General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is what happens when 45% of voting age citizens can't be bothered to vote and ...
we have a media that is more interested in creating horse races for entertainment purposes than reporting the facts ...
When 45% of the country is too stupid and too lazy to fight for democracy, we all end up with the Fascist government we deserve ... which is exactly what we have.
https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/11/politics/popular-vote-turnout-2016/index.html
Response to Snake Plissken (Original post)
GaryCnf This message was self-deleted by its author.
Fullduplexxx
(7,864 posts)Oneironaut
(5,504 posts)Theyll also whine that we have people like Trump in office, but on Election Day they were nowhere to be found. If people actually voted, Hillary would have won. Instead, this nation slips further into apathy, stupidity, and cruelty.
Were complacent. We assume that freedom takes no effort, and well always be free. Were under attack from foreign enemies and enemies from within.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Please take that line with a grain of salt. Just a little fun. What it does is gloss over voter being disenfranchised for a myriad of reasons. It glosses over the fact that far too many people simply dont have the time as our current economic system is brutal.
I think the people mentioned are the ones we should target hardest, right after base groups. Stupid and lazy isnt a winning argument for a single mother, father, family household barely making ends meet, etc...
Snake Plissken
(4,103 posts)We can point out isolated cases and make excuses all day long, but fact remains that most people who don't vote are either too lazy to vote or just don't care, if you don't believe ask them yourself. Ask people who didn't vote, why they didn't vote, very few will give a legitimate reason.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)"I was just pointing out the facts"
Nope.
Snake Plissken
(4,103 posts)If you don't believe me go ask the people who didn't vote and listen to the excuses, a very small percentage are anything other than too lazy to be bothered to vote.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If fact, then supporting your premise with objective evidence should be of little trouble; otherwise, it's much less 'fact', and much more simple 'allegation'.
But I get it... bumper-sticker allegations are often the most difficult mind exercise the lazy mind can be bothered with.
meadowlander
(4,397 posts)"Because they're stupid and lazy" is your interpretation of the reason. And not a very helpful one when the work in front of us is to make sure that they do vote next time.
There are other interpretations. For example, many people work two jobs and have to arrange childcare and live in districts where they are expected to stand in line for four hours to vote. Those people aren't "stupid and lazy". In fact they are picking up on the very obvious message that society doesn't want them to vote. In 2018 there is no reason why anyone should have to stand in line for four hours to do anything, and yet we expect poor people to do this so that they can exercise their basic rights in a system that has been blatantly rigged against them.
I didn't vote in 2012 because I live in a district that went for Obama by more than 30 points. My district went for Clinton by more than 30 points so my vote was essentially useless anyway. I did vote but only so that I could say that I did later.
It takes time and money to vote and people looking at a rigged system will choose the rational response. If you live in a gerrymandered district the currency of your vote has been devalued. If you are a poor person, your access to the vote has been systematically obstructed. If you have the same name as a criminal, you may have been illegally deregistered and your vote thrown away.
Those are all problems that we can work to fix. "Everyone is stupid and lazy" is not a problem that we can fix and is certainly not a problem that is going to be fixed by telling people they are stupid and lazy.
treestar
(82,383 posts)More right wing bullshit where it isn't the case.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)not much those of that give a damn and vote and assist in elections can do except keep on calling on those sitting on the sidelines to get off their asses
pnwmom
(108,980 posts)We should never assume that if we had more voters they'd automatically be voting in their self interest.
And many others are too stressed by their current life circumstances to be able to focus on the larger political world, or are the victims of voter suppression.
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)There are some that are double registered (moved and registered under their new address). I know I was on the voting rolls in NY as late as 2014 but haven't voted there since 2006. I'm sure in those years I was seen as a non voter to the naked eye.
Work schedules-- My mom was a non voter for many odd year elections. NY has strict absentee voting laws and no early voting. She was working (or commuting) when the polls were opened.