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hellofromreddit

(1,182 posts)
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:13 PM May 2016

Three kinds of voters

Default, Pro, and Anti.

Default: People who just blindly vote for the party. They often don't even know much about the candidates (e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Greene) they vote for. Beyond casting a vote they don't participate in the election. The bulk of party-line voters. They're the reason most candidates pander and give wishy-washy bullshit answers. Putting out actual information might encourage some of these people to join the other groups, potentially tipping the balance.

Pro: People voting for their candidate. These people are very motivated and tend to participate--donations, rallies, canvassing, etc.

Anti: People voting against some other candidate. Motivated, but through different methods. Protests of opposing candidates and attacks on supporters. Maybe some shitposting on the internet. But they don't do much in direct support of their vote-dump of a candidate.

Sanders' big rallies are a sign of "pro" voters. The endless posts bashing Hillary are a sign of "anti" voters. I think a lot of the angst around here comes down to some anti-republican voters who back Clinton think pro-Sanders voters are simply stupid for not seeing things their way. Supporting Sanders now is equated with failure to oppose Trump. Failure to oppose Trump is then equated with support for Trump and all the bad things he might do. So they scream and scream in a vain attempt at forcing all of us to see it their way. Screaming right back resolves nothing, of course.

I'm a pro-Sanders voter, not anti-whoever. So I still think it's reasonable for Sanders to stay in the race so we get a shot at changing the party platform even if he gets numerically eliminated. After the convention, if Hillary is the nominee (which I agree is likely), I'll vote against Trump.

But goddamnit, between Clinton's shitty policy explanations, her accusing all of us of becoming democrats too recently, and DWS outright saying we don't belong, I'm leaning strongly towards leaving that president field blank in protest--let the puritans fend for themselves. And no, condescension from our resident peanut gallery and threatening me with "President Trump" won't fix it.

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Three kinds of voters (Original Post) hellofromreddit May 2016 OP
I'm pro-Sanders and anti-Hillary bigwillq May 2016 #1
I feel ya. dchill May 2016 #3
I've never liked the Clintons. Ever. bigwillq May 2016 #5
Too bad they decided to be Democrats. dchill May 2016 #6
Nice observations and reasoning. Ron Green May 2016 #2
I used to be anti - now 840high May 2016 #4
I think we'll be hearing more anti-trump talk from Sanders. pat_k May 2016 #7
Well said. snowy owl May 2016 #8
K and R Rebkeh May 2016 #9
 

bigwillq

(72,790 posts)
1. I'm pro-Sanders and anti-Hillary
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:23 PM
May 2016

I really like Sanders and he earned my vote, but I am also anti-Clinton. I would have voted for pretty much any other DEM that was running against Hillary.

dchill

(38,315 posts)
3. I feel ya.
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:27 PM
May 2016

I've been anti-Hillary since she ran for co-President. That's NOT an office. She's NOT a Democrat.

 

bigwillq

(72,790 posts)
5. I've never liked the Clintons. Ever.
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:33 PM
May 2016

I think they represent everything that's wrong in politics.

dchill

(38,315 posts)
6. Too bad they decided to be Democrats.
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:36 PM
May 2016

Bill Clinton flushed 8 years of potential progress down the toilet for his own financial and sexual aggrandizement.

Ron Green

(9,821 posts)
2. Nice observations and reasoning.
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:24 PM
May 2016

I hope Bernie's campaign stays in long enough for the media to be forced to start covering issues and a platform.

pat_k

(9,313 posts)
7. I think we'll be hearing more anti-trump talk from Sanders.
Tue May 3, 2016, 11:41 PM
May 2016

With Cruz out, I think Sanders will be doing more "anti-Trump" talk. And who knows? Perhaps some of those who can't envision themselves voting for Hillary under any circumstances will reconsider.

And, as I see it, two candidates attacking Trump are better than one.

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