GOD DAMN IT

[WilliamPitt]

DUer cali started a thread asking, "Have democrats largely given up on protecting a woman's right to choose?"

This is not a call-out. This is a statement of fact.

My reply:

I haven't. Wendy Davis hasn't. A lot of us haven't.

BUT. (!!!)

Hint: the so-far quasi-successful attack on women's rights in all forms taking place in many states is happening because those states are falling into Teabagger hands...

...BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD FUCKING KNOW BETTER DON'T VOTE IN OFF-PRESIDENTIAL-YEAR ELECTIONS...Y'KNOW, THOSE ELECTIONS WHERE 90% OF THE FUCKING GOVERNMENT IS ELECTED.

There's a reason I yell "2014 2014 2014 2014" around here all the fucking time. Ermahgerd Hillary Derp Derp Derp, let's all get crazy over an election in three years and ignore the one that's A YEAR AND A DAY AWAY, when THE CRAZIEST 30% OF THE FUCKING COUNTRY will select one hundred percent (100%) of the House of Representatives, a whole shitload of state legislatures, a whole shitload of Governors, and a whole lot of OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT LOCAL OFFICES...and they'll get to do it all by themselves BECAUSE 70% OF THE COUNTRY IS TOO FUCKING FUCKASS LAZY TO RAISE THEIR HAND EVERY TWO YEARS.

You can blame Democrats. Go ahead. They're not voting in these elections, either.

FUCKING VOTE.

Decisions are made by those who show up.

[CherokeeDem]

1. Amen nt

[spanone]

2. k&r...

[sheshe2]

3. K&R! nt

[gopiscrap]

4. agreed

[msanthrope]

5. YOU ARE RIGHT!!!!! 2014!!!!! nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Decisions are made by those who show up. Damn right.

Couldn't have said it better myself, my dear Will...

K&R

Or should I say: K&fuckingR

[LittleGirl]

70. +1 snicker... n/t

[Rex]

7. Yes we so need to focus on 2014! We need to take the House back

from the RWing sofa eaters! Otherwise, they will continue to destroy whatever part of this country they can get a hold of!

[antigop]

8. makes you wonder why there so many posts about Hillary 2016 nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Perception control

It is marketing 101, and it is manipulative as shit.

[antigop]

12. yep...sorry...I didn't use the sarcasm thingy.....nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I just call it out, because it is what it is, and the rest

who find it annoying, should.

[geek tragedy]

14. cult of personality, both positive and negative. nt

[trumad]

18. I posted a positive Hillary thread

I did it to undermine the 2014. Yeah thats it.

[msanthrope]

34. SPLITTER!!!!

[VanillaRhapsody]

9. What I say is....Remember 2010...NEVER Forget!

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Tell us REALLY how you feel!

And while I agree with you on how critical 2014 is, the Party elite gives the signal that ONLY the POTUS matters... (USSC).

I am far more radical than you.

SPECIAL ELECTIONS MATTER... HYPER LOCAL issues matter, and chose your judges carefully. Your LOCAL city council matters since it directly affects you. Your State Level Legislature and Senate matter, actually more than Congress. Then FINALLY congress.

See I put the POTUS at the bottom actually, but the leadership does not. It is fully inverted from the reality. (Except for my state and I think one more) your legislature choses to redraw districts.

And yes I know who represents me in Sacramento, it is not an election thing. I just know. I also know who represents me in City Council and damn it, I have voted for a Republican judge, the alternative was a radical right tea party.

[Salviati]

53. Which is why we should all go to vote by mail.

Since Washington has gone to vote by mail, I have voted in every election. EVERY SINGLE ELECTION. Didn't matter if it was only the dogcatcher and a city referendum to mandate a single space after a period in all official city documents. I was super excited to vote for an actual socialist for the city council! If I get a ballot in the mail, I vote. No lines, no electronic voting machines, no bullshit voter id hassles.

We should be pushing for vote by mail in all elections in all states.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. That is one of the reforms

another, the end of the Voter ID movement.

There are valid reasons for voter IDs, in other countries, where they are free and were not meant to suppress the vote. Here they have.

Of course ending central tabulators will also be a good step, as they are this easy to manipulate and it is not a conspiracy. It is what it is.

[Zorra]

15. That would help in many cases for sure, but, IMO,

our real hope for future justice and equality lies in a liberal, rational, egalitarian, and just Supreme Court majority that understands the absolute necessity of complete and unequivocal separation of church and state in all matters of law.

