Randy Rhodes: All of this is happening because people didn't vote in November

[bigdarryl]

She's right

[JuniperLea]

1. Yep...

We were fed a heavy dose of discouragement from within... and that didn't help in the apathy department.

[villager]

15. We were also fed a heavy dose of discouragement from without

That didn't help either.

[ClassWarrior]

25. Bullshit. The ones who were apathetic were the swing voters, who no longer felt inspired...

...by the Prez. Much as you want to characterize Dems as "discouraging," WE all went out and voted. It's those "independents" that Obama keeps kissing up to who didn't turn out for him.

NGU.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RBInMaine]

50. I agree we lost the swing vote, BUT, still, too many D leaning voters didn't donate, didn't

volunteer, and didn't vote. Plain and simple. That is exactly what happened in my state, and that is what happened in MANY areas all around the country. The swing moderates we lost was due to economic frustration. Regardless, the RePUKE base was MUCH more motivated and MUCH more engaged. The enthusiasm gap was very real resulting in a HUGE failure of rank and file D's/Progressives to ENGAGE (donate and volunteer, and in many cases even to vote), and the one thing I don't want to hear is excuses for it. In larger numbers, the PUKE base ENGAGED and VOTED and ours simply did not.

[Avant Guardian]

76. Independents and Youth

Independents saw Obama as weak for bending to GOP policies. Youth became disillusioned and did not bother turning out.

[RBInMaine]

81. Excuses Excuses Excuses. The MOST progressive accomplishment since LBJ. Enough whining.

[Fearless]

93. Like what?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

121. No! Independents saw Obama as too liberal! They are more likely to be conservative-leaning.

Their issue was not that he is weak. Their issue is that they are mostly misinformed and easily swayed by propaganda in the media and poor reporting by the M$M.

The youth are disengaged, angry that change didn't come quickly enough.

I am a black American, and too many minorities were also apathetic and/or didn't realize how their non-engagement would impact our lives. My brother, for instance, didn't know it was time to vote. That seems astonishing to most of us, but there is something wrong with the Democratic Party machine when it fails to motivate its most ardent supporters.

Something is really wrong with that.

[JDPriestly]

100. Who is "we"? Is it just an elite group of Ivy League graduates in DC

or does it include those of us in the base. I think most of us in the base voted. We just didn't volunteer.

I really could not volunteer because I cannot defend quite a few of Obama's policies, especially those concerning the regulation of the banks and the failure to break up the too big to fail ones.

Further, Obama's education policies are indefensible.

Then there is Obama's failure to close Guantanamo or to prosecute torturers, bankers who committed fraud . . . . That is just the beginning.

So, if independents and Democrats who are not activists did not vote, it is the policies of the Obama administration that failed to inspire them.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

122. We are attuned to the day-to-day happenings in politics. Most Americans are not.

People have daily lives to tend to. Most are disengaged with politics and the issues. You assert that most in the base voted. I challenge otherwise. Not enough in the base came out. The youth, black Americans, Hispanic Americans (though they did well in AZ, NV, CA), even white women were changing their support to Republicans, along with many in the gay community, angry at Obama because "change didn't come quickly enough." These are critical constituencies. When they are disengaged, or otherwise misinformed, impatient and/or angry, the other side wins!

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CitizenLeft]

72. so true - that's how we got stuck with Kasich

Half the Dems I know who voted in '08 didn't vote in the mid-terms, and not one of them was disillusioned. They just didn't bother, or "forgot" or just didn't care. No matter how much I nagged about the governor's seat or the Senate seat, not to mention the state house and senate, they just didn't bother. Now we're paying the price.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

123. I wonder how they respond to you now? n/t

[JVS]

91. Funny seeing you in the middle of discussion. Usually you're locking threads and stuff.

[rasputin1952]

103. ...

:D

[Avant Guardian]

70. Bullshit. The ones who were apathetic were the youth voters, who no longer felt inspired...

[RBInMaine]

82. Whine whine whine. You had the most PROGRESS since LBJ. People truly need to grow up.

[Avant Guardian]

114. Tell that to the youth who elected Obama in 2008

...but failed to show up for the 2010 midterms. Dont preach at me, I voted.

[Bake]

119. Perfect. The Prez and the Party has to GIVE VOTERS A REASON to turn out.

"We're not as bad as the alternative" is not too hot a message.

And yet you blame the voters. With that attitude, you're going to keep having trouble winning elections.

Has Obama done some good things? Of course. Does he talk about them? Do the DEMS talk about them? HELL NO.

Dems just keep on letting the Thugs frame the message.

Bake

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

124. There were many reasons but the Republicans had the message; they had the money;

and they had anger (read: racism) on their side. The Republicans have successfully turned every Democratic-proposed policy in to "welfare." They know how to play the Southern Strategy game, backed by corporate dollars. The Teabaggers were already in full force almost immediately after Obama was elected. Blame Obama all you want. Blame the Democrats all you want. The bottom line is that when we do not vote, we lose.

