Frazier is an assistant professor at the Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University. He previously clerked for the Montana Supreme Court.
The slow and steady seep of artificial intelligence into every aspect of life means that we all have to be disciplined about staying in touch with reality. Thankfully, that task may be easier than you’d imagine. Here’s one suggestion: Attend a Rotary Club meeting.
Yes, now’s the time to go back to basics.
For those unfamiliar, here's how Rotary International describes its members – they "believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world's most persistent issues." Through their more than 46,000 clubs, the Rotarians strive to "promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education, and grow the economy, and protect the environment." It’s a lofty agenda, but it's a wholesome one: Rotarians don’t have political aims; they aren’t in it to grow their TikTok following; they don’t change their ways just because of a shift in the winds.
The resilience of the Rotarians demonstrates their connection to reality – something we could all use more of these days. I had the pleasure of giving a brief talk to the Milwaukie, Ore., Rotary Club a few weeks back – there was nothing “artificial” about the experience. The members discussed their plans to physically attend the farmer’s market to sell wreaths for charity, to physically host a holiday party for the community, and to physically be in the seats at an upcoming ballet performance at the local school. In short, they had clear plans to stay in touch with reality by being reliable and visible parts of the community.
It’s true that Rotary Clubs have seen a dip in attendance in recent years. The perception of Rotary Clubs as vestiges of the past is not entirely unjustified. Having attended a few meetings, there’s surely a need to diversify and expand membership. Yet, the Rotary and similar organizations may be one of our best chances for not getting too distracted by AI.
If the Rotary isn’t for you, that’s fine. But if we’re going to prevent AI from disconnecting us from our shared humanity, we all need plans for being physically there for our communities. It’s a heck of a lot easier to follow through on those plans by finding a group that will hold you accountable for actively participating in community affairs.
The need for a dose of reality is especially true for younger folks. The Americans who grow up in the Age of AI may soon become accustomed to AI being a part of every aspect of their lives. As we’ve seen from social media, the unchecked and unlimited role of technology can have severe consequences on our individual and communal health. History will repeat itself if we let AI invade every part of our day-to-day activities. The best way to prevent such negative outcomes is to encourage our kids to save space for reality and to serve as role models by being physically connected to our communities; Rotary Clubs are one option to do so but there are plenty of others.
So as the new year approaches, resolve to make reality a priority for you, for your loved ones and for your community.
Americans across the political spectrum have continued to ask about the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections among the political elite. (Angela Weiss/AFP)
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to voters at a town hall at the Elks Lodge 188 on June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
McConnell and Platner both feel entitled
The two men could not be more different. One, a Republican, octogenarian, seven-term Southern senator, the other a progressive, millennial Maine oysterman who’s never spent a day in elected office.
But Mitch McConnell, the senior senator from Kentucky who’s been MIA for the past few weeks and Graham Platner, the Maine Senate candidate who’s facing calls to drop out of his race against Sen. Susan Collins, apparently do have something in common: an outsized sense of entitlement.
McConnell, who is 84 and not running for reelection, has been hospitalized for three weeks, and yet we still don’t fully know what he was admitted for or what his condition is. Per CNN, “his office has not disclosed a medical reason for the hospitalization or provided specifics on his health status beyond saying last week that he ‘continues to improve’ and ‘is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters.’ ”
While several legislators have said they’ve talked to him and insist he sounds strong, others have said they are completely in the dark. One MAGA influencer, Laura Loomer, posted ”High level source close to the White House tells me ‘Mitch McConnell is officially brain dead. He’s not coming back.’ ”
Meanwhile, up in Maine, Platner has been artfully dodging calls from his own party to drop out of his race after several allegations of misconduct from women, including a sexual assault allegation from a former girlfriend, came to light. While Platner, who has managed to survive a Nazi-tattoo scandal, a sexting scandal, and several old tweets scandals, denies the allegations, he has not quit.
High-profile Democrats including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer, the latter of whom had unsuccessfully hand-selected Maine Gov. Janet Mills to face Collins instead of Platner, have urged Platner to drop out, while other Dems have accused him of trying to influence the picking of his replacement.
Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a statement Tuesday, which said in part:
“Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like. We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate nor in determining what this process looks like.”
Both incidents show a deep lack of accountability to voters, who in one case deserve to know whether their senator is capable of performing his duties, and in another deserve a candidate who isn’t being accused of crimes, bigotry and deception.
The offensive and odious entitlement of both McConnell and Platner stands out not because it is particularly unique among today’s political class. Tom Kean, the New Jersey GOP congressman, missed more than 100 votes, only sharing after a three-month mystery absence that he was dealing with depression.
Former President Joe Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed to disclose a hospitalization for prostate cancer surgery, flouting the established rules for Cabinet members and senior U.S. officials.
From Biden’s insistence on running for reelection despite his obvious cognitive and political weaknesses to Trump’s brazen flouting of laws and norms, few politicians seem to appreciate that their public service job comes with responsibilities to constituents, including transparency and honesty.
But both parties increasingly justify the chicanery, because the stakes of winning elections and keeping power are simply too high. But that’s no excuse. If we’ve learned anything over the past decade, it’s that character and accountability do, in fact, matter. And when we, the voters, stop caring about it, well, so do they.
S.E. Cupp is the host of "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered" on CNN.