So what is it going to take to get those who didn't vote in 2014 to vote in 2016?

[upaloopa]

What?

[FBaggins]

1. A presidential candidate worth supporting

Simple as that

[morningfog]

2. Good campaigning. Simple strong message.

[dilby]

3. A Presidential Candidate

Some people only vote when there is a President involved.

[TBF]

4. Something to vote for. nt

[awake]

5. A clear reason to vote for something or someone

[hobbit709]

6. Something better than "Not as bad as the other guy"

[Vincardog]

7. Candidates running on LIBERAL POLICIES. TAX the rich. Feed the poor till there are no poor

[JI7]

13. didn't work for Feingold

[Vincardog]

14. Did he run in 2016?

[JI7]

15. he ran in 2010 and lost

[Vincardog]

21. My bad. I thought the thread was about 2016

[JI7]

22. so you think candidates running as liberals to win didn't apply for 2010 but it will

for 2016 ?

[Vincardog]

26. I think candidates running as faux conservatives along with GOP Vote suppression tactics

suppressed the number didn't voters in 2014. I think the Democratic party needs a coherent liberal agenda to win the vote in 2016.

[JI7]

28. Harry Reid won his election ,is it because Reid is more liberal than Feingold ?

and Reid was up against a lot more with the amount of attacks against him which was national.

[Vincardog]

35. Nebraska is not the whole country. In 2016 the Democrats will be defending 1 Senate seat. The GOP 22

It will be another election.

[Auggie]

29. How about a Democratic Party message to the same effect? Forget about "candidates" ...

I want a national PR and advertising campaign, running in key states on TV, radio and across the web, reminding people about our party accomplishments and our root beliefs, and I want it to be fun to watch, memorable, hard-hitting, and present relevent benefits over the crap Republicans and their corporate masters spew.

It's not like I'm asking for a lot ...

[bobclark86]

39. Because we're not Canada.

We judge people based on what they say and do, not by what letter follows their name.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

43. Heh.

There are plenty of people, both on this board and across the country, who do simply look at the letter following the name. Try telling the ones on here that you vote based on the person, rather than simply the fact that they're a Democrat, and you'll get all sorts of insults and told you 'don't matter'.

[JI7]

42. but candidates DO matter , look at people voting for Christie, they aren't voting issues when they

vote for him. many blue states are willing to vote for republicans if they like them as long as they don't scare them with too much religious talk and other right wing things that usually turn them off.

[Auggie]

44. The Democratic Party has allowed the Republican Party to brand them, and it's been a disaster.

We need a unifying message and candidates savvy enough to sell it.

[MannyGoldstein]

51. Christie was endorsed by NJ Democratic leadership, and

tacitly endorsed by President Obama when he refused to endorse the opposing Democrat.

[JI7]

55. why would that matter ?

The party supported grimes also and she lost

[Township75]

8. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

And there will be plenty more of it in 2016.

Plus a candidate with the WOW-factor, Piz-azz, SPARK!

[Man from Pickens]

9. A new war and more surveillance state

with all candidates on the ballot - both parties - behind it

that will surely bring everyone out of the woodwork to grant democratic legitimacy to our loving overlords, the corporate regime

[Callmecrazy]

11. A hot redhead with a great figure...

Send me one and I promise to vote.

[simak]

49. It comes down to which candidate promises everyone a hot redhead if he's elected.

You can probably find a candidate who'll promise it, but I wouldn't count on him delivering...

[JI7]

12. a Presidential Election

[JoePhilly]

16. Shouldn't have needed 12 posts to get to the obvious answer.

[JI7]

23. well

it's nice for some to believe if only the candidate/party would do as they demand all would be well.

[JoePhilly]

24. So true.

[upaloopa]

25. I am one who feels you should always vote

but I am told that folks didn't vote in 2014 because there was nothing worth voting for. I was hoping those who say that would have some specifics that they would like to see in 2016. So far all there is are generalities here.

[arcane1]

31. Those people are usually full of shit. Most ballots have more than just congress on them.

Mine was 4 freakin' pages, and only ONE vote for my House rep. Everything else was state and local stuff, nearly all of which was worth voting for.

[upaloopa]

36. I doubt any of them looked at their ballot.

My guess is they didn't bother to vote and after the fact they came up with a justification for it.

[arcane1]

37. Sad but true n/t

[JI7]

41. and it's local issues which are usually bigger during non presidential years

and even in other years.

when people complain about some congress member from some state and area they are not from and demand the "party" do this or that it's hilarious. especially when they bring up national approvals for congress as a whole.

they need to check out the district and what that area is like, what kind of jobs, schools, demographics etc and it will not be too much of a surprise why certain people get elected.

many times it's about a reliable member who isa ble to bring in funding for something that is important to the area.

[riqster]

32. We need to be more active more often.

Every four years ain't cutting it.

[Lee-Lee]

17. Our best shot is the GOP itself

Let them cut, cut, cut until everyone hurts.

That will push people to turn out, when it actually affects them.

[riqster]

18. Activist involvement in the primaries.

If we want better candidates we will have to find them. We sure as hell can't count on party bosses to give us people we want to vote for.

