Confessions of a Political Junkie

Written By Jonathan Krogh

Dear Sober Companions:

Anyone who has a friend struggling with substance use disorder knows how carefully they work to avoid triggers. For some, bars, parties and receptions bring powerful temptations to relapse. Knowing their limits, they may simply decline an invitation rather than risk their recovery. It is better to miss an occasion than regret what follows.

For the political junkies among us, myself included, election cycles offer enormous opportunities to binge on our drug of choice. Everyone else seems to be guzzling from the punchbowl, so why not take a few sips and fit in with the crowd?

My mother was a teetotaler. She used to say she would never know whether she was an alcoholic. Well into her nineties, she still declined a drink because, as she put it, she was far too old to find out. When I was younger, I thought she was prudish; now I think she was smart. If only I had never read an opinion column about supply-side economics or wandered into a conversation about gun control. How much time have I lost on unproductive banter about redistricting? What else might I have done while tumbling down the rabbit hole of political polling methodology?

Two weeks ago, I read an extremely troubling article about online gambling (“How DraftKings Uses A.I. to Target the Gamblers Likeliest to Lose,” New York Times, Sep. 19, 2026). The title tells the story: peddlers of chance reap huge profits by steering vulnerable people toward catastrophic losses, and for now it is completely legal. As I read, I received multiple texts from campaign managers, political PACs and sniveling candidates begging for my VERY IMPORTANT, CRUCIALLY NEEDED, Western-civilization-SAVING contribution, “No matter how small!” Clearly, among the politically addicted, I have been tagged as one likely to lose. This, too, is completely legal: the 2003 Federal Trade Commission’s anti-SPAM Act exempted political campaigns from laws concerning the National Do Not Call Registry, auto dialers and unsubscribe-option requirements.

Good friends help. If someone in your life asks you not to discuss politics, please honor that request, especially during this difficult election season. Gently steer the conversation toward safer topics: gardening (without mentioning glyphosates), travel (without discussing the TSA), dining (without lamenting PFAS) or snacking (without bringing up GMOs). You may be helping someone stay on the road to recovery.

Holding on ‘til the election is gone, I remain,

With Love,
Jonathan Krogh
Your Pastor 

Jonathan Krogh
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