Our problem: our Dem constituencies DON'T VOTE. & my circle includes 3 categories::

[UTUSN]

1) My labor pals who are even down to the subsistence level, and I totally understand why they don't vote, because they live on a daily hand to mouth basis and do not have the luxury of keeping up with the news and not having the incentive of seeing immediate RESULTS from voting.

2) My Gay pals who are just about entertainment for themselves. Yes, I know these are a segment.

3) My minority pals who have no connection to history about which party delivered the Great Society, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, nothing else. The few who voted said they voted for SHITLER because they just didn't like Hillary. Plus, that they have NO regrets because they think SHITLER is doing just fine. I have told them they should refuse their in-home care, food stamps, all social services.


I really don't believe I deserve a demerit here.

[Wwcd]

1. I know of many of them also.

They could care less..their focus is the immediate small world they exist in.
That's it.
When asked about politics on any level their reply is either a blank look or where they got their cute sandals, or the new bike he got for next month's camping excursion he's paid $1000 to join in on.
There are many who really don't want to know.

You get no demerits from me. I see them also & they are not like this group on DU.

It is disheartening & makes you realize that the 65 million who actually voted for HRC over Trump, are the ones carrying the future of this country for the shoe shoppers & others just oblivious to the current fragility of our government.
And they don't care to be bothered with any of it.
They don't bother to vote either.

[elocs]

2. Too many on the Left abdicate their responsibility to participate in our elections,

as imperfect and with limited choices as they are. Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Personally and from experience I don't have a lot of faith in the ability of many on the Left to endeavor to persevere--they are just not vigilant enough.

[UTUSN]

5. "limited choices" is a big deal.

[elocs]

16. Nope, not at a general election when it's either one or the other, Democrat or Republican.

In places that will never elect a Liberal or Progressive Democrat it's a simple choice to choose the Democrat and a win with them would count towards Democrats controlling whatever body it is and that's more important for that seat than liberal party purity.

[saidsimplesimon]

3. I hear a lot on category #1

It would require a dissertation on a scholars level to even begin a conversation on the cure for the "tune-out" of America's eligible voters.

The red team knows they are in the minority, it is to their advantage to suppress the vote.

As a member of the blue team, I consider it my obligation to lead by example. No whining, just lots of hard work. Recent elections results have given me hope. Democracy, flawed indeed, will survive, imo.

[UTUSN]

4. The wingnuts don't have to work so hard on voter suppression. APATHY is what we do so well.

[saidsimplesimon]

13. Apathy is the companion

of despair. No room in my head for negative emotions, on most days, we all have our moments, or so I believe.

[wonkwest]

6. LGBTers are one of the higher turn out constituencies

Last I read it was roughly 80%.

So your number two is kind of a weird stereotype of "those frivolous gays".

Might want to roll that one back.

I'm gay, I'm pretty entertainment focused. Still go to bars and shows and eat out and the usual self-indulgence you'd expect of a thirtysomething DINK type of gay male.

But I still vote. Every election. Every time. And so do most of my friends. Our lives and families and fundamental rights are always at stake in this country. The community may not be following the Mueller investigation, and to be honest, I've totally tuned it out. The daily, breathless, "Something was said on Twitter by a person!" only to be rolled back the next day is exhausting.

Not everyone lives politics. I've pared down my consumption of media greatly in the past 18 months. I just find little of value to see there and little of value to discuss.

But I vote. Most of the people in my community do.

[UTUSN]

7. Not talking about you. Am talking about who I know.

[spooky3]

8. An Australian friend thinks a solution is

mandatory voting, as they have in Aus. I agree with him.

[UTUSN]

9. Me, too.

[wasupaloopa]

10. They don't vote because they don't think

their lives will ever be affected one way or the other.

These folks that I know believe god controls every minute of their lives. My cousin asked why are people mad god chose trump.

On Facebook they praise Jesus and post food pictures and relatives.

[UTUSN]

11. Yip, just generally the lack of a Big Picture.

[Kilgore]

12. There is more to the labor angle, here is what I see daily

I work in a unionized environment with a few hundred coworkers. Traditionally you could count the number of Republicans on one hand. But that was in the Clinton era. Today I estimate we are 85%+ Trump voters. Why?

Its mainly because folks see Trump as someone "gettings things done" and not someone who is "coming to take their guns away" or dosent "look down on those of us with a rural lifestyle" and "does not make fun of our religion" Plus he is "protecting our jobs" and "wants to keep out the bad guys" The quotes are actual statments I heard during the election and still hear today.

Since the election, our facility is up to maximum production with all shifts staffed. All of the laid off are now back at work and overtime is plentiful. Who do you think gets the credit? Its not Obama.

So whats changed? Its the same people, same lifestyle. Could it be the party has lost touch with this portion of its base??????? I bet they will also vote for Trump again unless something changes

We need a plan to get them to remove their MAGA hats......yes some proudly wear them. One shop steward who helped in the first Obama election actually wears one today.

Hey I know this will anger some of you, but its the actual view from the street.

[wasupaloopa]

14. Before I retired I worked for county government and was in the SEIU

Many of my co workers were Repubs. One day a guy yelled out “I hate taxes!”

I reminded him that taxes pay his salary

[appalachiablue]

18. +1 The deliberate decline in Civics awareness in 30 yrs. is real trouble.

[Maraya1969]

15. There needs to be an ad campaign about what the Dems have done for

the US over the years.

[appalachiablue]

19. Excellent idea, Dem. contributions seriously need recognition!

[treestar]

17. You don't need to be gay to be in group 2

There are a lot of people who live without any reference to politics and some of those think they are "above" it - it would take a major depression to wake them up

Same for 3 - you don't have to be a minority to be ignorant of history and never talk about politics and it would take a major depression to spark your interest.

[UTUSN]

21. True, but my post is specific to my personal anecdotal "evidence"

[lunatica]

20. It looks like voters might be the minority

That’s a scary thought because it means this won’t end well.

[UTUSN]

22. Yip, I don't know the numbers. Charismatic characters break through the apathy for good or ill