Why are people not marching in the streets?

[Indyfan53]

With the republican party publicly saying they want to rig the vote, get rid of social safety nets, and take away our rights, why are people in this country not outraged?

We need to expand our movement. We need to reach out to swing voters and prove to them that they are getting hosed.

We Democrats need to put more effort into winning local elections and midterms. The republican party is still up to their old tricks. We need to fight back. We must march and get the truth out. We need more online activism. If we fail to do so, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, and Ohio will remain red states and we will move closer to fascism. We cannot let this happen.

I encourage you to reach out to people who claim that their vote doesn't matter, both parties are the same, or are just apathetic towards the whole situation.

We have local and special election coming up this year. We must start with those.

[ewagner]

1. Not sure it would help....

Look at what happened in Wisconsin in 2011.

100,000 people at one protest! The Republicans held firm and did what they wanted to do anyway even when they had to be escorted to and from the Legislative Chambers by State Troopers (Commanded by the brothers Fitzgerald's father no less!!!) Somehow or another we didn't believe how dangerous the mid-term elections of 2010 were and we ended up handing ALL political power over to these assholes....

The courts seem to be our last resort.....because Repub legislators are firmly entrenched and incredibly disciplined.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

4. So splain why the 100,000 did not take over the State Capitol and shut the place down?

[reteachinwi]

39. Middle class

The unions involved thought stronger measures like the one you suggest or a general strike would cost us the support of the public, which we needed for the recall elections. The results of that strategy are apparent.

[ewagner]

41. yes.

And....Gov Walker was just ITCHING to call out the National Guard on the crowd...we would have had people hurt, maybe even killed and we would have lost the moral highground.

I'm surprised this has been forgotten with Martin Luther King Jr. Day just a week or so past.

[marions ghost]

2. Midterm elections

how do you motivate people? needs to start now.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

9. Caving on REAL Filibuster Reform is a good start at demotivating voters for the midterms

[marions ghost]

15. Shouldn't be

should be a motivator.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

16. yet it is not a motivator

[marions ghost]

18. Got any ideas about what would?

or should we just give up.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

20. Well Dems can actually start acting like Democrats instead of Republicans, that would be a really

good start!

Like Harry Truman said….” When a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me."

[marions ghost]

24. Sure but it's not the whole story

about why people don't turn out in Midterms.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

25. Well you seem to know the answer so what is it?

[marions ghost]

29. I don't have all the answers

--I think that voting should be mandatory as in Australia, and so get young people voting and avoid the whole issue of having to attract people to the voting booth. Civic duty & all that.

There are lots of answers to the question re the reality in the US. For example, here's something arguing that young people need "different terms of engagement":

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/scared-straight-%E2%80%94-into-the-voting-booth/

[Indyfan53]

33. I agree.

[marions ghost]

36. ---

[Bluenorthwest]

13. As always, I will point out that the last midterms, 2010, had record setting turn out in Oregon

while we are still discussing the abysmal turn out in other States. The States with the lousy turn out tend to also be States with long lines and crappy election laws. We vote by mail. And we get lots of ballots back, and we elect Democrats.
Of course, only the people in Florida can change the election laws in Florida. I think that's what is needed. We see those lines on TV while we are having voting parties and having a grand time with it. Something to think about. The States with problems really do seem to be waiting for DC or others to make reforms only they are able to make. They are the change we have been waiting for, if they'd only stop with the apathy or the desire to march around in the streets rather than promote change to the system that is mucking up those elections....
If some States have long lines and voter apathy, and others do not I'd say there are lessons as to 'how' to be seen in the States that get voters voting year in and year out. Just a thought. The low turn out and long line thing is not universal among the States.

[marions ghost]

22. Your post

seems to suggest that there haven't been a lot of people doing their best to promote change in these states.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

3. Becasue Honey Boo Boo and Football are more important

taking to the streets is effort and most would rather sit and protest online on whine on the internet.

Face it people are not willing to sacrifice for change anymore nor are they willing to do what it will really take to implement change.

