throwing around terms like “neoliberalism” and “progressive tax structures.” My brain glazed over. Paused the video, sighed, and thought, “Nope, not today.” Almost closed the tab.
Going Old School
Decided brute force was needed. Grabbed a crumpled notebook and a half-dried pen from my junk drawer. Hit play again, but super slow this time. Whenever Sharon mentioned something important:
- Jotted down the term (even if I spelled it wrong)
- Tried writing what I thought it meant in my own dumb words
- Listed which party she linked it to – Dems or GOP
Slowed the playback speed to 0.75x. Felt ridiculous, like listening to a sleepy robot, but it worked. Focused hard on the core differences she hammered home:
My Chicken Scratch Notes:
- Gov’t Size: GOP says small is better (less rules), Dems say big needed (help people)
- Money Help: Dems want gov’t programs (like healthcare aid), GOP wants private stuff
- Taxes: Dems tax rich more, GOP says that hurts everyone
The Lightbulb Moment
Kept banging my head against the wall until one thing stuck: it mostly boils down to HOW MUCH the government should be involved in people’s lives and wallets. Sounds simple, right? But I’d never connected all the dots before. The healthcare debates, the tax fights, the environmental regulations – they all circle back to that core disagreement. Felt like finally getting the punchline of a long, confusing joke.
Why It Stuck This Time
This messy approach actually worked for my fried brain:
- Handwriting forced me to process info, not just zone out staring at the screen.
- Summarizing in my own (often terrible) words made abstract stuff concrete.
- Focusing ONLY on the biggest differences stopped me drowning in details.
Still don’t feel like debating anyone, but at least now the news doesn’t sound like total gibberish. Turns out, slow, messy practice beats trying to be smart.