[Bake]

126. WE did vote. It was the swing voters and the young voters who didn't

And they reason they didn't is that WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM A FUCKING REASON TO!!

So don't blame them.

Bake

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

128. You voted. We here on DU--well, most of us voted--but it's not true that MOST of us voted.

To the contrary. The numbers for youth and black Americans were low. That's just the truth. When you have your biggest constituencies failing to vote in *large enough* numbers to sway an election, this is the result.

(Note: I am a black American professor of political science, which means that I interact with college students on a near-daily basis. Even many of these college students were disengaged and/or apathetic. They live in D.C. and are bombarded with politics, and yet, they were disengaged.)

[rasputin1952]

102. I'm going to repost after an error I made and posted as Moderator...

:blush:

That's not true...


voting by registered D's was down. I agree that I's were down as well, but not just in the last mid-term, but for most of our history, midterm elections have been in the 40-50% range, which is truly pathetic for a nation that prides itself on it's democracy.

I know many D's that sat out the election and for various reasons. very few thought they were disillusioned by PO, they just didn't want to get off their butts and vote.

Most people don't realize that elections have very serious consequences when people sit them out. The vast majority of "sitters" have no idea that state and local issues are often on the ballot...and then they holler when the sales tax goes up, or another Bond issue goes through, or when their water quality goes to hell. Very few are sitting out elections because, they are ideologically disenfranchised, they don't vote for various reasons, but he biggest one is many of them are simply too damn lazy to spend 15 minutes working on a ballot. In all 50 states one can get an absentee ballot and fill it out at home...they don't even do this!

[PVnRT]

56. I'm confused

On the one hand, the leftists who are discouraged with Obama are just a scattered group of whining crybabies who make up a small fraction of liberals, the majority of whom support Obama. Yet they are somehow powerful enough to throw off an election to such a degree that the Republicans are swept into power. Which story is it this week?

FDR lost 72 House seats and and 7 Senate seats in 1938. Truman lost 54/12 in 1946. Eisenhower lost 48/12 in 1958. Ford lost 48/4 in 1974. Clinton lost 54/8 in 1994. Bush lost 30/6 in 2006. Notice a pattern?

I seem to remember numerous posts about how there wasn't really an "enthusiasm gap" for the 2010 midterms, as well. It's really amazing how the story keeps changing. Despite what supporters like you say, you really can't stand any criticism of Obama, no matter how it's stated.

[Bobbie Jo]

90. Believe it. nt

[gateley]

2. From DUer elocs, snapped in Madison WI - perfect:

[snacker]

3. Amen!

It also happens when people vote based on a 30second ad...and we had non-stop Scott Walker ads here.

[obamafourmore]

4. 100% right. And the same people who told Dems not to vote

now blaming Obama for this crap.

[Shiver]

5. Damn right. n/t

[Union Scribe]

6. No way

Randy Rhodes is still on the air somewhere? Or was this a phone call?

Anyway, fuck her, I voted and I don't know any progressive who didn't.

[JuniperLea]

30. You don't know any so they don't exist...

Brilliant

[Union Scribe]

63. So post the exit polls that show that progressives stayed home.

[Avant Guardian]

73. Youth Apathy: A Democratic Midterm Nightmare

Last midterm independents swung sharply towards Republicans. While still making up 28 percent of the electorate (same as 2008), Republicans won Independents 56 to 38 percent—a 26-point swing from 2008 when Democrats won these voters 51 to 43 percent.

A part of the difference comes from African American voters, who dropped from having 13 percent of the national vote share in 2008 to a 10 percent share on Tuesday.

By and large, though, the four percent drop in Democratic turnout is most attributed to the youth demographic. While in 2008, 47 percent of the electorate was under the age of 44 (with 18 percent in the 18-29 age demographic), in 2010, turnout among this age group crumbled to 34 percent (with only 11 percent in the 18-29 demographic). Even more startling, among 18-24 year-olds, turnout halved from 10 percent in 2008 to a mere 5 percent this year. While one in every 10 voters was a college student in 2008, only one in ever 20 voters this year were college-aged students.

http://earlyrisersweekly.com/2010/11/08/youth-apathy-a-democratic-midterm-nightmare/

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

127. You are absolutely right. The Independents, a.k.a. "swing voters" swung to the Republicans.

In my view, most, if not all of them, are Republican-leaning anyway. They voted for Obama out of shame of Bush. They liked Obama because they like his moderate ways.

But, I firmly believe that they bought into this Teabagger bullshit. Most swing voters are misinformed and easy persuaded by the 20-second soundbites. Republicans are excellent messengers. They always have been.

