Yes, voter suppression is real, and getting worse, but only because of robust voter self-suppression. “Voter turnout for the 2022 U.S. congressional elections was the 2nd highest for a nonpresidential election year since 2000, with 52.2% of the citizen voting-age population participating.” Ooooh! 52! 🤬 Only 47.8% off registered voters d…
Yes, voter suppression is real, and getting worse, but only because of robust voter self-suppression. “Voter turnout for the 2022 U.S. congressional elections was the 2nd highest for a nonpresidential election year since 2000, with 52.2% of the citizen voting-age population participating.” Ooooh! 52! 🤬 Only 47.8% off registered voters didn’t show. That’s not just voter suppression, or gerrymandering, that’s mostly just a lot of apathy. 2020 on the other hand, had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century, at 66.8%, so only 33.2% no-shows. Still bad, but not 52.2% bad. But according to Elias, I’m supposed to believe voter suppression increased by 14.6% of the vote in 2 years? I can hear it now, “midterms are always lower...” And look where that landed us! It’s apathy x decades, folks, and the word the DNC dare not speak.
I used to believe that apathy played a big part in low voter turnout. Now, I think that message is part of the game Rs play. Rs blame voter apathy for low turnout and pretend that they don’t put huge roadblocks to voting along every step of the process.
In some parts of the US, voting is accessible only to those of a particular socio-economic status. If you have to walk or take public transportation to a location miles away from where you live, if you can’t leave work because your absence puts your job at risk, if you’re unable to wait in line for hours and hours on end (due to work, or lack of childcare, or health concerns), it’s not voter apathy.
Nothing I wrote suggested voter suppression wasn’t a problem. Nothing you mentioned explains 14.6% difference. In our blue county, with free mail in ballots, we couldn’t muster 50% of voters to participate. I guess I’ll never understand the apathy and denial about voter apathy.
Wonder what the demographics are in that percentile. Strange that this apathy, if that’s what it is, seems to be ever present. Maybe during WWII
citizens voted in larger numbers, and many believed “my one vote won’t make a difference”. But what we seem to be facing right now should bring huge numbers to the polls, so it must be ignorance. But how to enlighten them? With blustering
fear tactics, demonstrations, more profound speaches?
People talking about moving to Canada or other countries. I want to fight, but I don’t know how to.
Heard the story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody? There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
I wish we could declare voting day (at least Presidential ) a national holiday or, have the polls open later, or making voting day always on a weekend, or over a 2-3 day period....
In 1992 I proposed an amendment to the Maine Democratic Party platform that Election days be declared legal holidays. The platform committee defeated it 19 to 2. It was not allowed to be considered at the convention. Republicans don’t believe in the Republic, Democrats don’t believe in Democracy. Get mad.
Sometimes, when a game is rigged against one team that it’s impossible to win, players quit. Who wouldn’t? This is exactly what Marc Elias was saying - that greater voter participation won’t change the outcomes with successful voter suppression .
On Sunday, there was a Congress critter (R) from NC on a Sunday news show claiming she won her seat in a “ competitive race “ by 10 points. Oh honey, first, you live in NC, where gerrymandering runs rampant; second, 10 points doesn’t sound competitive.
When we’re told repeatedly, and with authority, that it’s impossible, many of us begin to believe it, then some attack those who can do the math and question that conventional wisdom. The origin of “conventional” wisdom from “convenient” (Galbraith) should not be overlooked here. Introspection is difficult and it takes work, sure, but without it, we’ve got the GQP. The quiet game of quitting voting for decades is killing us. It’s not impossible now, but we’ll be there sooner with a bunch of resigned quitters. More attacks in 3...2...1......
Cool your duels dude! I agree with you, and so do most of those on this thread. But we have to speak to the voter apathy to bring voters to the polls. It happened in 2016, that a rigged social media stirred the new Trump fans while painting HRC as a racist and causing voter apathy in key states. This country needs a wake-up call to voters about the importance of voting in every election, even if the map is rigged against them.
The best way “to speak to the voter apathy” is to first not pretend it doesn’t exist, second acknowledge that it’s a huge problem, and third, admit it’s our problem, not something we can blame on others. Dem candidates need to inspire, be trustworthy, and have a solid message of hope, not the despair that “it’s all rigged against us.” That negative victim language does the opposite.
