How do we get uninvolved people to get involved and vote?

[spooky3]

Was getting my hair cut yesterday in the DC metro area. I’ve gone to the stylist for years so know him pretty well. During our chatting I asked if he had heard about the Supreme Court retirement, thinking my next question would be to ask what he thought.

He had not heard about Kennedy’s retirement.

It just blows my mind that many people HERE don’t know or care about this. I asked him if he had any friends of childbearing age, any gay friends, etc., and he of course said, yes, lots of them. I explained about how the next appointment could affect them and I don’t think he entirely believed me but maybe I planted a seed and he’ll talk with others.

I get that most people aren’t as interested in politics as we are, but am dismayed that so many just don’t know or care. This is how Republicans have been able to achieve what they have.

[kimbutgar]

1. My hairdresser is a Chinese naturalized citizen

And she had no idea that twitler was dividing families and isn’t registered to vote. Even though we live in a California I got her to promise to get registered and vote on November. I printed up cards with how to go online and register to vote in California. I made a bunch of cards and will pass them out when I encounter non voters. I’m working on my husband’s friend who is outraged over twitler. He is the kind of guy at first sight you’d think was a rethug but he is a nice person with love in his heart.

[uponit7771]

9. +1

[RKP5637]

2. Exactly how they maintain and increase power. The aloofness of some and then the

incredible stupidity of a good block of Americans.

[Ohiogal]

3. It IS mind blowing, isn't it?

My best friend was talking to her mother, who belongs to an Evangelical church and voted for Trump, shortly after Trump was elected. She asked her mom did she think it was right that Putin had so much influence over our elections. Her mom answered. ... "Who's Putin?"

[Sherman A1]

4. One at a time and remember that people operate in their own best interest.

To convince anyone of anything one need find the thing that relates to melding your argument into their best interests.

[chowder66]

5. Websites should do a special "list" segment

on why it is good to check in on politics once in a while then list the kinds of things that are happening now that could effect them or those they care about. You know those lists like 20 things you can do with lint, or The 10 best states to live in, etc.

Title it "The one trend that should never die".

[elleng]

6. My daughters differ, one is very engaged,

the other isn't.

Many WOULD care, if they understood possible effects on them and theirs.

[Hoyt]

7. I live in a red state, but one can register on-line AND vote by mail. It is easy and we all need to

encourage people to do so. We still have a few runoffs before ballots for November are ready, but as soon as the ballots are ready, I'm going to encourage everyone to vote. I might even give away some stamps. I like the poster above who made up small cards with instructions.

There are also a few weeks of early voting for those who prefer to go to the polls. Usually the wait is just a few minutes the during the early period. I like voting early or by mail because if one waits until the last day, something always seems to come up that makes it easier to justify staying at home.

[gulliver]

8. It might have to be person-to-person.

People are so wary of signing up for things now.

They used to have these things called "Chautauquas" where people could go, have some food, talk, and learn.

[Squinch]

10. Find out what matters to them and tell them republicans are taking it away.

Does he love his small children? Tell him about the baby gulags.

Is he nearing retirement? Tell him the republicans are taking away his social security and medicare. Have links to prove it.

Does he have a terrible fear of those scary immigrants? I just fought this with two articles: one recent one in the NYT where the border town mayors weighed in and said there are no problems caused by immigration. Then it showed how large numbers of immigrants either have no effect on the crime of an area, or they bring crime down. Then I showed the recent article on MS 13 that showed it is nothing like the problem trump makes it out to be, and is primarily Latino teenagers in fights with other Latino teenagers.

Is he thinking trump will protect his job? Show him the Janus decision, and show how the tarriffs are causing huge losses of jobs in th US already.

Does he think trump did just great in NK? Show him how the NK nuclear capabilities have increased in the short time since the meeting.

[RandomAccess]

11. "How would you feel if . . . "

. . . women lost the right to a safe abortion -- or ANY and ALL abortion?

. . . many LGBTQ folks felt they had to go back in the closet because of rampant discrimination against them?

. . . Donald Trump were allowed to pick his own jury and got off scott-free (assuming he did some bad things, which most people believe he did)?

. . . the press could be sued out of business for reporting facts about Trump that he didn't like?

. . . the corruption Trump & his administration have engaged in gets worse and the Supreme Court yawns?

. . . We start denaturalizing and then DEPORTING your friends and neighbors who have become naturalized citizens en masse?

Believe me, there are probably a gazillion really scary scenarios you can come up with.

[Jim Lane]

12. We must repeatedly call them idiots for not voting for Clinton.

In particular, we need lots of posts screaming vitriol at Jill Stein and Susan Sarandon.

At least, such seems to be the judgment of some DUers. For my part, I'm dubious.

[KG]

15. heh, beat me to it.

'the beratings will continue until the involvement improves!'

[JI7]

13. I knew someone that was going to visit new hamshire around the time of primary campaigns

I made a comment about it and she had no idea what i was talking about.

For a lot of them it's just boring and they would rather do other things.

[spooky3]

18. Agree. But it's like the boiling frog problem. And they're going to take everyone with

them into the pot.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Talk to them as if they were a precocious 15-year-old.

Give them the benefit of the doubt, don't talk down to them, speak about things in a straightforward way that upholds the obviousness of the topic, and then give them an action step or two: "It's really easy and important to register to vote, you just..."

[Volaris]

16. Fuck with their paycheck and fuck with their Facebook accessibility.

If the Internet goes down, this nation will riot, and that's about the only thing I can think of...we're brainwashed into consumer complacency. It shows I think

[spooky3]

17. Thanks to everyone who offered great suggestions! In this particular case, I'm sure he's registered

but not sure that he's motivated enough to vote in the mid-terms. I just don't understand how people could not be aware of some pretty major developments. He seemed alarmed enough at just my examples re: pro choice and gay marriage--but I don't think he believed me because it seemed too far-fetched to him. Well, that's the country we're living in now.

I wish his other clients and co-workers were talking about these things--then what I said would seem more credible. By the way, I consider them "current events", not politics. We are in a blue area and talking about these topics (gently) is almost like talking about the weather here--not like talking about religion or money--unless you have reason to believe that the other person is an extreme Trumpster or libertarian, or are willing to back off quickly if the other person objects.

All of us will run into people who are not even registered and the other suggestions can help!