"My wife is going to vote for the first time in years because of Bernie Sanders".

[Zorra]

That's what someone said to me this morning, after they saw my Bernie Sanders For President bumper sticker.

Hint!

[arcane1]

1. And THAT, my friend, is what's going to win it.

[frazzled]

2. Although

I would find it hard to take the judgment of someone who has not voted in years very seriously. It's just me: I consider voting an absolute civic duty, and I don't find it a virtue when people abrogate that duty, no matter how hard it might be.

I'm more interested in how all the people who have been voting are thinking.

[Zorra]

3. *derp* nt

[Doctor_J]

8. a lot of new and reenergized voters were what got Obama into the white house

So save your sanctimony.

[frazzled]

12. Sorry, but ...

if you didn't vote to prevent GWB from being elected in 2000 and 2004, or McCain or Romney in 2008 or 20012 ... then you probably don't really "get" much of anything. And that probably means you didn't vote in state or local elections either, which are perhaps even more important.

Forgive me for my sanctimony, but I'm sticking with it. This is not a reflection of any support or non-support for Senator Sanders, whom I respect. It's a statement about these kind of anecdotal non-voters. I'm not buying that they are our salvation.

[kenfrequed]

24. Lovely

Rather than applaud or laud a person stepping up to take their civic responsibility because they finally hear a candidate speaking towards helping the poor and working class in a substantive way you seem to show some kind of negativity.

If the OP is correct than this needs to be encouraged whether or not their choice of candidate matches your own. Welcoming people into the party is a good idea.

[Stevepol]

25. A lot of people got out to vote against GWB

but not all of them got their vote counted. Their vote was co-opted by the Supremes or by machine technology or lack thereof: electronic voting machines IMO. A lot of books have been written about OH in 2004 and FL in 2000. If the voters had not been in competition with a highly coordinated and sophisticated set of Nazis, crooks, and criminals, Gore would have won (did win) in 2000 and Kerry would have won (did win IMO) in 2004.

All of this is just IMO because there's no way to know one way or the other when the results of the voting in an election are to all intents and purposes completely unverifiable and un-transparent.

[jeff47]

13. Yes, we must restrict voting so only the right sort of people do it.

We can't just trust EVERYONE to vote.

[frazzled]

14. I never said anything like that

I welcome anyone to vote, and have done my fair share in my time of walking door to door registering voters, making calls to help people find their voting places, and finding rides for them.

What I said is I don't put much stock in the judgment of the OP's particular anecdotal non-voter ... especially given the dire nature of recent elections. I worked like a fiend in 2000, 2004, and 2008 to try to prevent Republicans from being elected. She didn't bother to vote, and apparently not because she didn't understand how to do it or was besieged by problems that would prevent her from going to the polls. She just never found her 'cup of tea.'

[jeff47]

15. Nah, you just said the wrong sort of voters were lesser people.

So you've got a few steps to go.

What I said is I don't put much stock in the judgment of the OP's particular anecdotal non-voter ... especially given the dire nature of recent elections.

This makes absolutely no sense.

"People didn't vote, so I'm not interested in hearing the opinions of people who didn't vote".

If you want to fix people not voting, you have to care more about the people who don't show up than the people who do show up. Your job is done with the latter group. You still have work to do with the former group.

[frazzled]

16. No, you said it

I can't help that.

[jeff47]

17. So caring less about a group of people is a compliment as far as you're concerned? (nt)

[MoonchildCA]

22. While I agree with you to a point,

it always comes down to turning out those who don't usually come to the polls. Sad as it is, that's who decides the outcome.

[merrily]

26. I both agree and disagree.

I love voting. I even love standing on line to vote. However, I have always been interested in what gets a non-voter to vote and what gets someone to switch parties. it's like the old definition of "news:" Dog bites man, not news. Man bites dog news." A Democrat voting for Democrats. Not news. What gets the non voter to come out. What gets the Indie to go Democratic. What gets anyone to switch parties to vote Democratic. That's interesting. It's also what wins elections in these days of razor thin margins on the popular vote, especially in the critical purple counties that decide Presidential elections.

Countin' yer County http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778561

[AtomicKitten]

4. I'm hearing a lot of anecdotal evidence like this.

It's very encouraging.

[mwrguy]

5. She didn't vote for Obama?

[Zorra]

7. I don't know. I didn't ask him. He did volunteer that she was sick of having to

vote for corporate sponsored candidates.

[Doctor_J]

6. starting to resemble 2008

At my age Sanders is pretty much the last hope to beat back the corporatist in my lifetime. It probably won't work but it's worth the fight.

[yurbud]

9. I wonder which take down tactic they'll use against him

Shut him out of MSM like most non-establishment candidates.

Ridicule like they did with Howard Dean when he was front runner in 2004.

Or end his lead with lead like RFK.

The last option is too obvious these days, but you never know what will happen if the trust fund babies panic.

[DawgHouse]

10. So he didn't actually say she was voting FOR Sanders.

Maybe she's going to the poll to vote against him.

I KID! I KID!

All "D" votes are good votes, IMO.

[Zorra]

11. lol!

Bad Dawg!

[DeeDeeNY]

18. If she hasn't voted in years,

she may not know it's the Democratic primary she needs to vote in, not the general election. At least not just yet!

[Zorra]

19. She knows; both of them are extremely well educated. nt

[olddots]

20. I had a friend who hadn't voted in years

he died in 1965 . I'm not expecting miracles but Bernie is stirring things up in a good way .

[Zorra]

23. If he votes republican, he can still vote in Florida. nt

[alboe]

21. 1 by 1

We'll take it!