As I have posted above (apologies for repetition) we can do this: please subscribe (free) to the SPANISH version of progressive Brian Tyler Cohen's Youtube channel and routinely run a few, if they algorithm catches fire, it will be seen by more and more Hispanics who are being successfully lured away by the GOP.
It’s not just apathy-it’s also fear. Certain people are easily targeted. Remember the show DeSantis’s concocted with his “election police”. Two white males were also convicted for robocalls in 2016 to Black folks telling them if they voted they’d be arrested at the polling place because of warrants, back taxes etc.
I suspect as the Magats get going more it will be even scarier to vote. Black people did not vote for many years because of laws, trickery, threats and violence. These tactics worked for a long time-Black people trying to vote in the South lost their lives and livelihoods as did other people who supported voting rights efforts.
With AR-15s they can gun down a line of voters (certain voters) in minutes. Who will show up to vote then? Especially since many states are ruling out drop boxes and mail in ballots.
Suppressing votes from Black folks and “liberals” is what will make America great again. Racism trumps everything. It’s the American way. We have to pay attention to the role that “whiteness” plays in our society. It’s a delusion that’s been with us for centuries.
People really believe that organizing society based on skin color is valid-only White people are “real” Americans. Heather mentioned that Hispanics consider themselves “white”. Truly over 80% self identify this way on the census which now counts “non-Hispanic” whites as well as “whites only”.
It’s crazy living with racism! No surprise that we’ve gotten to this point-we take “whiteness” for granted and talking about race is taboo. If people only understood the true history of America then maybe we could make the changes needed to save our country. Our grand “experiment” is evidently failing..
The solution does involve education-that’s why the Rs have attacked all levels of education. Trump is promising to takeover accreditation by setting new standards to enforce white supremacy. The Ds are woefully lacking when it comes to messaging. Time to take the gloves off and tell the truth-loudly and often.
Yes, voter suppression is real, and getting worse, but only because of robust voter self-suppression. “Voter turnout for the 2022 U.S. congressional elections was the 2nd highest for a nonpresidential election year since 2000, with 52.2% of the citizen voting-age population participating.” Ooooh! 52! 🤬 Only 47.8% off registered voters didn’t show. That’s not just voter suppression, or gerrymandering, that’s mostly just a lot of apathy. 2020 on the other hand, had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century, at 66.8%, so only 33.2% no-shows. Still bad, but not 52.2% bad. But according to Elias, I’m supposed to believe voter suppression increased by 14.6% of the vote in 2 years? I can hear it now, “midterms are always lower...” And look where that landed us! It’s apathy x decades, folks, and the word the DNC dare not speak.
I used to believe that apathy played a big part in low voter turnout. Now, I think that message is part of the game Rs play. Rs blame voter apathy for low turnout and pretend that they don’t put huge roadblocks to voting along every step of the process.
In some parts of the US, voting is accessible only to those of a particular socio-economic status. If you have to walk or take public transportation to a location miles away from where you live, if you can’t leave work because your absence puts your job at risk, if you’re unable to wait in line for hours and hours on end (due to work, or lack of childcare, or health concerns), it’s not voter apathy.
Nothing I wrote suggested voter suppression wasn’t a problem. Nothing you mentioned explains 14.6% difference. In our blue county, with free mail in ballots, we couldn’t muster 50% of voters to participate. I guess I’ll never understand the apathy and denial about voter apathy.
" In our blue county, with free mail in ballots, we couldn’t muster 50% of voters to participate.' That's HEARTBREAKING.
I’m sure Elias would just say, “Oh well, it’s rugged and stacked against us and impossible, just go home, nothing to see here.”
Wonder what the demographics are in that percentile. Strange that this apathy, if that’s what it is, seems to be ever present. Maybe during WWII
citizens voted in larger numbers, and many believed “my one vote won’t make a difference”. But what we seem to be facing right now should bring huge numbers to the polls, so it must be ignorance. But how to enlighten them? With blustering
fear tactics, demonstrations, more profound speaches?
People talking about moving to Canada or other countries. I want to fight, but I don’t know how to.
Heard the story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody? There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
Just a guess.
I wish we could declare voting day (at least Presidential ) a national holiday or, have the polls open later, or making voting day always on a weekend, or over a 2-3 day period....