The youth, African Americans simply didn't come out in great numbers as they did in 2008. Whatever the reasons may be, when we don't vote as Democrats, we lose!

The Republicans know this all too well, hence the Southern Strategy, going after ACORN, falsely accusing Democrats of voter fraud, making it more difficult to register, voter intimidation at the polls, caging lists, etc. They have gotten away with so much shit. But to beat back these shenanigans, we MUST vote. When we come out in great numbers, it'll be too hard to steal elections. If it's close, we lose and they win. But when we come out to vote in overwhelming numbers as we did in 2008, there's no way we can lose.

[rasputin1952]

54. I know quite a few...

and they were, quite simply, lazy.

[MadMaddie]

95. Many on DU said they weren't going to vote

because the President hadn't repealed DOMA and DADT. Many said they weren't going to vote because Guantanamo wasn't closed and the wars didn't end.

You voted along myself and others....but the truth hurt there were many people that made the decision not to vote.

Randy Rhodes is still on the air and going strong. Randy is right.

It is what it is...

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

125. If you're going to insult her, at least spell her name correctly.

It's R-A-N-D-I!!

[yodermon]

7. and why it's incumbent on the CANDIDATES to inspire the populace to get off its collective ass

and actually vote. I'm talking about the non-politically-aware joe 6pack who voted for Obama.

Midterms especially have a large non-voting inertia.

On edit: I'm *not* talking about the left-wing ideologue FDL crowd who sat out the midterms on purpose, to make a point.
That is a really tiny, minuscule percentage of the voting public, and of Democrats at large, and they may indeed to fuck themselves.

[slay]

8. I saw very little inspiration by Obama to get people to the polls in 2010

i'm just saying - if he had been fired up and actually trying to save the middle class, more people would have been motivated. i almost didn't vote cause i was so turned off by Obama at that point - but i didn't want his lack of leadership to negatively impact our local elections - but it did cause many people who did vote for Obama in 2008 just did not turn up in 2010.

He really let a LOT of people down with his "Hope and Change" bullshit.

[yodermon]

11. It seems like he slow-played the midterms.

Let the repukes take power, so that their tea-party base drives them off the cliff just in time for the '12 elections.
Completely cynical. Now we'll have to wade through 2 years of clusterfuck before there's any relief in sight.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slay]

13. Did you even bother to read my post - I did no such thing

try reading before replying. i voted in 2010. care to apologize?

*on edit - any reason you are hiding your profile info 20?

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slay]

31. whatever dude

go bother someone else and i'll just add you to the list of DU'er who refuse to read my post and would rather be mean and mock me. you should be the one looking in the mirror.

[amandabeech]

44. I think that Obama did not realize that jobs and the economy came before health care

after the 2008 crash. He just plowed along with his primary agenda like nothing had happened. He used his political capital on the wrong issue and it really hurt him. And it didn't help that there were no perp walks of the financial wizards whose actions started the whole thing. Even if the SEC and justice won't work to make tough charges stick, you can still embarrass the hell out of crooks. Cuff 'em in the trading floor just like they did in the early '90s with the S&L slick articles.

[Number23]

96. So people didn't vote for their local reps because they were "disappointed" in OBAMA?

And so it's the president's fault that people were uninformed, apathetic and CHOSE not to vote??

I wish you had even the slightest clue how demented you sound.

[vaberella]

98. BS! Then you were definitely not paying attention. He spent 3-4 months caucasing for Dems.

Right before the votes. He did townhalls and meet-ups---despite having a country to run. What the hell are saying? Most of his townhalls weren't televised, unless you count C-Span and I don't know many people here who live on C-Span.

[butterfly77]

111. And why Did he need to inspire you,,

if you were paying attention you knew/know what the stakes were/are and who and how the game is being played. What cards were/are on the table and how were they being dealt(behind the scenes) and who was dealing them.ie.koch,fake media. big business,military,etc...

No,help from so called Dems on many issues and many of the so called Dems defected to their real party after the election the RepubliCON party. Also didn't/doesn't he had/have a country to run and other countries,due to republiCON intervention

Amd where was the base against the TEABAGGERS. Before Obama was elected I thought we all agreed that WE ARE THE ONES WE ARE WAITING FOR!!!!!!!!!!

[WolfoftheWild]

9. but they were teaching Obama a lesson!

[ClassWarrior]

23. Who was, exactly? If you're going to toss out accusations, you could...

...at least back that up with who you're accusing.

NGU.

[JuniperLea]

32. The disgruntled people who didn't vote...

You know, those enigmatic creatures you claim don't exist, but the polls clearly show.

[ClassWarrior]

33. The people who didn't vote, didn't vote? Very good.

Now who are you claiming those people to be?

NGU.

[Avant Guardian]

69. Most glaring would be the youth vote

Half of the youth that helped propel Obama into office in 2008 did not bother voting in the midterms.