People have to suffer more on a larger scale before they will be willing to actually stand up and fight.

[Bennyboy]

5. Lady GAGA, The Super Bowl, American idol, Dancing with the Stars, The Kardashians

Way more important stuff going on that a little vote rigging.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Can I go there?

These laws/rigging will impact minorities, women, the poor, union members, labor -

You know - all of us who take a back seat to Pro Football Players.

[regjoe]

7. Because the government is all powerful

and the people stand no chance against A-10s and M1 tanks.

[JaneyVee]

8. Don't worry, I'm on top of it.

[Romulox]

10. Nobody is listening. They've already told us that banksters won't be prosecuted. Without that...nt

[Nay]

54. That's my take on it as well. No one in power gives one shit about a protest, no matter how

many people show up. Look at the war protest of 600,000 people in DC in 2003 -- the TV, instead of covering it widely and giving a correct estimate of the actual crowd, treated it like a laughable spectacle. This did NOT happen in the 60's, when REAL reporters considered a huge protest to be an important thing. The people were speaking, and the news was there to cover it, interview protesters, and explain what was going on so viewers could actually understand things. People in the govt were actually worried that citizens were upset enough to march. Now? They couldn't give a shit.

And BTW, Obama would be a moderate Republican back in the 60's, not a Democrat. That also may have something to do with the apathy.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. We don't have midterm turnout problems here. What State do you live in?

No need to march. Perhaps your State needs marching, or better yet, election reform?
The States you fear will 'remain red' went Blue for Obama 2012: Obama won Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania and Nevada. So how the words 'remain red' applies is not instantly clear. They are currently Blue and I hope they so remain....

[Smarmie Doofus]

14. Lotsa scams in the process to undo all of that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/opinion/blow-rig-the-vote.html?ref=charlesmblow&gwh=25D6A73A953FEBBBA3362A3DE6D64938

Wish I could say "they can't be serious". But they most definitely ARE.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. And those scams were in place last time as well.

And there is a huge difference between serious intent and actual accomplishment, as 2012 results show us. Read DU from the weeks before the election, many were certain they were going to steal it no matter what, they'd say 'Romney looks like he knows the fix is in' and other stunningly irrational things to try to get others to think that there was no way for us to win, when in fact there was no way for Mitt to win. We spoke of PA for weeks as if we needed it, when in fact only Mitt needed it.
They are scum, but not talented scum. This is why people should focus on election reform in their own States. A bit of effort and the scum is defeated. A State that allows a scam to be run on them in broad daylight really needs to wake up and deal. Those long lines we see on TV are shameful, and Democrats should be ashamed in those States if they are not doing all they can to reform that process and to oppose new scams as they come up. If the Republicans are proposing crappy election law, Democrats should propose good election law. The VA Republicans already seem like they don't have the stomach for this sort of cheating.
The fact that cheats cheat does not mean they will prevail. Their plans this time did not work out.
Back in 2008, CA, my homestate, moved their Primary date forward because they were sick of being a large State that voted last and was thus not as influential. That was my first cycle here in Oregon. California friends and family could hardly bear the fact that in the one year in which our primary was protracted and interesting, they pushed their way to the front to 'gain influence' when that influence in this case came on the back end. I had people sending me emails demanding that I make up my mind-'CA is sick of this shit' one of them said and I said well, you wanted to go first, so you did and now you can sit there and wait until we pick the candidate. They still say 'if we had not voted so early, Obama would have taken CA' and that is probably true. The point is that even fairly innocent changes made to attempt 'more influence' can backfire, for no two elections are the same. CA wanted to go earlier, then that was not as good a choice as they were sure it was. They weren't rigging they were just wanting to be 'more important because we are so big'. It did not work because 08 was not like previous elections and because no one can predict the future.
It is possible that Republican scams and plans will do as well for them next time as they did last time. They worked hard to rig, to suppress and it did not work. Because we were organized, people got pissed a them for rigging, and we won the election. They rigged, and we still won.

