Will you punish Democrats for not being progressive enough by not voting in 2010?

[Pryderi]

Poll question: Will you punish Democrats for not being progressive enough by not voting in 2010?

[quiller4]

1. Not just "No" but "Hell no!"

[Pirate Smile]

2. I wanted a "No, I think that's stupid" option.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[griffi94]

4. it's my civic duty to vote

[leeroysphitz]

48. So if Hitler were running against Pol Pot it would be your duty to choose and vote.

Got it.

ETA: INB4 you assume I am comparing ANY current candidates to either Hitler or Pol Pot. I'm just pointing out how stupid your position is.

Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

[seabeyond]

5. never have been much into cutting off nose to spite face. nt

[one_voice]

6. I will be voting...

I just saw a poll where Bush leads Obama 50-42* in Ohio. Yup, that's right...this is how dumb this country is. God help us all.

*When asked if you'd rather have Bush or Obama.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. Boy, it's a good thing Obama NEVER has to worry about running against HIM

People in Ohio have some serious issues if they really are that nostalgic to have Bush to back in the WH. *UGH!* :banghead: :puke:

[depakid]

7. People have before and will again

and there's no amount of berating on a message board that will change the dynamic.

[liquid diamond]

31. Thank God they are a small and pathetic minority. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

8. I'll be voting for good solid progressive dems, thanks.

Lucky me. There are quite a few nominal D senators in other states who I simply would not vote for.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

9. As useless as the Democratic leadership might be. At least they're not psychotic. If

given the choice between moldy bread and a shit sandwich. I gotta go with the bread.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. No, of course not

I live in California, where I will vote to keep Barbara Boxer in the Senate and keep Carly Fiorina, a staunch enemy of working Americans, out.

[Phlem]

11. I'm always fascinated by this question.

Any progressive that can rub 2 brain cells together would realize that a GOP take over would be far worse. The one thing that escapes me, however, is how the progressives can't pull something real and authentic from the selection. I remember the night of Obama's acceptance speech and how things were going swimmingly then I hear the words "Bipartisanship" and I think to myself,... oh shit.

Why do we fall for lies? Why is there not a better vetting process? Clinton, Obama, I wonder who the next "Big Liar" will be?

I'd vote 3rd party but the sensible part of me says "anyone other than one of the two parties will get crushed, sooooo I vote democrat.

Only to find out we're right back where we started.

How do we break this cycle????

-p

[ozone_man]

20. The lesson of the slowly boiled frogs.

I think of Republicans as bringing the water to boil rapidly (Bush), and the Democrats as slowly raising the temperature of the water (Clinton/Obama). We as frogs jump out of the pot with Bush, but will watch Obama continue the wars, prevent single payer health care, cut social security, bail out Wall Street, ..., all things that the Republicans would have done anyway. It's OK if a Democrat does it. Right?

In many ways, we came closer to real change with Bush, perhaps even a revolution (jumped out of the pot). We'll see. At least we live in interesting times.

[Phlem]

39. I really like that.

and it's "to sane to not entertain". It makes perfect sense intellectuality, but there's still this disconnect during his acceptance speech from what he was "all about" on the campaign trail to "Huh...and now I'm Prezzidant!" Time to go to work,
"Bipartisanship, Bipartisanship, Bipartisanship", all the way baby. I'm probably totally off but I wonder how many times the word "Bipartisanship" came up on the campaign trail? But specifically concerning your reply, spot on IMO!

-p

[ShamelessHussy]

12. Only the DINOs - nt

[stray cat]

13. The better question - do you really think the GOP represents you better and is good for you!

stupid to kill yourself to punish someone you are angry at

[depakid]

15. That's actually why the Democratic party has devolved to the sorry state it's in

-and why they not only take their constituencies for granted (to all our detriment) and go so far as to gratuitously insult them- even in front of such "friendly groups" as the US Chamber of Commerce.

[pipi_k]

18. Agree...and not only that...

but it's also punishing everyone else...not just the people they're angry with.

[leeroysphitz]

49. I am not a multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation. Therefore NEITHER party

represents me in any measurable way.

I'm staying home and I encourage others who care about rebuilding the democratic party to do the same.

[femmocrat]

14. I always vote.

I haven't missed a primary or GE since I turned 21, which was the voting age when I first voted.

[bigwillq]

16. No (nt)

[nevergiveup]

17. Rush and Beck's wet dream:

Progressives staying home this fall to punish Obama and Democrats.

[Fumesucker]

22. Then why are Obama and the Democrats working overtime to make that happen?

That's not a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested in the answer..