Nationwide, turnout among people 18 to 29 years old dropped to 20.9 percent this year, down from 23.5 percent in 2006, according to an estimate by Circle, a research group that tracks civic engagement of young voters. In 2008, about 51 percent of young people voted, mostly for Obama.

Low youth turnout likely hurt Democrats in the midterms - Matt Negrin and Gabriel Beltrone - POLITICO.com
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45107.html

[ClassWarrior]

75. I agree. But...

...I suspect that's not who the poster is accusing. :shrug:

NGU.

[KaryninMiami]

10. She is right. People don't realize the impact of not participating

and of rigged electronic voting machines that skim off a point or two throughout the country, which in a close race, makes all the difference.

[Kennah]

14. I prefer Stephanie Miller's assessment in song

"This is what you voted for."

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[southernyankeebelle]

17. Can't say she is wrong.

[RBInMaine]

18. Elections have consequences. Maybe those who didn't vote will finally wake the hell up.

[old mark]

19. Well, of course that is right...Watit till 2012 when many will not vote again, to teach

the Democrats a lesson...

That worked our real good, huh?

mark

[ClassWarrior]

24. Who do you think is trying "to teach the Democrats a lesson," exactly?

Or is this just random ranting, without regard for who gets splattered?

NGU.

[Whisp]

28. over the past while there have been lots and lots of 'oh, I give up on Obama'

this isn't the change... blah blah blah
first time i'm not voting in 4 billion years but I just can't vote for a worser than Bush!

maybe you missed this era here

[ClassWarrior]

29. Lots? How many? From how many posters?

:eyes:

NGU.

[Whisp]

34. oh, I'd have an exact count for you soon

but my abacus is broken, therefore I must be making shit up right?

because no way things like that are said here, and supported.

:bigger fuckin' eyeroll than yours:

[ClassWarrior]

35. Why do you feel you need to distort my words to make your point?

I didn't say you were "making shit up" or that "no way things like that are said here, and supported." I simply asked how often by how many.

Because if we're talking about a handful of trolls, any sensible person would say that your response is an overreaction.

NGU.

[Whisp]

36. and because I didn't keep an exact tally of exactly how many...

that means I'm making shit up. even though many of us remember the yards and yards and days and days, weeks and months of constant Obama hate here. frothing made up lies, borrowed from rightwing sites and transplanted here to the delight of too many.

but yeah, I'm making shit up, it's all in my imagination.

[ClassWarrior]

43. Again, why do you feel you need to distort my words to make your point?

I never said "you're making shit up." And I even explicitly told you that I don't believe you're making shit up.

Nor did I request "an exact tally of exactly how many." I would be happy with a general estimate.

I'm guessing you know damn well that my point is that you're tarring a lot of good DUers over a handful of trolls.

But you seem to want to avoid admitting that point.

:shrug:

NGU.

[old mark]

47. CW, if you bother to read posts here at the time of last November's

elections, you will find very many stating they will not-or did not-vote in order to "teach the democrats" a lesson...
Please don't create a false truth about this. WE LOST the fucking election because Democratic voters did not get off their ass and vote.

And it is possible we will see the same idiotic thing again in 2012.

You are certainly entitled to your OPINION, but your facts are wrong.

mark

[ClassWarrior]

62. You're wrong. "We lost the fucking election because"...

...swing voters "did not get off their ass(es) and vote."

I did "bother to read posts here at the time of last November's elections," and your "very many" was a few disgruntled Dems and a handful of trolls. By no means any large segment of the progressive population here at DU.

NGU.

[old mark]

80. There was a good number here who think that not voting is somehow effective, and there still are

many of them left.

The "swing voters" were certainly a great number, but the GOP traditionally counts on a significant number of Democrats not voting because of some issue they have with party or the candidates. They were amazed that so many Democrats voted in 2008, but they got it right this time.

The idea is to choose a party candidate in the primary, and then vote for the party in the GE. Many Democrats don't seem to grasp that, and the republicans laugh at us for it.

mark

[ClassWarrior]

85. Oh give me a break.

:eyes:

Please cite your source for this: "The GOP traditionally counts on a significant number of Democrats not voting because of some issue they have with party or the candidates."

NGU.

[krawhitham]

20. +1

[zalinda]

21. Apparently Randi doesn't read the Washington Post

The young and Independents stayed home. They got Obama into office and figured their job was done.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/11/democrats_lost_big_because_you.html Read it and weep!



Blaming it on the leftys who are disappointed in Obama just is not true, no matter how many times you say it.

zalinda

[great white snark]

38. The young voters (18-29) tend to be liberal.

How do you know they stayed home because they "figured their job was done" and not because they were disgruntled?

