For those vowing not to vote, don't punish good Democrats by staying home...

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

I accept--but cannot understand--why anyone would want to stay home and not vote.

I say to you...

NO! I IMPLORE YOU....

Please do not punish good candidates by staying home.

I understand that you are disappointed in the Democrats and the party.

I understand that you are angry at Obama.

I understand that change hasn't come quickly enough. (Well, no I don't!)

I understand that you are fed up, though I find it odd that you give up after only two years.

However...

There are good people running for state and local offices.

There are good, progressive candidates who need your help.

And, there are a helluva lot of popularly elected judgeships, school district representatives, and council or municipal-based candidates that are good people and need your vote.

Be mad at Obama. Be mad at Congress. Be mad at the Democrats now serving in office.

But don't take it out on the good candidates who need you at the local level!!

Please do not stay home this November. Get out and vote!!

[mdmc]

1. choir here... preach!

I won't be doing much GOTV this year, but that is due to lack of money and poor health..

[Pirate Smile]

2. How many people here are actually saying they wont vote?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. There have been plenty of threads started and posts with people stating emphatically...

that they will not vote this year.

I don't know exactly how many, but there are quite a few apparently...

Well...enough for me and other to take notice.

[AndyA]

9. I haven't noticed that many people saying they weren't going to vote.

I have seen people saying they aren't donating as much, won't be giving as much time, etc. None of that equals not voting.

[griffi94]

10. i haven't seen much of that either

still this is a good faceless in general issue to flog.

[mzteris]

4. allowing the republicans to retake full power

is treasonous imo. "Staying home" just because some of what you wanted didn't get done - or O didn't move fast enough or far enough - is just ludicrous. I'm not happy with everything he's done, but I'm a damn sight happier with any thing he's done than anything that bushco did - or that that group will do again.

Hmmph - I want the WHOLE loaf of bread. If I can't have the WHOLE loaf, then I'm gonna smash that loaf into pieces and piss on it so NO BODY GETS EVEN ONE DAMN SLICE! That's the attitude I see on here from some - from quite a few somes - way too many somes...

[Gman]

5. I'm not imploring crap! They're no better than Teabaggers

and may as well vote Republican. THey should be treated as no less than the enemy. You're either with us or you're against us. There are no sidelines now.

[xchrom]

6. Who here wouldn't vote for boxer or brown

Or wiener, etc.

A mischaracterization, imo.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

21. If my thread doesn't apply to them, then it's not a mischaracterization. They are good Democrats! n/

[Mz Pip]

25. Well, there has to be some reason

Brown and Boxer are behind in the polls. Obama won CA by what? 15 or 20 points? This shouldn't even be close. Boxer is terrific. IF the liberals and progressives won't turn out for her then this does not bode well for us.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

29. Then, we're doomed! This country is doomed!! n/t

[Mz Pip]

30. I just hope

people take thiselection seriously and get out and vote. The world is run by people who show up. We need to show. up and we'll be fine.

[Raine1967]

7. You nailed it. Especially this:

But don't take it out on the good candidates who need you at the local level!!

Most progressives still don't seem to understand that conservatives are winning at the LOCAL level. They have the dedication and the structure to do this, We need that same dedication and structure on the left.

Your local alderman could and very well may be you next state senator of governor. Right now the Tea Party and the GOP are making very serious inroads at the local level and that means in a few years, it will hurt ALL of us on a national level.


ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. ~~ Tip O'Neill

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

22. This is exactly my point. Thanks for understanding the message and for not attacking the

messenger!! :)

[CakeGrrl]

8. Don't bother imploring. For the arithmetic-impaired

who CLAIM to be angered on behalf of themselves or friends or family, then it's on them if they choose to sit back and remain passive as Republicans win in part by Democratic default.

If these non-voters think their fellow Dems who are drowning in debt or are unable to get good healthcare or are unable to enjoy the right to marry are going to fare better with actual (R)-after-their-name Republicans in control, then once that happens, they can explain to their friends and family how it was better that they sat back on their asses and failed to excercise their right to vote because Obama didn't give them enough of a reason to get off them.

It doesn't make it any less their own personal failure to act, but that will be the rationalization nonetheless.

[LiberalFighter]

12. We need to let everyone know that those damn Republican are not going to have their way.

[LiberalFighter]

11. Everyone needs to consider that those elected in state legislatures

will be determining the congressional and state legislative districts. In some cases it may be determined by supposedly non-partisan. But even those are likely to have partisanship involved.

Here in Indiana, we are working to Hold the House so at least the Republicans won't have unfettered control of the process. The House being our State Representatives.

We have a chance to increase our advantage in our Indiana delegation to Congress. All because the incumbent Republican, Mark Souder resigned after he won the primary due to an affair. Now our candidate has an advantage in finance, name recognition, and not running against an incumbent. In addition, the candidate winning the caucus to replace Souder is a Teabagger.

