The Waterbury Times|Published June 2025

WATERBURY, CT- In Kendrick’s takedown of Drake, we watched a throne crumble under the weight of authenticity. It’s time we do the same with our politics.

Let’s watch the party die.

The Beat of the Ballot

In Waterbury, we’re told we live in a democracy where every vote counts, where the will of the people decides who leads and who leaves. But if you’ve been paying attention—really paying attention—you know that isn’t quite how the track plays out. Like a ghostwriter behind the curtain, political parties are remixing the final product long before we even press play on Election Day.

It’s not about you. It’s about the Party

Republicans and Democrats dominate the conversation like aging label execs—out of touch, overpowered, and clinging to charts they no longer deserve to top. Instead of amplifying the voices of the people, party platforms have become echo chambers where nuance dies and obedience reigns. Voters aren’t picking the best leaders; they’re often stuck choosing the least harmful option their party spoon-feeds them.

And much like the recent Kendrick vs. Drake battle, the spectacle hides the deeper story: one about legacy, power, and who’s really pulling the strings.

When the Party chooses, the People lose

Party influence on voting is like an auto-tune effect on what should be raw, honest vocals. Think about how presidential primaries are structured: Superdelegates. Party endorsements. Backroom deals. Fundraising gatekeepers. Media bias. By the time you step into the booth, the chorus has already been rehearsed. Similarly, in Waterbury there are political machines which control the players in the game.

Waterbury Board of Alderman & Board of Education Swearing-In Ceremony at Kennedy High School – December 1st, 6 PM

Candidates aren’t rising to power based on fresh ideas or grassroots energy. They’re being groomed and positioned based on how well they fit the party’s long-term playlist. Like a major artist who gets shelved for being “too real,” independent or third-party candidates are sidelined and silenced, often before their message reaches the masses.

If this were music, we’d call it industry politics. In actual politics, we just call it “business as usual.”

Left vs Right is the wrong question

Kendrick didn’t just challenge Drake’s bars—he challenged what Drake stood for: the manufactured, performative, brand-safe superstar. That same energy needs to be aimed at the parties running Waterbury.

Left or right is not the real question anymore. The real question is: Who’s still listening? Who’s still dancing to this broken beat?

Political loyalty has become a dangerous drug. People vote against their own interests just to keep their team in power. Ideas are judged not on merit, but on which jersey they’re wearing. And the moment someone dares to step out of line—like a Trump supporting Democrat or an Alderwoman who votes against Republican Party interests—they’re excommunicated.

We’ve stopped voting for change and started voting for comfort. For party line. For vibes over vision.

Waterbury City Hall & Local Government –

What if we “Watch the Party Die”

So maybe it’s time.

Time to let the party die.

Not in chaos, but in clarity. Let it die so something better can be born—something more grounded, more human. Imagine a voting system that doesn’t ask, “What would the party want?” but instead asks, “What do you need?” Ranked choice voting. Open primaries. Term limits. Public campaign financing. Proportional representation. These are just a few of the ways we could strip the autotune off democracy and hear the real voice of the people again.

We don’t need another remix of the same old political album. We need a new genre entirely.

Final Verse

Kendrick’s track didn’t just entertain—it exposed. And maybe this article can do the same.

Watch the party die. Watch the illusions fade. Watch the people wake up.

The beat is shifting. And the next hit in Waterbury won’t come from a Democratic or a Republican. It’ll come from the underground—the independents, the activists, the first-time voters, the disillusioned, and the hopeful.

And when the party dies in the Brass City, we might just start to live.

Your vote is your voice. Make sure it’s yours—not theirs.

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