[Exilednight]

39. You can never count on the young vote for more than one election.

It's a historical fact. Since the voting age was lowered to 18, young voters only tend to get swept up in the zeitgeist. Once a "change" election is over, young voters tend to stay home for subsequent elections.

[JoeyT]

40. Is that because they think they've done their job,

or because every time they vote for "change" they don't get any?

[zalinda]

45. Either or..........doesn't matter...........they stayed home n/t

[RBInMaine]

49. Too many "Lefties" DID sit out. Younger voters, minorities, liberal leaning moderates, and plenty of

"progressives" who just plain didn't think the D's and Obama were progressive enough even though it was the most progressive two years since the Great Society if not the New Deal. Even some 30% of UNION households voted R. The TeaPublicans and their base was much more motivated, and they campaigned like hard with clarity and direction. With few exceptions, WAY too many in the D/Progressive base refused to donate, refused to volunteer, and refused to vote. And I sure as hell don't want to hear any lame excuses for it. Now many are screeching because the TeaPublicans got in and are destroying the country. Well, next time stop the bitching and whining, grow the hell up, and get your ass out and vote AND help to defeat the TeaPUKES. Or, suck on it. I know because I worked the ground like hell including working to get volunteers, and it was like climbing up Everest trying to get Dems/Progressives to engage. Well, elections have consequences and now they're finding that out, again, the hard way. Maybe they'll finally damn well learn from now on.

[zalinda]

65. Did you actually look at the chart?

Or are you so convinced that the 'professional left' are to blame that you can't see what is before your eyes. Who sat out? The young and the minorities, either they thought their job was done, or they were disappointed in Obama, who knows. But the white voters stayed the same, except for those over 65.

Obama has gone so far to the right he has by passed Nixon and Eisenhower. He is probably the worst negotiator on the planet. I thought I was the worst, but he has me beat by a mile. If it looks like a duck, as the saying goes. Please tell me, how many lefties are in his administration? Where is the payback for all the work that was done to get him elected? He has thrown just about every left idea under the bus, and some how when a left idea is put into play, it is so badly mangled that it is hardly recognizable.

No, the blame is squarely on Obama and the Democratic Party. They just were not that concerned in the 2010 election, and it showed. Obama's staunches supporters, the young and the black, did not show up.

zalinda

[RBInMaine]

83. Oh horseshit. Obama and D's, even according to RACHEL MADDOW, gave us the most PROGRESSIVE agenda &

VAST amount of accomplishment we've had easily since LBJ if not FDR. You need to stop the whining. Have you ever had to govern a frigging thing? You do what is possible. You do what you can with the votes you have. You need to re-watch Rachels' piece and get the hell real. Whine whine whine. Excuses excuses excuses. Purist pipe dreams. Your one of these "Well they deserved it," types who excuses inexcusable whining, laziness, and apathy. Yes, I saw the chart and it doesn't tell the whole story by any means. Here is what else the numbers say: Nationally only 42% of the electorate voted. The R base was fired up. In most places, ours whined and/or went into a silly stupor. MORE older and thus conservative voters voted. MORE CONSERVATIVE leaning voters overall voted. More I's who DID vote voted R. What is also shown between the lines, and what was true, is that R's and their friendly I's were much more engaged, much more motivated, AND they voted in larger numbers. Too many D's/Progressives bitched and/or went to sleep, and now they are REALLY bitching. Well, any damn one who didn't vote deserves what they now have. Try growing the hell up and ENGAGING next time. As to Obama's centrist tilt, you CAN NOT WIN THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY TODAY WITHOUT WINNING THE CENTER, and that is the plain truth. I suppose you think Clinton is also too "conservative" although his presidency has a 60+% approval, he won twice, and damn well would have won a third time if he could have run again.

[zalinda]

84. Sorry, but starting a negotiation from the middle

is really not in good form. He has consistently invited those who made the messes into his administration. His liberalness is nothing but a few tiny giveaways to try to keep the left quiet. Obama still listens to Conservatives over Liberals. He gave away most of the health care provisions before he even got to the bargaining table, and then gave away more. Hell, if he was negotiating to buy a car, he would probably end up insisting that he pay more for the car than it's worth.

BTW, I am grown up, and poor. I guess when you don't have to worry about keeping a roof over your head, you look at Obama with different eyes. I look at him and see all the money he has given to the rich, and keeps giving them. I see that there is now 83,000 homeless people in Los Angeles, alone. I see that wages keep going down, and that when you are unemployed, it's even harder to get a job, no matter what it pays.

When you are in my position, then we'll talk. It is a totally different view from down here. But, I'm glad to see that you still are up on your high horse. That must mean you aren't worrying where your next meal is coming from. Congratulations!