[marions ghost]

17. Swing states

they are working on them hot & heavy by every means possible. Don't expect you to care. But it does affect you potentially.

[Bluenorthwest]

28. I care, it is the States that allow cheating that don't care enough to prevent it.

My point is that the Democrats in those States have the only power and the only right to make changes to their own system. They have other, better run States to pattern after. Why don't they just do so? I mean, we watch Florida now for 13 years, each election they have it is like no one ever ran an election anywhere and they are just figuring it out on the fly. They say 200,000 people were kept from voting there. Why did that happen? Other States do not have those issue, do not expect the people in other States to do the work for them. Do you expect us to fly out there and drive them to the polls as well?
Election reform should be the resounding message of Democrats in those States. There is no excuse for it not to be.
Again, people seem to think that outside others are going to cure their State's problems when they have to do it themselves. They could. Other States have. They should. But what do they do? They freak out because the opposition is opposed to us. Of course Republicans lie, cheat and steal. That' no reason to lay down and let them do so.
If you are so content with your system that rather than change it you'd snarl at a Democrat who is telling you how his State gets far better turn out and elects Democrats that's part of the problem. Seeking to place blame rather than make change. Pointless.

[marions ghost]

31. Whew, talk about a blame game

--lemme outta here. And maybe you'd like to go back to your Beautiful Life.

[Indyfan53]

34. I mean by state legislature.

Their legislatures are red, and they plan to rig the vote so they go red in national elections.

[tjwash]

12. lol

[NCTraveler]

19. Bonefish, Carrabbas, Outback, are all filled to capacity almost every night.

The new mall in Clearwater is packed during the week. You would be lucky to find a parking spot on weekends. Thousands of people.

Seminole boat ramp is packed by 9 am on the weekends. Very large ramp with about a hundred parking spots. These are expensive boats.

Movie theater is packed at night.

I don't even go to the beach because of how many people go down there.

People are not going to be marching in the streets when they can to these other activities.

This is a generalization, but one that will hold a majority of the time. Many of these people don't care what is happening in Washington. In fact, many of them laugh at it.

And while FL is a red state, we went for Obama twice and continue to send Nelson to Washington. Alex Sink, our State Treasurer is good and in position to run for Governor. Don't forget who gave your Grayson and Meeks.

[fishiefish]

23. Unless people are being effected directly they just don't care.

[marions ghost]

26. People are being affected directly

...it's just easier not to pay attention. They're not all lazy. Many are disgusted or don't have the time.

And in some ways I understand. I mean, WHY SHOULD WE be fighting over and over again for basic rights, for
basic government services, and for basic freedoms? WHY is it such a struggle day in and day out? WHY are we constantly disenfranchised, disrespected, and exploited?

Because there are those who would literally enslave us, and they count on our inability to stay constantly vigilant.

Why?

[ananda]

27. Got me.

Now really is the time.

[former9thward]

30. People don't march in the streets because we have the internet.

Before the internet people had no other place to vent their outrage at something and join with other folks who felt the same way. So they went to the streets and demonstrated to others their feelings. Now we go on internet discussion boards to vent to others who feel the same as we do.

[marions ghost]

32. I think that's true

this is the town square now. And DU is one soapbox.

Actually I think it would be best to do both--the virtual and the actual town square, where others can literally see the numbers. Both have their place.

[Fawke Em]

35. I thought we did, but the government considered us terrorists

and used military-like tactics on us.

[RoseMead]

40. Yep. n/t

[Odin2005]

37. American Idol.

[Royal Sloan 09]

38. In reference to John Locke,

Who determines when the "Social Contract" is broken?

Multiple choices, but really what happened to "We the people", giving up rights to be governed and all that, could be time to reexamine the current state of Our government.

If only, We the people can stand united, that's the only Hope for change.

This is very hard with the propaganda media sources constantly dividing everyone with their differences, it makes the cat herding difficult, if not impossible.

I'm aware that Singing to the choir, doesn't appear to resolve the problems, but spreading the word is a beginning to what needs to be done.

