If your vote is meaningless to the Oligarchy, why are they trying to take it away?

[riqster]

Much has been made of the recent study proving that American citizens have almost no control over the nation that is supposedly ours. And more than a few people here (and elsewhere) use that as a reason to disengage from the voting process. I'd say that is exactly what the Oligarchs want; and for that reason alone, we should GOTV.

Because if voting were a meaningless exercise, wouldn't they encourage it as a fig leaf? If your vote made no difference, wouldn't they use it to make you think you are in control? Why are Repubes across the country trying to keep us away from the polls, if our votes are such a sham?

The answer is: votes from the disenfranchised are a threat to the Oligarchy. We who have been robbed of our influence can ONLY regain that influence via a mass uprising at the polls. We haven't the billions, haven't the connections, haven't the power...except our votes.

We can alter the status quo by involving ourselves. We support the status quo by disengaging. Oligarchs know this, which is why they discourage our empowerment and participation.

Your vote is a threat, a weapon, a powerful force for good. Recognize that, use that, and get everyone else you know to do likewise. Do it while you still can.

[octoberlib]

1. Because they still need us to win office.

They just don't represent us after they get elected. All elections need to be publicly funded . We also need lobbyist reform.

[riqster]

8. Were your subject line true, they would not be limiting poll access.

I completely agree with the body of your post.

[Kip Humphrey]

2. because flipping the electronic vote by 10% or more risks exposure.

17 states (including Texas) have automatic recounts if vote outcomes exceed polling by 10% or more.

[riqster]

5. Which means turnout is our friend.

[Kip Humphrey]

6. bingo!

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Our vote is also the LAST bit of power we have over the wealthy and well-connected.

And those Republicans, lying about creating jobs and who are then voted into higher office because people believe those lies, are working diligently to take that last bit of power away from us as well.

Then America, Land of the Oligarchy, will successfully become the biggest plantation in the world.

We can't let that happen. Although the Democratic Party has too many milquetoast policians when it comes to policies that help the average working stiff, that Party is the last hope we average Americans have. And they are still a great threat to members of the oligarchy who are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to the GOP to turn this country into that great big plantation they've been striving for.

So splitting the vote for a candidate who markets him/herself as "a different kind of politician" is the death knell for us. Voting for a person like that will only undermine what little power we have left in our country if the Democratic Party becomes the minority Party in our government. We can't let that happen.

In the General Election - always vote Democratic Party! Remember, we have a winner take all election system and voting 3rd Party without having propelled them to prominence from local and State level up, is just another win for the opposing Party.

[riqster]

4. Agreed.

I would add that we need to become more involved throughout the electoral life cycle if we are ever to get a better class of elected Dem.

[BlueCaliDem]

7. 100% agree. We need to remove the milquetoast candidates from our

Party where we can. Obviously, should candidates find themselves in Tea Party-heavy districts, we can't expect a more progressive Democrat there, but we can work to get a more progressive candidate in the primary elections where it's feasible.

[Populist_Prole]

9. Good question. And on a related note

If the 99 percent's economic vitality is meaningless in driving the economy ( according to supply-side plutocrats ) then why do plutocrats panic about inflation anytime 99 percent's spending power goes up even slightly?

[riqster]

10. A very good question, and one which suggests potential future actions we might take.

Meanwhile, let's GOTFV!

[Orsino]

11. To teach us our place.

It is the votes of those of us who still care that are nearly meaningless. The popular vote as a whole is still a variable that they want to eliminate.

[riqster]

12. Thus we must work on GOTV among the general population.

[rock]

13. As long as out votes are kept nearly random (chaotic)

that is not coordinated they ARE nearly worthless. If they were collected into unified force we could seek out the corruption. Keeping the vote low keeps it closer to random.

On edit: I forgot to say GOTV.

[riqster]

14. Very good point. Thanks!