As for Clinton, he did a lot of shit that has gotten us in this mess, but at least he has a personality. I voted for Clinton, twice, and I even defended him. I still thought that Democrats were worth something. It seems real Democrats are on the endangered species list. BTW, Clinton only comes off looking like a hero because of the tech bubble, if that hadn't happened, he wouldn't have the prestige he has now.

zalinda

[byronius]

78. Actually, she talks about this as well. Just another brick in the wall.

She contends it's a combination of apathy and dismay.

[Fly by night]

37. Until votes in Tennessee can be counted/recounted using something other than "vapor ballots", ....

.. we don't have a clue why a state with 8% more self-identified Democrats than Rethugs (s)elected 10-11 more Rethug state legislators than even the Rethugs themselves were predicting.

We cannot know why Memphis (one of the blackest and bluest cities in the South) (s)elected an entirely white Republican slate of county officials in the August (s)elections.

We cannot know. But we sure as hell can guess.

"It's not who votes that counts. It's who counts the votes."

Joseph Stalin said something like that. Tennessee Rethugs know what he meant.

[young but wise]

41. Everybody knows that all Democrats and Repubs are the same.

:sarcasm:

[martymar64]

106. Not all of them, but enough to make a difference

Obama has shown who he supports.

And it isn't us.

Don't expect any help from Obama.

Working people, you're on your own.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

129. *cough* BULLSHIT *cough*

[golfguru]

42. One needs an inspirational message to drag on'e butt to the polls

Voters must not have seen anything which inspired them. Simple as that.

Unemployment high, 2 wars continuing, corporatist Health Care bill, are
some of the main reasons IMO.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

130. You're right. Inspiration doesn't do shit when people can't eat.

It's easy to blame the lack of a "Daddy Figure." But the reality is reality: no jobs, high unemployment, etc. All these lead to disillusionment. I don't care if Jesus Christ himself is running for president, when people can't feed their families, the last thing on their mind is voting.

[JVS]

46. It's happening because people did vote in November, just the wrong people.

One party got its people fired up through word and deed. Another did not do as good a job.

[quaker bill]

51. I believe the real number of voters was smaller

It often is in non-Presidential elections. Participation by conservatives might have been up slightly, but the older demogrqaphic for conservatives tends to be pretty consistent for turnout at the polls for even local elections. The markedly younger demographic that supports more liberal / progressive candidates didn't show up. Perhaps they will in 2012.

[Citizen Worker]

48. Obama regressed to the Clinton strategy when one of his first acts as president elect was to can

Howard Dean as chair of the DNC. Watch as the 2012 campaign unfolds because the strategy will be to campaign for the so called independent voters. Solidly "blue" states will see little of Obama while the "swing" states get all of the attention. Why you say? Because the democrats can afford to be smug when they say to the progressives, "where else are you going to go?" That's our problem just as it was with Clinton. The solution, a bona fide progressive party the seeds of which have already been sewn in Wisconsin.

[fasttense]

52. Yup, she's right but the big question is why didn't they vote?n/t

[rasputin1952]

55. I have often read many things on this site that advocate not voting...

usually it comes in some form of, "we need to teach the D's a lesson", or some such thing.

Well, the "lesson" here is that D's got trounced and those that helped set the stage were the one's that didn't vote and those that advocating not voting for what ever reason they cooked up.

I have no problem at all taking people to task for not voting, the rationale is quite simple, if you don't vote why are you here? This site advocates D's, Liberals and Progressives, the vast majority of members fall into one or more of those columns. A good part of being in any, or all of those columns is voting, it is not a "luxury", it is a responsibility.

Back in my bar hopping days, I got into many an argument and quite a few fistfights with non-voters who would sit at the bar and complain about politicians and policies, and when I 'd ask if they voted, (I never asked who they voted for, or what party, just if they voted), inevitably, I'd get a "no", and then some preposterous reason why. My answer to these people was quite simple, "when you did not cast your vote, you gave away the privilege of complaining about what happens". I realize that may sound harsh, but to me, it's the essence of truth, you cannot validate a negative, (or even a positive), position about a voting issue if you do not participate. The whole, "I'm not going to vote because I'm ticked off", is an fallacy as well; if anything, if someone is ticked off, it should be a motivator not a brake.

I will never tell someone "how" to vote, that is private, but I will tell people, wherever I meet them, that they need to vote, it's something we need to do and never sit back and allow others to decide the future without a say from each and every one of us.

[PVnRT]

57. Do you really think the few people here who said that

are really enough to influence midterm elections in such a wide-ranging way?

[rasputin1952]

61. Not at all...

This is a situation that goes far beyond DU.

However, as far as people posting on DU about not voting for whatever reason, shows me an image of the population at large. Many people, (nationwide), just don't care enough about the course the nation could take and do not understand the consequences of their inaction.