That would clear out a whole lot of stupid in less than a year.

And yes, this, too, depends on voting and electing the right people.

Some states will never permit justice and equality for all their citizens. They will have to be forced into treating every citizen equally by federal mandate, possibly with backup from the National Guard.

[Aldo Leopold]

16. Well said, and well timed. And yes,

I for one do show up and vote in every single election. The importance of off-year voting cannot be emphasized often or loudly enough!

[Scuba]

17. Maybe our candidates need to offer something special to inspire people to vote ....

... living wage

... Medicare for All, including dental, optical and hearing aids

... Lifting the cap on SS and increasing benefits



You know, stuff that will appeal to people. "Not the Republican" just isn't that inspiring.

[RC]

39. That's crazy talk.

Nobody want that stuff. We need to vote to de-fund public schools, in favor of for profit charter schools.
Living wages bankrupt small business, that's why big business need to pay slave wages, to let the small business thrive. Medicare and Social Security is Socialism and big government, and we all know how that causes increases in government spending, that takes money away from our national defense, so we can't afford to kill suspected terrorist attending wedding parties and teachers in elementary schools, full of brown children, in countries we can't find on a map. Let alone to afford gas for the drone program.
That's why we need to ignore the mid-term elections and focus on rooting for Right of Center DLC, Hawks for President. Otherwise we just might get Living Wages, Single Payer Health Care and Social Security increases that keep up with inflation... AND less war!
Oh the horror of the far-Left-wing nutz vision of this country.

And in case you are one of those Right of Center, Liberal around here, the above is:

And contrary, to the views of some Right of Center "Liberals" here, I AM a real Left of Center, Left-Wing Liberal. That statement is NOT sarcasm.

[Demo_Chris]

75. Pretty much. I feel like I am choosing which jackal gets to kill and eat me. nt

[DeSwiss]

76. Because it's so much easier......

...to promise you won't lose what you have (even though it's a lie) than to promise something they know they can't produce because their master's won't let them.

- Remember: ''Decisions are made by those who show up have the most money.''

[Hekate]

19. KnR, Will Pitt

I am sick to death of the excuse-making from people who should know better.

[mountain grammy]

20. FUCKING VOTE! Couldn't have said it better myself!

[ashling]

21. I hate the term, "off-year election"

There is no such thing. Every election is an election. In whatever fucking year it falls. Federal. State. Local
Each one is important.

[WillyT]

22. Tried To Make A Similar Call To Arms, Here:

DULink: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023729866

Didn't seem to make much of a splash here.

[msanthrope]

37. Maybe because you didn't focus on voting, but on ads? nt

[WillyT]

41. Wow... You Mean Ads DON'T Get People To Vote???

Sounds like we are wasting an awful lot of money every election cycle.

[msanthrope]

42. I think you miss my point--you didn't talk about voting--as in what YOU are doing to

ensure the vote. Ads are great--but we need to ensure the vote.

[WillyT]

48. Ask Yourself... WHY Do Significantly More People Vote In Presidential Elections ???

I hate this next theory... but it's because it's both important and cool.

American voters have been blowing off local, statewide, and "off-year" elections, EVERY TIME since I have voted in my lifetime, starting in 1974.

I vote every time, but then I like to think I'm politically aware and invested in the outcomes.

Yet most of our fellow citizens do not feel that way... until it's the Presidency...

And even THEN, we are lucky to get half of the voting-age public to show up.

You have to convey to those less involved in politics WHY they should give a damn.

Pointing out to the young, minorities, LGBT, women, etc... WHY the off years are just as important to their lives as the Presidential years... is step one.

Well funded ads, with the right people speaking to them, could aid in that venture.

[Doctor_J]

64. William has a hundred or so auto-rec'ers

So you're starting out at a distinct disadvantage. Happens all the time.

[yellerpup]

23. Voting tomorrow.

The fashionable Democratic straight ticket method.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

62. Me too. Local politics matter!

[Raine1967]

63. Kicking this thread for you -- and us!

We've a pretty damn big election tomorrow here in Virginia!

[AmBlue]

94. Me three.

When you vote in lower turnout (i.e., off-year) elections you are a more powerful voter simply because your vote counts for a greater percentage of the overall vote count. Smart voters know this. It baffles me why it is so difficult to motivate voters to take advantage of this!! We can all have the most impact in small local and off-year elections and we need to make the most of it. EVERY time. NO exceptions..

