Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/08/14/president-elizabeth-warren.html
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Without a strong GOTV effort, especially one aimed at young people, all the work combatting GOP gerrymandering and voter suppression and campaign finance corruption will result in a wash at best. The Americans described here…
nonvoters were more likely to be nonwhite (half), under 50 (two thirds) and low-earning ($30,000/year or less).
… are exactly the Americans whose economic and environmental futures are being sold out by the Republicans and, to a lesser extent, by the Dem establishment.
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I will vote for anyone who can credibly deliver that policy package, regardless of what party they are nominally fronting.
Although frankly I’d prefer a Green or Independent candidate, because there are actually a few issues that are even more important that these - such as species survival for humanity, for one example.
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I loved that flick…
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It’s also worth pointing out that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was struck down in 2013, and many, many other shitty voter suppression tactics (not just lazy/apathetic voters) were put in place by usually one elephant-mascotted political party. It’s not a coincidence.
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First Past the Post vote tallying will invariably produce two parties, both of which are highly disincentivized to give a fuck about their constituents and what they need and want.
Nothing will change til we fix our electoral system.
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Moving to a ranked or preferential voting system, along with reforming the Electoral College, is a longer-term project. Unfortunately we first have to combat the various GOP efforts to further break our already broken electoral systems and also get out the vote by giving apathetic citizens something substantive to vote for instead of against. Until enough Republicans are out of office, the fundamental fixes that need to be made won’t happen.
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This infuriates me. Blaming those whose votes were not tallied, treating them as apathetic stay-at-homes, its adding insult to injury. The system is supposed to police itself, having the blue team and the red team closely watch each other against shenanagins. And thats the part that has gone completely septic at this point.
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I think the Greens clearly taking Russian money is a great reason to stay the hell away for the moment.
I’d focus more on prog Dems that are talking about major reforms, especially those willing to talk about real election reform (ranked choice FTW, with proportional representation instead of empty states getting the same number of Senate seats as the biggest states).
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And I think 90% of that Russia scare is just smokescreens by people who would do and say anything to defend the status quo, Democrats and Republicans alike!
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No, no, you simply must trust the apologentsia. They have your best interests at heart, honest.
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6 or 8 years ago I read the suggestion that “stay home” is really the ultimate point of any political campaign. Inundate viewers/readers with so many ads (and other campaign materials) that they stay home out of frustration and/or exhaustion, leaving the true believers (who will vote, and in a predictable way) on either side.
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After 50+ years of one party rule it is not surprising folks are staying home, and I will not be voting next time around regardless of how exciting “progressives” are.
How about stop killing Arab kids with drones, end the Afghanistan war, stop rendition, get the CIA out of the drug trade, stop starving N. Koreans for exercising their sovereign rights, get back the 21 trillion dollars that was siphoned off the HUD budget to the elite, and, oh, end corporate personhood… Sounds like a platform to me.
“End War” is about the only topic that will get me to sign a ballot, and I will walk across any platform to get there.
Signed,
Snow White, >50, & >$30k
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I’ve never voted because I actually expect my vote to make a real difference; it’s always seemed to me that the powers that be will say whatever sounds good, then do whatever they please, regardless.
Nevertheless, I vote because my ancestors fought, bled and died for the right.
Also it must be said:
Doing nothing definitely doesn’t change anything, ever.
I don’t know about anyone else, but by hook or crook, I will survive this fuckery.
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I love that linked headline, blame the voters, it’s not the parties fault for failing to present a compelling candidate.
We have a systemic voter and campaign finance problem. Politicians have no reason to care about voter opinions, long before Citizens United, casting a ballot has had no influence on policy. Voters who see no choice, and decide to stay home aren’t being irrational.
We can amend the constitution to limit the influence of money in politics. We can make a start at reforming the electoral college. How we actually get there with an obstructionist political system is probably going to be messy.
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That describes the people who are not given time off work to go and vote, have their polling station closed early and experience other disenfranchisement techniques.
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Hm.
Sure are an awful lot of Russians all over that smoke.
This. And those who can vote, are voting on behalf of those who cannot vote. It’s just another reason why voting is so important.
Voter suppression has proven effective. Right now, the solution seems to be drowning it out with sheer numbers.
Also this.
If you’re only going to vote on sunny days, you will leave others in the rain. I’ll also criticize the notion that the candidates weren’t the ones you wanted by saying:
I hope “progressives” find that unicorn they’re hunting by failing to do the one thing which matters the most to influence the direction of the hunt.
Good luck with that, but so far, I am not impressed with those results.
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Denial ain’t just a river located in Africa.
People who actually think like that astound me; it’s like saying, “Since no solution is absolutely perfect, I’d rather do nothing at all.”
The ‘Bartleby method’ didn’t even work out for Bartleby himself in the end, if I recall correctly.
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Oooh, YES! Please tell me again how voting for candidates I disapprove of changes the system. Tell me how voting down ticket brings about change.
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If the Greens want to be taken seriously for elected office they have to prove their viability on the state and local level before trying to win the top job.
Running Jill Stein (who to this day dismisses the Russia investigation and may well have been a witting or unwitting tool of the Kremlin herself) definitely didn’t do the party’s reputation any favors.
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