I always look to the bigger picture, few of my goals are short term, I look at the long term and try to fix things as we go along...eventually the system can be fixed, but it takes a lot of effort, especially when a good portion of the population decides to not care enough to actually do something to help.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rasputin1952]

71. Far from it...

I haven't had a drink in over 20 years.

But I will stick to my guns when I believe I am right. I've been to many a Town Hall meeting and have discussed many an issue during and since my barroom days; those that are violent and bombastic, tend to be the more ignorant...it's the only device they have to make their point.

For what it's worth, in those incidents of long ago, I never started the fights and arguments...they came from the "usual suspects", ignorant people that decided the ETOH intake had charged their systems and they had nothing to do but act like fools.

ETA: Just where do you see "left bashing" in my post?

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[byronius]

79. I get irritated with that as well. 'Obama = Bush' is a false meme.

And serves the Kochtopus quite well.

[JVS]

92. Complaining is a part of their first amendment right, not a privilege earned by voting.

[rasputin1952]

104. If we want to get technical about the First Amendment...

It guarantees an individual or group to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. There is nothing of individuals being protected under the First Amendment to state one has the Right to be deal with issues in private/public scenarios outside of redress. I prefer the expanded and accepted view of the First Amendment, where people can espouse their point of view, but with that come a responsibility to the Republic, and that responsibility is voting.

You may see things differently, you are entitled to that, but I can tell you that if we were sitting at a table, talking one on one, and the complaint is something like, "the government sucks", I will ask you if you voted, if you say "no", I will state to you that from my point of view, you ceded your right to complain to me.

To me, and many others I believe, we have a responsibility that was handed down to us, and if we refuse to take that seriously, we are allowing those that do to make decisions that will affect us for a long time. We are a tough country when things get tough, we show resilience in the face of adversity, and yet, in almost every presidential election, much less mid-term, the average is less than 50%...and yet 100% of us have opinions.

I find it sad that the +/- 50% that do not vote want to take Free Speech as seriously as those of us that actually help to maintain that Right and Privilege by voting.

[ClassWarrior]

117. Interesting... The mod gets the last word, or the message gets deleted.

NGU.

[Ganja Ninja]

58. People usually turn out and vote when they feel it's worth the time and effort.

If they didn't turn out it's the candidate and the party's fault. People need to feel their vote matters. They also need to feel the person they are voting for is more than just someone with a party label. They need to feel the candidate and the party actually share their views and will strive to implement them. Fail to do that and you won't have better luck in the next election either.

[apnu]

59. She's right. Rahm Emmanuel is Mayor of Chicago after only 41% turned out to vote

That's fucking sad. I voted, I told everyone I knew that day to vote. Including the Republicans in my office, they all thought it was a Dem primary. Damn morons.

[Bobbie Jo]

60. K&R

[mistertrickster]

66. Blaming the victim, Randi. People didn't vote because Obama didn't deliver.

On edit--I worked my ass off for Dems this time around, more than usual even.

But there's no point asking laid-off workers to support a guy who says, "creating jobs is not my responsibility" or tells sick people "you'll be covered in 2014, maybe."

[Avant Guardian]

74. Voter apathy

Largely from disillusioned youth voters and independents.

http://earlyrisersweekly.com/2010/11/08/youth-apathy-a-democratic-midterm-nightmare/

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

132. Yep. He didn't deliver in two fucking years. But you gave Clinton 8 years to fuck shit up.

You can't expect change over night, especially with a Republican Party that we face today.

The impatience--and short-term memory--of the American electorate will destroy this country.

[bvar22]

67. And WHY didn't they vote?

Simple:
Failure of Democratic Party Leadership to present a clear, distinct "Democratic" alternative to the Republicans.

Harry Truman said it best:

"I've seen it happen time after time. When the Democratic candidate allows himself to be put on the defensive and starts apologizing for the New Deal and the fair Deal, and says he really doesn't believe in them, he is sure to lose. The people don't want a phony Democrat. If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time; that is, they will take a Republican before they will a phony Democrat, and I don't want any phony Democratic candidates in this campaign."
---Harry Truman

Blaming the voters will NOT solve the problem.



"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works you will know them."

[Avant Guardian]

68. The youth that voted Obama in

Did not come back. They were disillusioned. Obama did it to himself. Instead of being 'transformational' he ended up being 'transactional' ignoring Democrats and youth who put him into office, and playing endless kissy kissy with the republicans.

The 75% youth vote Obama enjoyed during 2008 shrunk to 55% during the midterms. Just this difference alone is enough to account for the pummeling we received in the midterms. Not to mention Obama's scorn for the left and liberals. Obama made his own bed.

[byronius]

77. She's always right. Best analysis available from any source.

Uncanny judgment.

[hulka38]

87. We have a lack of leadership problem.

Many voters who lean Democratic don't know what they're going to get by voting for Democrats.