JUST DO IT!!

[longship]

24. Bing Bing Bing Bing Bing!

But, by all means, let's read more about Hillary and Warren in 2016!!! Or fucking pitbulls, for Christ sakes.

This is a political site, above all else.

Whoever people think is going to run in 2016 is mostly irrelevant right now. Political tides change on the whims of popular culture -- always a bad sign, but nevertheless today's political reality.

The only rational tact to adopt is to build a community for the long term, based not on a candidate, but on a political philosophy. That's what the Republican Party did in the late 70's and 80's. What the GOP is today is the product of what they did then.

I'll leave y'all with a quote from popular culture which may focus our energies.

Well boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader's mule, the radio is gone and we're leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower why we'd need sleigh bells on this thing... but we got one little budge on those Roosskies. At this height why they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain't gonna spot us on no radar screen!

In other words, the Republicans have got us right where we want them. Let's get things on the hump. We've got some flyin' to do!

2014 is our primary target.

[Rebellious Republican]

25. I concur and agree! However Will, you should really....

Lay off the hard stuff at Starbucks and switch to some nice Starbucks Decaf this late in the day.



K&R

[B Calm]

26. Mid term elections always kill us, no reason

for it! K&R

[TxDemChem]

27. Agreed.

I'm hoping the 2010 election will drive more dems to the polls in 2014.

[MarianJack]

28. YES!

PEACE!

[Warren DeMontague]

29. The problem is, there are sections of this country controlled by Right Wing Flat-Earth goobertrons.

And that plugs into these asinine anti-choice state laws, as it plugs into the fact that the house of representatives is controlled by a small gaggle of maniacs, as it plugs into a whole ton o' shit.

I agree that midterms are important, but you may be preaching to the choir, certainly in my district. The long game here is to flip some of the red ones.

[totodeinhere]

30. Excellent rant. n/t

[el_bryanto]

31. Not just national or state elections either - local races matter on these issues too.

Well said.

Bryant

[passiveporcupine]

32. Amen

We need to stand up and vote. I mean...how hard is it to vote? It's one of the easiest forms of activism, yet it's so easily ignored.

Not only do we EACH need to vote, we need to convince or help others to do it too.

[pnwmom]

33. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. And when they do get control,

they legislate for permanent control -- passing redistricting plans, voter I.D. laws, etc.

[NYC_SKP]

35. Ridiculous. Crazy talk. Call out and IBTL.

Having expressed my righteous indignation, I'll go ahead and rec this sucker.

My time as GD host having expired, and all.

[BobbyBoring]

36. I wish I could give this a thousand recs

One only needs to look back to 2010 to see how we got where we are today. We need to show up in droves in 2014 as the deck is already stacked against us. Between the gerrymandering and the RW media stirring up their "High Information Voters , it's going to be an uphill climb but an essential one. Our existence as a nation depends on it.

Thanks WRP for a great OP!

[SammyWinstonJack]

38. knr!

[arely staircase]

40. i am the local precint chair in a red precinct in a red county in Texas

Our presumed ticket leader made her name and galvanized us all by standing up for a woman's right to choose. So to answer cali's question with a question, what the fuck are you talking about?

With Wendy's inspiration and the help and training we are getting from the state party my personal goal is to break 42 percent for Wendy in my precinct. If every Texas precinct in Texas shows comporable gains, Wendy Davis will be the next governor of Texas.

Regarding cali, I have exchanged pms with her and think she is a good person. She is a contrarian but, yeah, the constant neg-head posts get old when you are trying to get people fired up to defeat our real enemy.

[WilliamPitt]

57. cali is awesome

One of my all-time favorite DUers.

This was not a call-out.

[arely staircase]

59. plus one nt

[cali]

106. what the fuck am I talking about? Here's what

Wendy Davis is an EXCEPTION. By and large elected dems and those running have NOT been fighting hard on this issue.

And I'll tell you what else, dear duers: I've been posting about abortion here for fucking years and years in GD. Mostly those posts and the posts of others get fucking ignored.

Did I know that that thread would finally get something going here in GD? Damned straight I did.

And I'm glad.

[Dustlawyer]

43. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognized a long time ago that local and state elections are cheap

and can go a long way for them when the local and state guys and gals move up, like a "Farm System" in baseball.

