Did Europe move left? Did we move right in 2010?

[cthulu2016]

Sort of... but not really.

Human beings have a distressing habit of voting for the opposition in the face of economic difficulty.

In a two party system that is a zero-sum game. Had McCain won in 2008 the Republicans would have been blown out of congress in 2010. Reagan was the greatest hero in human history in 1980. In 1982 Democrats rolled and Reagan was a bum. In 1984 Reagan was back to being the greatest hero in human history. And so on.

(It says volumes about FDR that Dems remained popular during the continually economically grim early 1930s.)

In a multi-party system we see things like a specific economic reality in Greece simultaneously producing big votes for both communists and (actual) nazis.

[dkf]

1. Also they vote for whoever promises the most goodies for the least amount of effort or sacrifice.

[Marr]

3. You've always got the right-wing talking point ready to go.

[white_wolf]

6. I've heard this same argument from a libertarain on another board.

All those poor lazy people are going to vote for whoever promises them the most handouts... Seriously, get with the right-wing talking points.

[dkf]

8. Why does a person need to be lazy or poor to vote for perks for themselves?

The rich do it all the time and its called "voting your economic interests".

But the payoff ratio isn't the same depending on how much taxes you pay, if any.

[cynatnite]

2. I just read up on Golden Dawn in Greece...

That was very disturbing to see. They actually voted for these people.

[Bok_Tukalo]

4. We moved in the same direction ....

... pissed

[kenny blankenship]

5. The bullshit center has collapsed from not enough fiber in its diet.

You can pile a dung hut only so high.

[pnwmom]

7. Did it move left? Or just remove incumbents?

I hope it was NOT the latter.