[uponit7771]

88. Cause it'll be a lot better to let reThugs run things? Again, this logic is gobsmacking, dems are...

...supposed to have more intellectuals than this.

[hulka38]

89. I don't think it's a deep intellectual argument

for a lot of people. I think what they see is confusion, parsing, political games, weakness and 2007 rhetoric aside basically a party who doesn't have their backs and it's a turnoff.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

131. And apparently didn't care that they were going to get shitted on by the Republicans.

[Zoeisright]

94. Damn straight.

Now we see the consequences of absolute nutty shitbags elected because of apathy or pouting.

[NillaWafers]

97. I have voted in every election since I was legal to vote. It feels good. n/t

[JDPriestly]

99. And then we have to ask why people did not vote?

Could it be because Obama insulted and virtually disowned the Democratic base?

That should at least be mentioned by anyone complaining that Democrats did not vote.

The Democratic Party is only as strong as its base.

In fact, it could be argued that there is no Democratic without a strong base of enthusiastic volunteers.

[Tresalisa]

101. I don't get not voting.

I have voted in nearly every election, and in every single Presidential election, since 1972. My vote is my voice. Don't expect me to understand or be sympathetic if you tell me you didn't vote. :grr:

[Safetykitten]

105. Yes kids, it's all our fault. We are to blame for everything. The final Obama argument.

He is blameless and we are the reason that everything has turned out this way.

Oh by the way, in 2012, make that mistake again, please.

[martymar64]

107. Maybe we should make voting mandatory like other countries.

[jillan]

108. No Randi - this happened because of Citizens United.

[Ninga]

109. In Ohio it happened because fewer voted in 2010 than the last off year election which

was 2006, AND 37% OF UNION HOUSEHOLDS VOTED FOR KASICH....

[okieinpain]

110. i agree 100 percent. the professional left got exactly what

they wanted. i remember rachel rubbing her hands and grinning about how much fun it was going to be every time she talked about the repugs taking back the house. I wonder if she's enjoying herself now.

[The Wizard]

112. The Obama Administration

took the position that Democrats had no where else to go. Maybe, but they had somewhere to stay, and that was home on election day.
Abandoning the base because it's easier than getting rolled by Republicans is a failed strategy.
All that was necessary to energize the base was including the public option in the health care bill. Instead, the Democratic leadership chose to kiss corporate ass. The insurance companies were given a big handout, and the working class was handed the bill.
They had no trouble bailing out corrupt banksters and Wall Street shysters. Now they want the working class to foot the bill again by surrendering collective bargaining rights.
If Democrats want the support of the working class they should try doing something other than blowing smoke up everyone's asses.

Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.

[VoteProgressive]

113. Apathy is a bad thing.

[Auntie Bush]

115. Maybe if so many media persons and Democratic Web sites hadn't

bad mouthed Obama so much...they would have voted. It's hard for someone who isn't up to snuff on politics to vote for someone when his own party has nothing but criticism.

Why do we do that? Rethugs never criticize their own. Maybe we could reach Obama by other methods which are less public/obvious and don't demean him is the eyes of the public. If Independents see/hear Dems disapproving so frequently...why shouldn't they vote for a Rethug or not vote at all? I think that's just what happened. Let's hope they have now seen the light and realize votes have consequences.

[jtuck004]

116. The people that didn't vote in November are not writing the bills,

pushing the policies that help the banks, trying to crater (literally) the economy for strategic purposes, or getting rid of programs that help the most vulnerable out of some misguided and self-righteous belief that life should be hell for others.

Blaming the voters who you want to be on your side is not only not helpful, it's disrespectful and childish.

It's as wrong as blaming the victim for rape. In both cases a violent act has been perpetrated by a bad actor, and the fault is with the bad actor. ALL of it. It doesn't matter if the underage kid was drinking in an inappropriate place, and it doesn't matter if the voter doesn't want to support people who seem to be materially supporting the very wealthy with their policies at the expense of the majority of people, under the banner of THE party that USED to be where the most vulnerable were people to be protected and not a source of "budget cuts" for political gain. The problem is not with the voter.

What she said was divisive, and generally not useful. It's best to listen to her with a critical ear, btw. She occasionally interprets (spins?) things to support her points, and sometimes is just flat wrong.

Then again, she's not the point of jokes about being an Oxycontin addict...

[Deep13]

118. Well, that and they voted against their own interests.

Basically, the house was on fire and the voters were pissed off because the Democratic fire department could not put out the fire. So they shit-canned the fire fighters and put the arsonists in charge.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

120. Randi is 100% right! Bitching on blogs won't defeat the Teabaggers/Repukes.

The only thing that will defeat them is the VOTE.

Many of you were angry at Obama/The Democrats, aruging that there is no difference between them and the Republicans. Well, now you see with your own two eyes that there are major differences.

It's just sad.

When we don't vote, this is the result.