[bravenak]

19. A candidate the speaks to the issues of the common people.

And we must show a clear difference between the parties and fight for the votes. We must make sure the base doesn't get left behind in order to get conservative votes. We must realize that if our own base is not excited, then we won't draw votes from moderates or anyone else.
We must stop pretending not to be democrats and stop bring scared of speaking up on issues. We must figure out what our voters want from tge party.
We must increase our numbers. Yes, we must reach out to the youth, minorities, women, lgbt, and do things to increase votes from that group. We have to listen to new ideas and discuss them.
We must work to put measures on ballots on every state we can to draw more voters t the polls. And yes, i mean pot, minimum wage, sentencing reductions, decriminilization of small amounts of drugs, things of that nature.

[Autumn]

20. A Democratic party would help.

[orpupilofnature57]

27. Living the two years of Republicans in charge.

[riqster]

30. Didn't work in 2004.

Yeah. They stole it, but we could have won it with turnout.

Just having Teapubbies in charge isn't enough.

[orpupilofnature57]

47. Well it did in 06, unfortunately " Impeachment isn't on the table "

was the end of Dem's and Rep's hashing out Our Democracy, and started Their political SOCIETY .

[ffr]

33. $ their way or economic depression or default of the U.S. Gov't due to GOP shutdown

or world war. Those would be on the top of my list.

[liberal N proud]

34. Candidate who will stand up for their party and what they believe in

Not some wuss, who says don't campaign with me Mr. President, Wait until after the election to make that decision.

It will take candidates who are not afraid to say who or what the support just because some right wing pundit is challenging them or calling them out for it.

Voters want commitment from their candidates, they are not getting that.

[jwirr]

38. I just read through the comments. My answer is a damned good depression. One that includes

all of those who do not think there is a reason to vote.

[HereSince1628]

40. Some will turn out just because it's a presidential election, but 2016 is gonna be very tough

I'm in my 7th decade and in that time only once has a party gone three presidential elections in a row.

To win will take something pretty special...like an on-going agenda that needs political continuity or someone who has incredible popular appeal. Which is just what is needed to get people out.

[Odin2005]

45. An economic collapse and a decent candidate.

There are 2 main groups of non-voters; the discouraged cynics who think their vote doesn't matter, and the willfully ignorant who "are not interested in politics".

The good candidate will get the former out, the latter are a lost cause barring a complete economic collapse because they are very simple, concrete thinkers who are cognitively incapable of connecting political stuff with their everyday lives. To the willfully ignorant things the government does "just happen, as if they were a force of nature.

[frylock]

46. better product

[LadyHawkAZ]

48. A guy they'd like to have a beer with,

photogenic, charismatic and able to spit 15 second bumper-sticker sound bites on command.

AKA "a real candidate, someone to vote for, and a strong unifying message"

[Skidmore]

50. I don't care if the candidate of purest credentials is found,

the fact remains that they are about to seat the most awful of Congresses because of they could not get themselves out to vote. The power of the people rests with the Congress.

[Le Taz Hot]

52. Like this hasn't been discussed 93,502 before?

People will vote when they have something to vote FOR. Give them milquetoast and they'll sit home and watch reruns. It's not that difficult of a concept. Seriously.

[upaloopa]

54. Seriously I posted my OP to show that

no one can say anything specific just like the excuse for not voting is not specific. Just a lazy whine I'd say. You are not to be taken seriously unless you get specific and get proactive and do something rather than put me down!

[Le Taz Hot]

58. I was specific.

I've written OP's about it. You just don't like the answer.

[upaloopa]

62. Whatever

I guess we will see in 2016 if enough people feel there is something to vote for.
But until then we will have to listen to all the whining!
I don't buy any of their bull shit excuses.
They are too fucking lazy to vote even in local issues and instead of standing up and taking redponcibility for their decision and our loss they blame it on nothing to vote for and that they don't believe in voting for the lesser of two evils. They won't vote in 2016 either. And we will hear the same lame excuses. Pathetic!

[Le Taz Hot]

64. Speaking of whining . . .

Ya just gotta love the irony here, folks.

[vi5]

53. More centrist policies!

Why change a clearly winning formula!

[FSogol]

56. Promote Democratic candidates as good candidates despite their imperfections

after the primaries are settled. Someone who votes with you 80% of the time is a good candidate and not the lesser of two evils. Point out that the parties are not the same. Show how they are different. Talk up candidates and policies and get people excited.

[LondonReign2]

60. It would be helpful if THE CANDIDATES themselves did that

instead of basically refusing to say which party they belong to and making believe they loves them some guns, coal, and the bible.

[FSogol]

63. America is a diverse place. In Montana guns aren't a major problem. Why should a

Montana Democrat have to be bound to the same rigid platform that a Democrat in the south side of Chicago?

We need to have space in our tent for minor differences.

[LondonReign2]

65. No where did I suggest Democrats "be bound to the same rigid platform"

To reiterate, I said Democrats needed to loudly and proudly say what they DID stand for. Instead, in this last cycle we got a heap of Democrats playing "Me Too!"

Republican: "I like coal!"
Democrat: "Me too!"
Republican: "I like guns"
Democrat: "Me too"

And so on.

Compare and contrast to this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025839789

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

57. Moving to the right worked ever so well in 2014..let's do more of it!

[LondonReign2]

59. Democratic candidates that speak proudly and loudly

about what they stand for and what the Democratic Party has achieved, not milquetoasting around and trying to appeal to the right wing.

[okieinpain]

61. man if this group of repugs doesn't get you involved

I might as well start looking into going back to africa. LOL.