Just my dos centavos,senor

[ewagner]

42. My $.02

I think there was some complacency in 2010 that allowed the Tea Partiers to overwhelm the vote...they were more motivated (by anger, bigotry and hatred) than we were.

But the consequences of that 2010 election gave us the Republican-controlled house of representatives, the prospect of a Republican majority in the house for the next decade and some of the biggest crackpots, morons and grifters I've ever seen. Those alone should be enough to motivate our side to PAY ATTENTION to mid-term elections and exert the same amount of commitment and energy to them as we did to '08 and'12.

We've learned that because the only thing these yahoos in the House fear is being PRIMARy-ED and not fearing any challenger from the left-side of the spectrum, they are almost impervious to letters, telephone calls, emails, or masses of people in the streets. They are only afraid of the primary election ballot box...

There are a couple of strategies that our side can deploy to counter-act this....I'll expound on those only if somebody is actually interested in hearing/debating them.

[marions ghost]

43. OK

what are the couple of strategies?

[ewagner]

44. Okay...

One strategy (where there can be cross-over primaries) is to make sure the Repub candidate is the biggest idiot we can find. Aiken and that Dude from Indiana come to mind...if there isn't any cross over voting allowed in that state, then do what Claire McKaskill did and ACTIVELY campaign for the biggest tea-party-er we can find to run against. In in sense, we can choose the easiest candidate to run our candidate against. Risk: the idiot might get elected anyway.


Another: Put together a coalition of disaffected Repubs who are sick and tired of the extreme elements of the party and run a compromise candidate (liberal Republican/Conservative Democrat) who can muster enough votes to overcome the tea party candidate...problem is that in order to get moderate repubs to vote for such a candidate he/she might have to have the "sacred R" behind the name and that means they would have to caucus with the Rs but not necessarily vote with them exclusively. The trick would be to elect that person who owe allegiance to the coalition and not the party and would have to depend on that same coalition for re-election.

I'm not fond of the second scenario but in some districts that's all that might be available to us...do you have any other strategies that might work?

[marions ghost]

45. I'm not a great political strategist

...but I do know we are in an epic internal war & fighting for the future of this country.

I don't like #1, the cross-over. Too risky & underhanded. We can still take advantage of Tea Party idiocy.

#2--The second one also seems a lot of work for a dubious outcome. A decent liberal Republican/conservative Democrat candidate could be hard to come by in such a polarized country. These days such an odd bird would be pecked on by both sides. Middle of the roaders do exist of course, but when it comes time to run, they have to identify with one or the other, and they have to vote with their affiliation. We are forced into these two boxes. (If you're not with us you're with the terrorists mentality).

I think the focus right now should be on supporting state Dem parties, getting better true blue Dem candidates to run--especially women and minorities--coming up with specific strategies to overcome the Midterm inertia problem, and also addressing the gerrymandering and election rigging strategies of the GOP head-on. Target weak Republicans as always, but we really need to GOTV for these Midterms. We are fighting the influence of very powerful, very wealthy corporations who, it is obvious--do not have our best interests at heart. All we have to go up against them is numbers.

I don't know if Dems can jerk this country back into some semblance of representative Democracy, after all the damage that has been done...but we are in a situation of no retreat, no surrender.

[Indyfan53]

46. Primaries are very important.

We need to when they are and show up for them. Last year in my state, only 25% of registered voters showed up to the primaries.

[marions ghost]

47. Yes primaries too

altho I haven't been so disturbed by the results from primaries as from Midterms. Usually my candidate wins.

I don't know HOW we get people to vote in every election. So that's why I say--just make it mandatory. People can chose not to vote for any candidate but they still have to show up. (Small fine for non-compliance). It just helps people to get in the groove of voting and makes it much more likely that the majority will is done. And harder to cheat. But in this country where there is little deterrent to cheating....people want to have the opportunity to cheat.