[dchill]

44. Yes - GOD DAMN IT

Exactly.

[4 t 4]

45. I Do blame democrats

fucking vote ? Really ? The decisions are made by the corps. If you think for one single second any of us matter right now , you're nuts!!!!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

52. The o.p. is well within the TOS, and exactly what DU was created for. Nice suppressive tactic.....

ya got going there. Perhaps a review of the TOS is in order? We're here to elect Democrats, not suppress the vote.

Vote for Democrats.

Winning elections is important —therefore, advocating in favor of Republican nominees or in favor of third-party spoiler candidates that could split the vote and throw an election to our conservative opponents is never permitted on Democratic Underground. But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect. When we are not in the heat of election season, members are permitted to post strong criticism or disappointment with our Democratic elected officials, or to express ambivalence about voting for them. In Democratic primaries, members may support whomever they choose. But when general election season begins, DU members must support Democratic nominees (EXCEPT in rare cases where were a non-Democrat is most likely to defeat the conservative alternative, or where there is no possibility of splitting the liberal vote and inadvertently throwing the election to the conservative alternative). For presidential contests, election season begins when both major-party nominees become clear. For non-presidential contests, election season begins on Labor Day. Everyone here on DU needs to work together to elect more Democrats and fewer Republicans to all levels of American government. If you are bashing, trashing, undermining, or depressing turnout for our candidates during election season, we'll assume you are rooting for the other side.

[LukeFL]

87. Right on

[blue14u]

54. Yes...REALLY!!!!

Try to imagine if we had not voted our POTUS

back in office.. Try for one second to imagine

what shape we would be in with a Romney as POTUS!!!

If you can, then you will go VOTE!! It's that simple.

From the bottom up we need Democrats, and more

women in office.. Please don't have that attitude. It is

true what you say, but if we get the right Dems in these

positions we can change the corp RW/Tea bag ownership

of our country.. At least try 4 t 4.. Go vote!!!

[Phlem]

86. Truly this should be standard issue to any self respecting Dem.

Last edited Tue Nov 5, 2013, 05:00 AM - Edit history (1)

I mean really, a republican as President? That's a recipe for utter disaster and I don't think the country can handle even one more. If this seems incoherent to anyone out there, your either not paying attention or not doing any research.

Welcome to DU Blue.

-p

[blue14u]

98. Agreed Phlem!!!!

Thank you for the welcome too!!!

[New Orleans Strong]

46. Even as we speak...

I am trying to get that to fit on a t-shirt. Nice -

[Tarheel_Dem]

47. Long time since I rec'd one of yours. But truth is TRUTH!

[blue14u]

49. I agree!! +1000 WillianPitt

BAD CANADATES ARE ELECTED

BY GOOD PEOPLE WHO DON'T VOTE!!!!!



Always, always, ALWAYS VOTE!
Every race, every chance you get, every time there is an election!!!!

VOTE and VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!!!

[Raine1967]

50. Two words:

VIRGINIA, TOMORROW.

[marble falls]

51. Once again the third way is the best way. Vote every election.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

56. Fookin Aye

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

58. gerrymandering

Those "census year" elections are pretty fucking important, too!

Do Democratic voters know anything about redistricting?

[kelliekat44]

60. I have been saying this for years and largely ignored. Seldom got an "Amen." nt

[yodermon]

61. You cannot blame "The Electorate" for 2010. The blame falls squarely on establishment Democrats who

did not do enough to get out the vote in 2010. This includes Obama for America which having just won an amazing-ass election, just sorta sat the fuck around so as they could watch the predetermined "shellacking" take place. "gee whiz aw shucks look like the repubs and teabaggers won the midterms, as expected; guess we can't enact progressive legislation now! too bad so sad."

"FUCKING VOTE"? Fucking DUH Will. **OF COURSE** we vote.

The Democratic Machine needs to get OUT THE VOTE goddammit. AS IF IT'S A PRESIDENTIAL election year.

OFA is making noises like they'll crank it up for 2014, but we'll see.

[Doctor_J]

66. Yeah, they deliberately or mistakenly pissed away the biggest emotional edge

in a generation. Either Campaign 2008 was a big lie, or they're the worst politicians in my life time. The 2008 newbies figured out that the campaign for hope & change turned into government by appeasement and trade-offs.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

65. I recall crying very hard before the 2010 elections. Many of us saw it coming.

The misinformation campaign with the army of angry Tea Baggers full up with Palin prose commanded the debate. Now I fear that Democrats may well try to vote but be prevented from doing so.

