Will we come to the polls in sufficient numbers?

[johnlal]

In the 2006 midterm elections, Democratic voters wanted change and they voted for change. We showed up in record numbers. We were rewarded with "Impeachment is off the Table" and "Billions more for Iraq"

In these Primary Elections voters are turning up in record numbers. We are now told that our nominee will possibly be chosen by "Superdelegates"-- the elites of our party.

Will the Democratic Party continue to rely on record numbers of voters showing up to the polls? I think we have a more realistic idea of what we can expect in return for our efforts.

[NoodleBoy]

1. we will, if YOU GET OUT TO VOLUNTEER!!

By posting on a political website, you're already more politically active than many other Americans.

But that's not enough.

Networking with other Democrats is nice, but it's not what brings marginal Democrats to the polls. Volunteering does.

If you don't like whoever is on the Presidential candidate, do some looking around on the state and local level, and volunteer for a great Democrat who is running for state legislature, city council, county commission-- just as long as you get out, and put feet on the ground for this election. You don't even have to do that, you could just do phone banking.

It's a great way to meet other Democrats and a great way to help your community.

[johnlal]

3. What's the payoff?

More war. More corruption.
What do you promise people who have been burned before?

[NoodleBoy]

4. hope.

that's all anyone out of power can promise. A Democratic president and a Democratic congress will be worlds different than the last frustrating two years and the six enfuriating years before that.

[johnlal]

5. That's not all they can offer.

I want to hear concrete promises. What's in it for us?
Will you prosecute Bush? Will you end the war? Will you bring the troops home? Will you repeal the Bankruptcy Reform Act? Will you impose a Windfall tax on the oil companies who have been allowed to gouge us at the pumps for years?

Those kinds of promises would make me more willing to get out of bed and vote.

If you say, "Trust us. We offer hope", then no dice. That's what the 2006 election promised. And it didn't pan out.

[NoodleBoy]

6. it's more than what you're doing.

It goes without saying that a Democratic president will make sweeping changes to the way this country is run.

But if you'd rather just complain on the internet than actually help a candidate win and change the direction of this country, that's fine. Just remember you had your chance to help, and you didn't take it because you couldn't be 100% reassured that the candidate was completely in line with your views, making them a Republican clone in your eyes.

[johnlal]

7. Goes without saying?!

It goes without saying that a Democratic president will make sweeping changes to the way this country is run.

Before the 2006 midterm elections, it was :"It goes without saying that a Democratic Congress will make sweeping changes to the way this country is run". A lot of people put in a lot of work to get Democrats elected. There were no sweeping changes.

It doesn't go without saying. It never goes without saying.

And you're right. I don't do a lot. I'm not a hardcore political activist. But when an issue bothers me, I write to my Congressmen. When Moveon.org has an issue that I support, I sign their petition. I have voted in every election since I was able to vote. I have given money to candidates.

When it looked like Bush was going to start a war in Iraq, I wrote to my congressmen, and I signed MoveOn.org's petition asking Congress to reject the march to war. Congress, including many in the Democratic party, passed the "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002".

Congress passed the Patriot Act overwhelmingly with bipartisan support.

Congress poured billions of tax dollars into Iraq, and they show no signs of stopping.

I asked my Congressmen to keep FISA intact and to safeguard our civil liberties. The Debate in Congress now is about HOW to change FISA, not WHETHER to change it.

Congress voted to reprimand MoveOn.org for the Petraeus ad.

Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Same thing.

I ask Congress to hold Josh Bolten and Harriet Myers accountable.
I ask Congress to hold the president accountable. (I'm told by the Speaker of the House that impeachment is off the table)

OK. I'm not doing much. But I'm doing what I'm told to do. I'm giving money. I'm writing letters. I'm keeping informed. I'm voting. And what am I getting?

Go to archive.org and look at the wayback machine. Look at progressive political websites like DU, MoveOn.org, Daily Kos, and others. Every step along the way, the progressive movement has warned Democratic congresspersons that they are going the wrong way. In vote after vote, they have betrayed us. And they keep coming back to us for money and votes.

So no. It doesn't go without saying that a Democratic President will change anything.

[NoodleBoy]

8. So you believe a President Obama or a President Clinton will be just the same as

the current failure we have in office-- and you're basing that assumption off of the fact that the country has been run by a dangerous sociopath for the past eight years?

Whatever man. And what you're doing isn't activism, it's slacktivism. It's easy to write to a congressman or sign a petition. It's harder but infinitely more effective to volunteer.

Just keep doing what you're doing, then. Why do you even care if people turn out to vote, when in your mind it won't matter? I guess for some people complaining on the internet is all they want to do, no matter what. Good job on that, buddy, I'm glad you'll be manning a keyboard while me and the effective part of the progressive movement will be out doing real work.

[johnlal]

10. Assume= ASS out of U and ME

Here's what we assumed up to this point in time:
- What does it matter if Bush is president. Nobody gets to be president unless he has SOMETHING on the ball.
- OK, so Bush is an idiot. The Republican Party wouldn't let him run things unless he had a cadre of competent people to handle him.
- OK, so the Republican government is inept and corrupt. At least we have the Democrats in Congress who will act as watchdogs over the government.
- OK, so they are supporting the President. At least they are professional legislators who will at least READ proposed legislation before they pass it to make sure there's nothing tricky there.
- WOW. They just passed the Patriot Act without reading it.
- WOW. We're spending billions of Dollars in Iraq.
- But at least Congress will exercise it's oversight power.
- Hmmm. Bush is telling people to ignore Congressional Subpoenas, and to refuse to answer questions.
- But the Democrats are going to take over Congress! There will be changes then!
- No?
- Well, at the very least, Congress will have the power of the purse. Congress? Hello?

After all of that, I have to be at least a little skeptical when you say-
ANYBODY is better than what we have now.
Or
Things are BOUND to get better, because they can't get worse
Or
Trust us.

And as for "Slactivism": Thanks for telling me that voting, donating, and writing to my congressmen are the same as "slacking off". Its a load off my mind to think that the candidates don't need my vote, my money, or my opinion.

[Donnachaidh]

2. I think people will show up

The MSM was blabbing about previous poor turnouts before the primaries started, predicting the same. And they got BURNED on that presumption. People are ANGRY - they are drowning in debt and losing jobs and homes in record numbers. And they are not listening to the *gloom and doom* spinmeisters.

They WILL vote.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. the rethuglicans will be vote in record #'s if only for this reason....

they are talking this up all over their boards....and this has them fired up even if the presidential race doesn't....they are shit scared of losing any seats!