Nonvoters

[jiacinto]

I've heard people say that they are more likely to be Democrats. But I really have doubts about that and the theory of the "hidden liberal majority". I say this because I have been talking to a lot of people on the streets recently. And people don't want to take time to talk about politics or do anything. I can't really go into specifics here at DU, but I have to say that organizing people is very hard. And often people you would think to be progressive or liberal are just indifferent. Non-voters don't seem to want to be involved, nor do they care on some level. Maybe they are cynical but they aren't waiting for someone to be saved.

I just hear the same lines over and over again

I don't vote
I could care less
The big decisions don't affect me
I'm straight
No I have to go to lunch now
I'm too busy
I can't fill out the form


And it really makes me wonder about the health of civil society in this country when people aren't really concerned.

[Terwilliger]

1. They're turned off by political nitwits who talk about party politics

they want to see some practical affectation of politics on their lives, and when they're spoon fed reality by people who aren't interested in really telling them anything, it seems childish for you to be upset about it

Maybe you could change tack...get naked and scream how important it is for them to get involved.

[fedupwithbush]

3. Or

tell them how these decisions affect their lives and their childrens lives.

[Terwilliger]

13. yep

and they don't seem to care...or the rest of the country has them so brainwashed that they can't reach what you're saying.

How will we get the message out if we (as a left, not just Dems) can't get together on some fundamentals and sell that to these idiots (nothing personal) who can't figure out why the Repukes are doing bad things.

Acting like Dick Kerry, AINT GONNA GET US THERE

[ProudGerman]

2. Non-voters aren't all bad

A former friend of mine is viciously anti-liberal, even though every liberal program would help him, and he qualifies for damn near all of them. But he absolutely despises liberal politicians because they want to take money away from him to give to crack junkie baby factories, to copy a phrase of his. Neverminding the fact that he has so many kids that come tax time, he makes money, not loses it.

Even with that, I'm glad this ignoramous doesn't vote. He's never even bothered to register to vote....ever. It was always nice when he got really vitriolent when bashing liberals to just look at him and tell him, "shut up, you don't vote, you won't vote, so your opinion means SQUAT!" Very O'reilly of me, heh.

[jiacinto]

4. I see your point

nt

[fedupwithbush]

5. Another thought

Non voters or anyone who thinks "It can't affect me so why do it!" Read below.

I was asked to answer a poll today for my state. Would I and my family join an insurance group if (1) We only went to the doctor 2 or 3 times a year. (2) Had no serious illnesses. (3) Had a company sponsored health insurance.

Think about it. Good health, few visits, we save money. Bamm! Until we get sick.

Insurance spread out over a large group of people protects us all in the long run. We will ALL get sick at some point. I'd rather pay a little more now than pay a huge amount later. This was a sick poll. Just see it. It's already happening in places anyway. Only well people will get cheap insurance. Sick or likely to be sick will be (and are) stuck with huge insurance premiums or none.

This poll made me ill. I answered because I knew my answers would adjust it. Sickeningly, we all want a cheap fix these days with no thought to the long term price.

I keep hoping some state will come out and say "Join our plan, businesses and individuals of our state!" The larger the pool the better. Insurance companies will freak. How can they screw a whole state? Extend that to the whole nation. I'm dreaming, but so what.

[Clete]

7. I have felt like you at times.

Feeling grateful that some of them don't vote.

[greekspeak]

6. In some ways I cannot blame them

One side calls them "sheeple," while the other steals their vote if they DO vote for the people that call them "sheeple." One group, such people have been led to beleive, is a bunch of whiny elitist stuffed-shirt academics and the other is a bunch of self righteous fundimentalist money grubbing corporate whores. Who do you give your vote to if you are in the mushy middle? Why listen to politics, when you are excluded from the equation?

[jiacinto]

8. On some level I do

because they are not doing anything. They just later complain.

[greekspeak]

11. Complaining after not voting is total crap

I will agree with you there. Pisses me off when people are so audacious as to bitch after not voting.

[ProudGerman]

9. Sometimes I feel the same way

But we're talking about adults here. Politicians would have to pander to these disinterested folk, meanwhile ignoring their base who actually votes, to get them off their duff and vote. It's not the responsibility of the candidates, or even the parties to get people to vote. It's the duty of the citizen to make their voice heard, and if they simply won't speak up and make themselves heard, they'll just have to accept being ignored. This isn't first grade music class, and Mrs. Faison isn't going to conjole little Johnny into joining the rest of the class in singing.

Them saying it doesn't affect them is delusional. They are affected everytime they get paid, and that money gets wasted.

[CoffeePlease1947]

10. My family has stopped voting

They are tired of voting. Every person they voted for either doesn't win or disappoints them. The ones that voted for Bush in 2000 feel betrayed. The ones that voted Gore feel their vote doesn't count because they voted with the majority and still lost. They don't understand it.

In a way I understand them. Most of them think that it doesn't matter because no matter who they vote for they get screwed, so rather than wasting their time, they concentrat on their personal lives and trying to make do that way. 75% of the people that voted in 2000 got fu*ked big time.

49% voted for Gore and still lost. 48% voted for Bush and 45% of them are mad at what he did. 2.4% voted Green for Nader and installed Bush that has wrecked the environment.

To someone that doesn't understand politics, most people feel it is pointless to vote. Lately they have been correct. The majority doesn't mean crap in this country anymore.

Mike

[Jolene]

12. Maybe they're just people

who don't think it's good for them to keep dates with thugs at polling places.

If someone doesn't address the BBV problem before Travesty2004 rolls around, I'm not going to keep that date. Sorry.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. There's a lot of the attitude of

"I don't vote because they're all crooks" or "I don't vote because neither the Republicans or the Democrats have ever done squat for me."

Others, if questioned, will tell you how the Republicans screwed them over but the Democrats did nothing to stop it. Others will tell you horror stories about politicians from both parties.

Some of it is ignorance. I wish that the people who vote only in the presidential elections would get it through their heads that their local elections have much more of an influence on their daily lives than Washington does.

I wish people wouldn't judge the candidates based on sound bites and who has the best hair, or, as one TV interviewee said during the 2000 rate, "I'd rather have a beer with Bush."

But some of it is the type of discouragement that Armstead revealed in his post in the Lounge. There are intelligent people who are so disgusted with the way that the good guys never seem to win or get co-opted by moneyed interests, that they have concluded that the whole system is corrupt.

I ran into the same type of thing leafletting for Kucinich. People have a right to support other candidates, but there were so many people who were obviously not interested in hearing about any candidate at all.

Yes, some of them are just plain ignorant, but I think that others are essentially suffering from the type of apathy that is a sign of depression, and depression is repressed anger.

[jiacinto]

15. It is extremely hard to organize people

I will write more when I get home from work tonight.

[CWebster]

16. Civics

They don't teach Americans that is important to be participating citizens anymore. An informed citizenry is a dangerous one.