[AndyA]

67. VOTE! It's the only way to make sure change happens.

You can't sit on your butt and not go to the polls, then gripe about who got elected. VOTE.

[MrMickeysMom]

68. You can include local elections, too...

I (and the majority who took their role in local government seriously) took a direct hit in this year's primaries. So, this means that the money that got behind the our opponents, who helped them sweep us all in the primaries, played a significant role.

But, you know what played an even more important role? Yes… The ones who stayed home, resulting in 20% or less who cared to even show up to the polls. Our constituents (the ones who were brave to show up at council meetings, or who were bullied for standing behind us) were effectively indifferent when it came to voting in the spring, which leaves us with a lot of shit at tomorrow's general election. Is this sour grapes? No, I think I've come way past anything like that, because I knew by making the right decisions, it would cost. That's a price I'd pay again. I just can't believe how people choose not to take responsibility to vote.

Most of the decision makers who help your children and think to control your local business, mercantile and property taxes are THE REASON you should ALWAYS VOTE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL!!!

God Damn it, in spades, buddy... It's easy for me now to say that I'll serve the rest of my term with dignity, because I will. Meanwhile, I did what was right. However, it's a little harder for me to think the same way of all those who I served when it comes to the reasons these problems will continue and probably get worse over the next four years.

So, now I'll return to the fold with someone else who I would hope would "represent" me, but more likely would be part of the patronage system everyone here has had for years. It's that same story of Tammany Hall that I must still now fight in a long line that STARTS from the local and ends with the President of the United States.

GOD DAMN IT, INDEED!

[Beacool]

69. Oh, I'm voting in NJ.

It won't make any difference at the governor's level, but my mayor is up for reelection and there are some questions that I want to vote on. I'm particularly interested in voting No to a question regarding eliminating rent control. The greedy developers in my town have been salivating about eliminating all tenant protections for years and they were always defeated. I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow they don't get their way.

[Raine1967]

71. I'm going to be a huge nag here. tomorrow is important too.

YES, we have to work for the 2014 elections -- but right now -- tomorrow to be precise, we have a very big election here in Virginia.

If we can get a trifecta: McAuliffe, Northam and Herring - I'm telling you -- we can turn the tide in 2014.

get the vote out!

[libnnc]

72. School Board elections, City Council seats, County Commish, Mayor, dad-jimmed DOG CATCHER.

It ALL starts with these local seats. All these tea party fuckers, every LAST ONE of them started at the LOCAL level.

And we know for a FACT that the only way they think they can win elections is if WE stay home or, now, the sneaky fuckers here in the Winston-Salem area, for example, are banking on uninformed voters who fall for catchy campaign phrases and THINK they are voting for folks who have some sense.

Bottom line, DO NOT VOTE "for the individual" in partisan elections EVER AGAIN!!!

Wanda Sue Lou Whozeewhutzit (who just happens to be a Republican on paper) may be just lovely to work with down at the Pack -n- Sack, and a real sweet heart in church, but you should never vote for her if you don't know where she stands on the issues. Edit to add: And if she won't SAY where she stands on the issues, THAT'S a TELL. Red flag. Big time.

Simply voting for someone in a local election just because they sold you Avon that one time, and they were really sweet don't cut it anymore, folks.


In partisan elections, Always. Vote. Straight. Party. Line.

ALWAYS.

[stillcool]

73. I wish that election day..

Was advertised better. We have all the candidates signs, but no generic signs to remind people of the date. I'd like there to be a crawl on the bottom of all television channels reminding people to vote. I'd like there to be 'vote today' signs everywhere on the street. I've missed elections because by the time I remembered I was at work, and couldn't leave. This year the primary date was like a big secret.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

74. I often wonder who on DU didn't vote in the last mid-term

cuz they were pissed at Obama.

You're fucking right and we would be much farther on if the vote got out!!

Sometimes I wonder if any of them will be honest and admit it.

[tkmorris]

77. I honestly believe the answer is "almost nobody"

Exit polling and other data show again and again that the hardcore Left, the same ones who tend to get right pissed on here when Obama is deemed to be not doing enough, show up again and again, for every election anywhere. It's the low-information voters, the so-called "mushy middle" that often find they have a salon appointment that day.