In 1992 I proposed an amendment to the Maine Democratic Party platform that Election days be declared legal holidays. The platform committee defeated it 19 to 2. It was not allowed to be considered at the convention. Republicans don’t believe in the Republic, Democrats don’t believe in Democracy. Get mad.
They didn’t see the need for it then. You were thinking ahead.
That’s a good idea
Sometimes, when a game is rigged against one team that it’s impossible to win, players quit. Who wouldn’t? This is exactly what Marc Elias was saying - that greater voter participation won’t change the outcomes with successful voter suppression .
On Sunday, there was a Congress critter (R) from NC on a Sunday news show claiming she won her seat in a “ competitive race “ by 10 points. Oh honey, first, you live in NC, where gerrymandering runs rampant; second, 10 points doesn’t sound competitive.
When we’re told repeatedly, and with authority, that it’s impossible, many of us begin to believe it, then some attack those who can do the math and question that conventional wisdom. The origin of “conventional” wisdom from “convenient” (Galbraith) should not be overlooked here. Introspection is difficult and it takes work, sure, but without it, we’ve got the GQP. The quiet game of quitting voting for decades is killing us. It’s not impossible now, but we’ll be there sooner with a bunch of resigned quitters. More attacks in 3...2...1......
Cool your duels dude! I agree with you, and so do most of those on this thread. But we have to speak to the voter apathy to bring voters to the polls. It happened in 2016, that a rigged social media stirred the new Trump fans while painting HRC as a racist and causing voter apathy in key states. This country needs a wake-up call to voters about the importance of voting in every election, even if the map is rigged against them.
The best way “to speak to the voter apathy” is to first not pretend it doesn’t exist, second acknowledge that it’s a huge problem, and third, admit it’s our problem, not something we can blame on others. Dem candidates need to inspire, be trustworthy, and have a solid message of hope, not the despair that “it’s all rigged against us.” That negative victim language does the opposite.
Agreed. Motivate, do not deter.
As I have posted above (apologies for repetition) we can do this: please subscribe (free) to the SPANISH version of progressive Brian Tyler Cohen's Youtube channel and routinely run a few, if they algorithm catches fire, it will be seen by more and more Hispanics who are being successfully lured away by the GOP.
https://www.youtube.com/@briantylercohenespanol
At night, I run a few on my computer with the sound off since I do not speak Spanish.
At the suggestion of others on this forum, I started writing postcards and letters to voters. This I have to limit as postage keeps going up up up.
I like your sneakiness in gaming the algorithm. I'll check it out.
Again, what are you talking about? What is “run a few” and “algorithm catching fire?”
It’s not just apathy-it’s also fear. Certain people are easily targeted. Remember the show DeSantis’s concocted with his “election police”. Two white males were also convicted for robocalls in 2016 to Black folks telling them if they voted they’d be arrested at the polling place because of warrants, back taxes etc.
I suspect as the Magats get going more it will be even scarier to vote. Black people did not vote for many years because of laws, trickery, threats and violence. These tactics worked for a long time-Black people trying to vote in the South lost their lives and livelihoods as did other people who supported voting rights efforts.
With AR-15s they can gun down a line of voters (certain voters) in minutes. Who will show up to vote then? Especially since many states are ruling out drop boxes and mail in ballots.
Suppressing votes from Black folks and “liberals” is what will make America great again. Racism trumps everything. It’s the American way. We have to pay attention to the role that “whiteness” plays in our society. It’s a delusion that’s been with us for centuries.
People really believe that organizing society based on skin color is valid-only White people are “real” Americans. Heather mentioned that Hispanics consider themselves “white”. Truly over 80% self identify this way on the census which now counts “non-Hispanic” whites as well as “whites only”.
It’s crazy living with racism! No surprise that we’ve gotten to this point-we take “whiteness” for granted and talking about race is taboo. If people only understood the true history of America then maybe we could make the changes needed to save our country. Our grand “experiment” is evidently failing..
The solution does involve education-that’s why the Rs have attacked all levels of education. Trump is promising to takeover accreditation by setting new standards to enforce white supremacy. The Ds are woefully lacking when it comes to messaging. Time to take the gloves off and tell the truth-loudly and often.