Here is a revolutionary idea, given that if any of the legs of the coalition

[nadinbrzezinski]

in the democratic party decides to stay home, we are well you know

YOU DO NOT DEMAND people FALL IN LINE....

You earn their vote.

You do not DEMAND pure thought

You COMPROMISE

This is the way REAL politics works. I know, in this environment, this is down right revolutionary....

So stop demanding that people fall in lockstep... or I can guarantee it, you act this way IRL... you WILL suppress the vote.

[MuseRider]

1. I know how I react

to that kind of thing and I am sure others do as well. Never count on me for anything if you are going to bully me into it. It will not work. My vote and everyone else's vote is private, do not ever count on someone voting the way you tell them to.

K&R

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. People, mostly new posters (relatively speaking) are demanding

and cannot see that the left they despise (one leg of the coalition) decides to stay home or vote third party... there goes the election, and that goes for any other of the major sections of the coalition.

To me these demands reflect a certain fear and weakness

[MuseRider]

3. I certainly know a lot of people

on the left voting 3rd party this time. I don't know if there will be enough to send a message but as far as I can tell nothing sends a message any more. It may take a while longer before others get tired of their concerns being tossed aside if they are even looked at. I keep hearing about how long it is going to take to get our country back to the left. Well it does not help by continuing to support a rightward push. The republicans I did not vote for from the 70's until now would be right at home in both parties now.

It may very well be that enough will bow out this time to send a message but unfortunately if they do the message may be received by a losing party. That is the consequence of these kinds of things.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. That is also political reality (Spoilers for death race)

as parties evolve and kow tow to one group over another, people in the other group can try to send messages, loosing is the most effective one, short of revolution.

US History is full of examples... problem is that the Murican people these days lack curiosity or, for that matter, any real knowledge of US History

We went to watch Death Race during the weekend. The movie is SLIGHTLY based on Death Race 2000, which was also an antigoverment flick

Anyhow, this one starts with a plant closing and the employees getting their last pay check and the cops coming in to ahem beat some heads in... right out of.... US History, 1920s to be exact... as well as early 1930s... not to mention the 1900s...

I recognized it... but i doubt most of the folks around me even knew what that was about.

Oh and the opening, with a screed against privatization was a classic...

Problem is that these days people watch movies, don't get what they are at times about, or think they are DEEP in message... this one was... had many layers... but if people want to get their political education from hollywood, and the intertubes, as we are proving right now, we're screwed.

Oh and what it will take? At this point part of the premise, the collapse of the economy... and I fear revolution

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

5. Voting for Obama is a yes or no answer. Not a lot of room for compromise there.