[ewagner]

48. Concur in part; dissent in part...

I concur that we are in an epic, one might say existential, battle for the future of this country...

I concur also that we cannot let up on 1. Supporting State Dem parties, 2. Getting women and minorities to run 3. Target weak Republicans and 4. enhance/continue GOTV efforts for mid-terms

I respectfully dissent on:

taking on gerrymandering head-on...we're stuck with that for a decade unless in some individual states we can redistrict between census counts

I don't think "cross-over" is particularly underhanded. If the laws allow for it then it is simply another tool. The repubs have used it against us for years...AND the Repubs are not above doing worse (who was that candidate in South Carolina that they conned/paid into running as a Dem??? My memory is getting bad because I can't remember his name) and although I despise the "the end justifies the means" argument I can't advocate leaving a proverbial arrow in the proverbial quiver in a political battle so important.

In short I think the modern Republican Party is pure evil. Governed and run by men who have only the principles of CAPITALISM in their heart and not democracy. Defeating them is going to be a (political) war...and if the current move to rig the 2016 Presidential election is any indication, it's going to be a dirty little war....

Thanks for your post..

(Marion's ghost? Is Colonel Frances Marion?)

[marions ghost]

49. Thanks for your thoughts ewagner

--Gerrymandering and election rigging efforts (such as what has just been voted down in VA). I still think we need to take a hard look at this. How and why this is being done and what we can do to overcome it as best we can. The federal govt needs to be able to intercede in the states when this is done to pervert the intent of the law IMO. I think it needs to stop being used as a strategy.

--About cross-over voting. Where I live only Independents can cross over. So how do you get enough Independents to do that? That would be harder than getting Dems to do it. (And how you do that I don't know). It just seems easier to me to put the effort into supporting good Dems. I understand the urgency but using unethical Repub tactics is pretty distasteful. It seems kind of archaic, not really progressive.

--The guy in SC was Alvin Green. Didn't that backfire a bit?

--Right, Frances Marion the Swamp Fox--(looks like Mel Gibson did the Braveheart version--I don't really identify with "an 18th century Rambo&quot ...LOL :

"The 2000 movie The Patriot exaggerated the Swamp Fox legend for a whole new generation. Although Francis Marion led surprise attacks against the British, and was known for his cunning and resourcefulness, Mel Gibson played The Patriot's Marion-inspired protagonist as an action hero. "One of the silliest things the movie did," says Sean Busick, a professor of American history at Athens State University in Alabama, "was to make Marion into an 18th century Rambo." (Smithsonian)

PS--Yes it's going to be a dirty war. Rethuglicons will lie, cheat, and steal. And we do not have nearly enough protections against that.

[ewagner]

50. just a couple more thoughts..

back in the late 50's or early 60s (I think)...there was a television series called Swamp Fox...allegedly documenting the life of Col Marion...it didn't last too long but it lead me to study up on his life...I didn't see THE PATRIOT and now I NEVER will.

I'm wondering if there could be a 14th Amendment basis or perhaps a Voting Rights Act of 1965 basis for a court challenge to Gerrymandering. It seems that we should have plenty of "cause" and I think any citizen would qualify for the "standing" requirement.

Thanks for the great conversation.

[liberal N proud]

51. This thing right here is the reason why no one is marching in the streets...

The great big pacifier/brainwasher in everyones living room.

[lunatica]

52. People do march in the streets all the time

They just get ignored.

It worked a few times in this country, but the people in power got smarter about how to deal with the rabble. First just ignore them. Then build up a police state which overreacts when people are marching peacefully in the streets.

If we could all march in the same place there would be millions of us and it would be impossible to ignore us, but we're spread out over 3,000 miles. So each group ends up looking pretty puny and irrelevant.

[Le Taz Hot]

53. Why in the world would you

assume there aren't activists on the board? Like, everywhere.

Oh, and welcome to DU.

[MrYikes]

55. What is it that you want in the end?

Look ahead, see what you want, and then the path is easier to travel.
I see a national holiday for voting. Primary in one year and the general election the next.