Why Are 'Progressive' Websites Discouraging Voting?

[BumRushDaShow]

66. K&R plus

there are those out there who feel (even if unconsciously) they must have a raison d'etre so that they can "protest" (in quotes).

As an analogy... after the initial series of Civil Rights Acts and favorable rulings that began to break down barriers, several civil rights groups (notably the NAACP) and civil rights activists began to lose focus... which sadly lead to a period of apathy and corruption (see Ben Chavis). Many of the local chapters began to falter and suffered similar fates (see here in Philly).

It took a major assault against all of the gains (new barriers enacted, rollbacks of many inherent rights, and a concerted effort to bring about a new Jim Crow era) to kick many of these organizations back into gear.

So if and when there is no obvious "boogieman" issue wrecking havoc that needs to be addressed immediately, then a more minor issue is found and enhanced with hyperbolic fervor, in order for it to be seen as a "major life or death issue"... or a non-issue is manufactured and presented as life or death, in order to have that "reason to be", and be able to present oneself as the one who can save the day. And this state of the need for a raison d'etre requires one to be apolitical because you can't possibly be "relevant" when the thing you are arguing for or against has been "resolved" or at least substantially "resolved". And thus stirring the hornets' nest is the only way to stay relevant.

There is definitely a need to ignore these folks who wish to manufacture future issues by encouraging apathy in the now... and GOTV. And notably in the local elections, because those locally-elected officials are the ones who determine the electoral boundaries in census years and incumbency is a difficult hurdle to overcome by then.