[nevergiveup]

29. I don't doubt your sincerity

I think it has to do with perception and personal expectations. I am certainly unhappy with some decisions coming from this administration but don't really see any of these decisions as "working overtime" to turn the so called base against them. I am very liberal but also very pragmatic. This country was on the brink of a total economic collapse. It is still in question whether Obama can save the ship but I am for the moment sticking with Obama and Democrats over Republicans and apathy.

[Fumesucker]

34. I don't know...

I see comments like "they should be drug tested" as a deliberate insult to those who should be the administration's strongest supporters.

YMMV of course..

[Marr]

19. I'm not volunteering for people who think I'm not worth representing.

I will volunteer in a couple of local races, but not for these corporate lobbyists we have at the national level. I'll vote as I usually do, but I think I'm usually worth more than one vote.

[undeterred]

23. I'm volunteering for some of the best progressives in the country.

I'm doing it for me and you, not for Obama.

[MadHound]

24. I have always voted, and I will vote for whom I see fit. n/t

[flvegan]

25. Other: Not voting isn't punishment. n/t

[Lifelong Protester]

26. Put me in the pragmatic "Hell No" camp

and as was stated, I'm not in to the 'cut off your nose to spite your face' plan either (I used to HATE it when my mom or dad said that, but they were right).

[AndyA]

27. The question should be, "Will you work as hard to get Dems elected

in 2010 as you did in 2008?"

That would be more telling, I think.

[David Zephyr]

28. No. Of course, not.

Any progressive would be an idiot to want to turn the power of subpoena and committees over to the GOP again. An idiot.

[ZombieHorde]

30. No, I will vote Dem in 2010, but I am not excited about it. nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

32. There is a third option --

I (as always) will be voting in the 2010 election. Whether my choice is a Democrat depends solely on the quality of the Democrat.

[Parker CA]

33. Hell NO!! Amazed that 16% here say they would. Maybe not actually. nt

[Catherina]

35. It has nothing to do with punishing so I can't vote in your poll but

I will only vote for candidates who represent me from now on. If I vote for people who don't, then I'll have no right to complain when they don't. Barack Obama taught me a very valuable lesson. From now on, the record will have to be more solid than pretty speeches and a bunch of no-votes so a candidate can lie to us during campaign season and pretend to be something he or she isn't.

We voters won't be punishing the democrats, they'll be punishing themselves by their inability to represent and deliver.

[Ganja Ninja]

36. Probably not.

As long as there aren't any real long lines to wait in at the polls.

[Lyric]

37. Your poll is useless because a large chunk of the people who WOULD vote Yes

are either going to refrain from voting at all, or are going to vote No out of sheer self-preservation. It's against the rules of DU to publicly state that you won't be voting for Democratic candidates. People have been tombstoned for their poll votes before. That creates serious pressure to either not vote or vote a lie, and in either case, your poll becomes meaningless.

If you really want to know the answer to this question, find an off-site poll creator where people can vote anonymously, post the link here and in GD-P, GLBT, the BOG, and LBN. Make sure you keep it kicked for a week. Then you'll actually have more accurate answer to your larger implied question.

:shrug:

[rucky]

41. This is anonymous.

I think the admins have better things to do.

[Lyric]

46. It's not anonymous. Mods and admins can see poll votes.

As for them having "better things to do"--well, I guess we're all entitled to our opinions.

:shrug:

[AtomicKitten]

38. I will do whatever I can to keep the teabagger fools out of office. nt

[Arkana]

40. No. If the Democrats retain power they'll be a tighter-knit bunch.

The ones most threatened are the Blue Dog shitbags who rode in on the wave of anti-GOP sentiment in the last four years. The Blue Dog caucus is gonna be mighty empty after November.

[avaistheone1]

42. I won't vote or contribute money to a campaign unless the candidate is a progressive Dem.

Otherwise all you are going to get is a Democrat who votes like a Republican.

[ibegurpard]

43. I can't

because the Democrats are not fielding a credible challenger to my Repuke rep.
And Baucus isn't up for re-election until 2012

[Codeine]

44. No, I'm not a fucking selfish prick. nt

[shraby]

45. My parents didn't raise any fools and only a fool would

let the gop get a leg up on the game.

[GTurck]

47. I have always...

believed that not voting is a form of negative approval and a game that I won't play. Every progressive/liberal leaning independent, soft democrat or full blown committed democrat who does not vote is a vote for a Republican because their side will be there. Our values cannot be a teen-age snit but a knowledgeable choice of which side is going to be most likely to respond to our demands - eventually.