If you want those people (and most voters ARE those people) to show up and vote for your side you have to make them WANT to do it. You can't just phone in the campaign and rest on your laurels. Further, I hate to say it but the Right does a better job of getting their wishy washy type voters to the polls than we do much of the time. They treat every election like it's Helm's Deep and the Tet offensive all rolled into one no matter who is on the ticket. If we want to win those off-year and low energy elections we have to stop believing that we automatically will by dint of being obviously on the correct side of almost all issues and start firing people up to get to the damned polls.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

89. can't be many, but I remember reading a few people tantruming about it.

Honestly can't remember who. Maybe they were just trolls.


About the rw heavy turnouts---easy for them--- their pastors have captive audiences every Sunday. They can speak for gawd, you know. Easy to tell their flock what to think, and what to do: Stop those satanic libruls.

[Pab Sungenis]

78. I wanted to.

I SO wanted to.

But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

There were a couple of phony Democrats I didn't vote for, just as there are five I won't vote for tomorrow. But I'm still voting for Barbara Buono and the minimum wage referendum.

[WilliamPitt]

80. DUers vote.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

90. ehhhh....avoid blanket statements when possible.

I'm sure MOST do, but I also remember a rant here and there. Don't remember who.

[Union Scribe]

83. Exit polls show

that it was moderates who failed us in 2010. Liberals voted, just like they always do.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

92. ah. ok. thanks--exit polls are pretty accurate.

Maybe the rants I read were just blowing off steam, or maybe trolls.

[calimary]

79. TOTALLY!!!!

Get.

OFF.

Yer.

Ass!

!!!

!!!

!!!

!!!

If they think you don't care, they won't, EITHER!!!! Guaranteed!

And they won't just think you don't care if you don't show up. They'll KNOW it.

[sarchasm]

81. K n f***ing R!!!

I'm trying real hard not to be angry.

[RainDog]

82. k&r n/t

[Union Scribe]

84. "Decisions are made by those who show up."

Amen.

[Crewleader]

85. Election Day

[LostOne4Ever]

88. IIRC around half as many people vote in off years

Meaning your vote is twice as powerful

Why would anyone not vote in an off year?

[p class=post-sig style=margin-top:0px;text-align:center;]

[div style='color: #B20000;font-size: 2.000em'] [center] Not all those who wander are LOST!!! [/center]

[tavalon]

91. For those of us in Washington state, you need to get your ballot mailed

or taken to drop boxes tomorrow. Tim Eyman has another initiative. Let's give him a zero vote count, eh?

[Drunken Irishman]

93. It won't matter dick if Elizabeth Warren or Hillary Clinton is president in 2017...

If they have a Republican-controlled congress to fight, they ain't getting shit done.

All those people advocating for one or the other need to realize their candidate will quickly be neutered politically if they don't have a Democratic Congress to pass their agenda.

[SunSeeker]

95. K & R

[veness]

96. Thanks Will! K&R!! n/t

[stage left]

97. Hey Will.

I'm all focused on 2014. We've got a God Awful Republican governor, name of Hayley, who needs to go yesterday.

[ReRe]

99. Damn right, Will....

"Decisions are made by those who show up" at the polls in mid-term elections!

Get the House back! Build the Senate Majority!

2014! 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014!

[MFM008]

100. we just did

dropped ballots off. Every state in the union should be by mail ballots.

[IkeRepublican]

101. God dammit!

Trying to make it real compared to what.

[mnhtnbb]

102. God damn right, Will! Here in NC we're dealing with the aftermath of no-show voters 2010

and you know the Repubs are hoping for repeats in lots of states.

It will probably take us two election cycles to get rid of the teabaggers
here thanks to the gerrymandering they did after 2010.

So, yes, FUCKING VOTE!!!

[ucrdem]

103. Hey don't forget 2013

Today's election day bro!

[JDPriestly]

104. My congressman will be re-elected. I live in a solid and safe Democratic District.

I see very little organization to allow people like me who live in safe districts to help those who don't.

[joshcryer]

105. People don't care about voting. It's the GOTV effort that is important.

The GOTV effort is done particularly by activists, leftists. Not moderates, not centrists, leftists. Moderates run for election because those people who don't care about voting won't vote for you if you're seem as extreme, because they want to feel like they're moderates (even if their lack of voting means that they themselves are disillusioned in the process).