Do we really want to stay home and let Republicans win enough seats to gain control? If we elect more Democrats it will make it a little easier to enact legislation that we can support when those damn Blue Dogs become more of minority within the party provided we also let our representatives know our position on the issues on a regular basis. If they don't hear us they think the opposition is the majority.

[saracat]

15. I agree. WE never would have had SB1070 if AZ Dems had voted down ticket.

Hating a Blue Dog Congress person is one think, punishing good folks locally is another. That is really punishing yourself.

[thelordofhell]

19. WE had a Democratic governor.....Janet Napolitano

:argh:

[saracat]

31. Yup. And had she stayed, she would have vetoed SB1070.

It was all over for us when she left as many of us realized. Initially, Janet promised to stay. I remember how many on DU told me I was "selfish" to say we would be in trouble and to begrudge her leaving. We cannot afford to lose and Leg or state senate seats this year. And we must win the Governorship. NO ifs ands and buts.Staying home isn't the answer.

[elocs]

13. Base turnout is imperative in off year elections when overall turnout is small.

Choices have consequences and choosing not to vote will have serious negative consequences. The time to get a different Democratic candidate is in the primary, not the general election. In virtually every race the winner will be either a Republican or a Democrat. We do not all get to pick our own personal candidate who dovetails perfectly with our beliefs. Our Democratic reps are people like everyone else we know and they will disappoint us at times.

By all means, get out and support the Democratic candidates because the Republicans are motivated to support their hate candidates.

[denimgirly]

14. I commend the FEW Progressives we have...All others can Go to Hell!

I just cant vote again and be tricked again. We've seen this before...they only need us when it comes to voting them back in but afterward they are right back into the hands of special interests and rights. And that includes the WH.

Yes, if i had the ability to vote for a Progressive candidate i would do it without hesitation but like many the candidates we have in our district are your typical do-nothing democrat. I am fed up with the lies. I voted for change and got only pocket change. The republicans are worse but seeing as how democrats are just republican-lite it is time for the people to start a new party.

[prolesunited]

17. And so how is not voting going to accomplish

starting a new party?

No matter how bad things get, we simply are NOT going to have a revolutionary overthrow of government to create a new socialist era.

As you say, Republicans are worse. Not the progress I would have hoped, but I would be homeless right now if the unemployment extensions were not passed and funded. Just that -- which has been a lifeline for millions of Americans -- is reason enough to me to keep Democrats in office.

If you look at history, increasing misery of the people does not always create change for the better -- and often it is much, much worse. Look at Germany. Their discontent allowed for the rise of Hitler.

[MrSlayer]

16. I always vote.

Even though it's an entirely futile gesture.

[CTLawGuy]

18. how about getting mad

at the Republicans who refuse to do anything to help this country but only seek to bring a president down?

and how about not HELPING them?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Exactly! And the only way to do that is to GET MAD, and to VOTE!! Getting mad won't

defeat Republicans. Voting will! :)

[TheKentuckian]

20. Almost no one is saying they aren't going to vote but some are going to flog the dead horse

all the way through and then attempt to blame liberals who they are claiming aren't going to vote to justify further movement toward the corporate right.

Meanwhile, it is my greatest wish to increase the margins to draw out the traitors and take them down at all costs.

The enemy within is much more dangerous than any external threat and it would do wonders for this party and country to end the charade.

In any event, I won't vote for Obama again without serious turning of a new leaf but I won't punish others for his or leaderships failures. They won't appear on my ballot and so I must choose among those options and deal with local considerations.

No one in America should stay home, writing in Thom Hartman or Donald Duck is a much more powerful show of contempt than joining the tuned out majority.

The problem is a chunk of the party is kinda dense and fails to understand that those independents are pretty much pissed about some of the same stuff as liberals and we cannot make up for them or the new Obama voters who are either pissed or indifferent about anyone but "their guy".

Punching hippies is way easier than actually doing things to help working class folks and crossing the wealthy.

[Dawson Leery]

24. Blumenthal and Malloy should not take any blame

for Obama's mis-steps, not should Russ Feingold.

[TheKentuckian]

28. I agree and said as much

[NorthCarolina]

26. I suspect that the voters will turn out for GOOD Dems (ie Liberal/Progressive Dems)

However, for the Blue Dogs and DLC New Dem candidates...well, they could wake up disappointed on November 3, 2010. At least they'll have the guarantee of their pensions though which will prove quite ironic as the vote away your Social Security in a lame duck session of Congress.

[tallahasseedem]

27. Recommended.

Great post! :)

[AngryOldDem]

32. For me that's easier said than done.

Here in Indiana, have GOP (Dan Coats) and GOP Lite (Brad Ellsworth) for Senate. Sorry, really can't vote for either -- in any case, it would be a wash. We'd be getting the same thing with either candidate.

Local and state races -- anymore, it really depends. I'll still vote, but not blindly.