The high price of apathy in North Carolina

[Kelvin Mace]

Context Check:

There are approximately 6.6 million registered voters in NC. Of that number around 1.4 million voted for Tillis, or 21.4% of the registered voters. There are 9.8 million people in NC, and 14.3% of the population chose the leader for the other 85.7%.

Now we can argue about the cause(s) of apathy, but the disease itself is clearly diagnosed.

[Populist_Prole]

1. That's horrible

I can't believe their is such a split in the voting blocs: The energized far-right nutjobs and an apathetic/unenthusiastic left in such an important race.

What's worse to me is the fact the voting machine I used may well have flipped my Hagan vote to Tillis. I never did get a chance to see the tape.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Ummm,

As the guy who helped write the law mandating printers on touchscreen machines in NC, you do not know how much that depresses me.

[Populist_Prole]

17. I'm just making that observation based on other posts I've seen on DU

Regarding vote flipping in NC.

[Kelvin Mace]

19. No, I mean the number of people

who say they didn't look at the paper tape.

[Populist_Prole]

35. I never got much of a chance

At the end of voting it just appeared in the window for a second or two and then just scrolled away.

[mmonk]

2. Hagan, not principled liberals lost

the election. You need to know Democrats that distanced themselves from Obama, the first African American President in the history of our Republic while your chances depend heavily on their turnout to win, don't blame apathy but blame it's cause.

[maced666]

7. anti-Obama ads ran 24/7

guess what - they worked.

[Glitterati]

10. Here's what you just don't get

Kay Hagan proved to the voters that when push came to shove, she was going to cover her ass instead of standing up for the voters she was supposed to represent.

Voters figured out quite clearly that Kay Hagan had one purpose in life - HER - when she abandoned her own President. Clay Aiken, too.

Voters are not stupid - give them a REASON to go to the polls for you and they come out in droves (see Obama, 2008, 2012).

Spend your life ass covering and they stay home. Easy to get.

[Kelvin Mace]

11. Yep, when both sides are negative

it really discourages voters. Hagan could have saved all that money she spent on ads and instead used to to register Democrats and get them to the polls.

[Kelvin Mace]

8. When almost 60% of the registered voters don't bother to show up,

I blame apathy. Now, what caused the apathy we can argue about, but 3.5 million voters did not show up at the polls.

[B2G]

3. It depends on how you look at it

NC just set a record for the number of voters in a midterm election.

It was higher than 2010.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. I look at as almost 60% of the voters

couldn't be bothered to vote.

[B2G]

5. So you're going to single NC out with that statistic? nt

[Kelvin Mace]

9. No, I would guess you will find the same kind off stat

everywhere, I just happen to LIVE in North Carolina, so I will leave it to residents of other states to do their own math.

[B2G]

12. So do I.

Was really hoping Hagan would pull it out.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. So was I

though I have never been a Hagan fan. I write letters to both my senators. Hagan never answers, Burr always does (even though it is just to tell me I am wrong). This is a story I have heard from a number of folks I know on the hard left.

[B2G]

14. I pretty much held my nose and touched the screen. nt

[Kelvin Mace]

16. As did I

while filling in ovals...

[mmonk]

15. That happens when people don't

believe midterms are as important and in addition, don't believe politicians care much about them and their issues.

[ladyVet]

18. Yep. You want to blame somebody, blame the party for not giving a shit about us.

Now NC is going to suffer even worse for the next several elections, until Democrats decide they actually want to be Democrats and start telling Republicans to fuck off.

I told my mother and brother that if McCrory isn't kicked out in the next election, I'm done. Won't vote ever again. I'll be keeping my head down and trying to avoid whatever stupid shit gets done to help all the rich people at our expense. Time to work on the garden and get more livestock.

And I've got news for you: Hillary ain't going to be our savior.

[KamaAina]

20. The high price of vote suppression and vote flipping in North Carolina

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251381483

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014934818

[Kelvin Mace]

21. I have posted at length about "vote flipping"

If you are going to "rig" a voting machine to cheat, why call attention to it? Simply show the voter what they selected, and record something different. A person picking your pocket doesn't call your attention to the fact by showing you your wallet.

Also, if the GOP controls voting machines, where is President McCain and President Romney?

Voter suppression? Sure, it's a real thing. But you cannot suppress a vote when the voter never showed up. 3.5 million people simply did not go to the polls.

[KamaAina]

22. "3.5 million people simply did not go to the polls."

How many of them did not go because they had no photo ID, which NC now requires? Or because their polling place was moved off campus?

[Kelvin Mace]

23. Actually, the photo ID requirement was waved until 2016

http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Voter-Id

Turnout amongst college students where polling places were moved was UP!

9 p.m.: Turnout among college-age voters was up 38 to 60 percent over 2010 totals in campus precincts in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, according to the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s New Voters Project.

Turnout at North Carolina State University was up 57 percent even after the polling site was moved off campus, the group said. Meanwhile, turnout at a Duke University precinct was up 40 percent, and turnout at two precincts near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was up 38 and 60 percent.

http://www.wral.com/incumbents-hold-in-nc-congressional-elections/14144525/

[littlewolf]

24. thank you ... beat me to it . nt

[Kelvin Mace]

25. Yet another reason we lose

If people here can't get the fact straight, what is the chance that "low information" voters will?

This is just so depressing.

[Bandit]

28. "But you cannot suppress a vote when the voter never showed up."

I believe that is exactly what happens when you suppress the vote. Voters don't vote.. If I knew I was going to have to stand in line for several hours I probably would not show up either. Nor would I show up if I thought I would be harassed by some right wing thug..

[Kelvin Mace]

30. Again, 3.5 million people?

Seriously?

(BTW, NC has "no fault" absentee voting. No lines, no harassing by rightwing goons).

[GitRDun]

26. You have it exactly correct

I would add that of the people that do vote, most vote based on information spoon fed from the media.

It is going to take a major over reach by the new Tea Party Congress to change the tide.

I have every confidence they will do exactly that before 2016.

[Kelvin Mace]

27. Agreed

I have every confidence they will do exactly that before 2016.

You and me both, but that overreach could involve impeaching both Obama and Biden and replacing them with whoever gets the Speaker's job after they boot Boehner.

[GitRDun]

29. This might sound strange, but I am OK with whatever comes.

We get the government we deserve, after all, we chose it.

Most people do no candidate research or sit on the sidelines altogether, decade after decade and they wonder why everything is so fucked up.

Governing is about choosing, and this year we chose a bunch of lunatics to make decisions / choices for us.

If the suffering becomes great enough, maybe people will start to pay attention. Even in Missouri, where Michael Brown's tragic death provided a real life example of why voting is important, the turnout was 35%.

It's going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better.

[Kelvin Mace]

31. I agree with one stipulation

Governing is about choosing, and this year we chose a bunch of lunatics to make decisions / choices for us.

In NC, at least, we didn't choose. 21.4% of the people chose the leadership. 20% chose a different leaders, and the rest simply said "Whatever"

It's going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Much, much, much worse, before it gets better many decades hence.

[GitRDun]

33. I agree with you but saying "Whatver" is a choice too...really sucks. n/t

[littlewolf]

32. I really do not think they are going to impeach anyone.

and boehner already has the job locked up.

[Kelvin Mace]

34. Hope you are right

but folks have been repeatedly burned underestimating how craven and evil these people are. They have the votes to impeach, so why not?