The GOTV effort is them stymied by those who depress the moderate electors vote by bashing on the moderates and causing the activist left to also be disillusioned in the process.

The best thing to do then, is to unify in off-season elections, and STFU about bashing the moderate Democrats or Independents that we'd support, if only so that we can retain the power of the House, since even the most extreme right wing Democrat will vote for progressive legislation 80% of the time.

This, of course, is an impossibility, because there are ratfuckers out there who will try to depress and disillusion the activist left just as much as there are those in the activist left who themselves are already disillusioned and don't want to GOTV. Combine it together and you understand why the vote in off-season elections always favors the opposition. Particularly when it comes to purists.

[HappyMe]

107. Absolutely correct.

It's election day here in NY today. I'll be heading to the polls.

[BlueMTexpat]

108. Yes, indeed, we should ALL show up and vote in every election.

And you are absolutely right that we should do so not just for national elections, but those all-important state, county and local elections.

Howard Dean "got" it - it's the 50-state strategy. But that strategy has to be in force ALL the time and for ALL elections!

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance" has too often been taken to mean armed (as with guns) vigilance. It is much more important to be armed with accurate information. That is MUCH more difficult.

[Le Taz Hot]

109. Hello????

I tried like hell to get people interested in their local elections, urging people to ensure there is a Democratic candidate in every race. I got very little traction, a mixed reaction and one person telling me how this couldn't POSSIBLY be done, that the 6-state strategy is a WINNER!

Here's the link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023975059

There's a WHOLE LOT OF US out here that are very much into the elections of 2014. We just can't seem to get a whole lot of people interested.

But I wish you well. Maybe you'll have better luck.

[ctsnowman]

110. Vote

Every single time there is a vote not just even years... or your local schools can get taken over by baggers.

[HappyMe]

111. kick

[The Time is Now]

112. Even if your candidate is ahead...

...it's important to remember that elections may be predicted by polls but they are decided by votes. I"m off to elect Bill di Blasio as mayor of New York - gladly knowing that he leads by a wide margin. It will be wonderful to have our first truly progressive mayor of New York since... wow, hard to remember. I liked Dinkins. Koch - no liberal. Beame ruled over the financial crisis and went all-out austerity. John Lindsay - first ran as Republican, then as Liberal, then as LIberal - Democratic. So, counting Lindsay and Dinkins, that's two liberals serving 12 of the last 40 years!

Thanks to William Pitt for keeping this front and center.

[fleabiscuit]

113. Grrrrr....

Count me and mine in coach! Grrrr...

[benld74]

114. Neither my wife nor I have missed a single vote in all our voting years,

Our oldest became eligible to vote 2 years ago and SHE has not missed a vote either.

But I agree with the statement wholeheartedly, 110%!!!!!

[snooper2]

115. you really need to stop using "derp"

I mean, come on this isn't Junior High is it...



Oh, wait a sec......

[AtomicKitten]

116. k

[AAO]

117. Please watch your language - this is a family forum.

I've just this week detected quite a few trolls that couldn't be any older that 14. And we need to protect them. They are after all handicapped in so many ways that we should really give them the benefit of (1) doubt. I've already had mine, how about you?

Fuck the motherfucking fuckers!

[OneCrazyDiamond]

118. Sometimes staying home

and not voting is used to send a message to the Party Elites.

If I had to choose between 2 poopy candidates. I choose not to decide, and that would be my choice.

[Major Hogwash]

119. I blame the Democrats for the low turnout during off-year elections.

I think they have done a lousy job in firing up their base and getting people to vote.
I don't know why there haven't been continuous tv ads and radio ads playing all the time during the last few weeks of those off-year elections, but it seems like the Democratic party doesn't care enough to spend a few measly dollars on that sort of thing.

Add to that, there have been some really poor Democratic candidates that have run for Congress, some of them were DINOS from the state legislature, while some of them were just plain bs artists who had a local business, and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of them getting elected.

The Republican party here in Idaho doesn't have to worry about "getting out the vote" because they spend 10s of 1000's of dollars statewide advertising for their candidates every time they have an election.
Every election.
Every single election!
You can't turn on the radio without hearing an ad for them within just a few minutes!

And that's because the Republicans set aside money for that sort of thing whereas the Democratic candidates that run for office here are left to fend for themselves.