Thu Jan 30, 2014, 09:17 PM

Here's why I've given up on voting:

Oh #%^* you, of course I vote, all the time. OK, I missed 2000 because of an emergency that had me on a plane all day, but somehow Gore managed to win Massachusetts without me.

Know what? Every other Liberal I know votes enthusiastically in every election. We may not be enthusiastic about the Third Way nudniks that are on the ballot, but we're enthusiastic about making sure the Republicans lose.

Know what else? There is a group that sits out elections when they've been screwed over by the people they voted for: Study after study shows that independents sit it out when they get abused, but Liberals go back for more. (But our time is coming... and soon!)

So can we please stop the bizarre yammering about Liberals needing to #%^*ing vote this time? We vote every #%^*ing time. Go tell the Independents to get out there and vote!

Better yet, tell elected Democrats to actually do stuff that will make Independents *want* to vote for us. After all, two-thirds of Americans hold the Liberal position on virtually any subject you can name - unions, free trade, minimum wage, military budgets, Social Security, Medicare-for-All... you name it. It's not hard to make America ecstatic, they just need to pull their heads out of Wall Street's fundamental orifice and vote for traditional Democratic stuff. Really easy.

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159 replies	Author	Time	Post
Here's why I've given up on voting: (Original post)	MannyGoldstein	Jan 2014	OP
Well said, Manny. K&R	LittleBlue	Jan 2014	#1
I blame everyone who votes for the mess we're in	ProSense	Jan 2014	#2
You have no right to blame the players when you sit out the game	upaloopa	Jan 2014	#87
Nah. Its easier to browbeat "the firebag left"	Armstead	Jan 2014	#3
+1. I voted for Obama, and yet I'm the bad guy for not being happy about	quinnox	Jan 2014	#4
would you rather Rand Paul	demigoddess	Jan 2014	#19
That is what is so sickening. Rand Paul is against the NSA spying and the drone strikes	quinnox	Jan 2014	#21
No ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#76
Rand Paul is ten kinds of effed up for that 1strong	JustAnotherGen	Jan 2014	#102
But by all means ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#105
He is very opportunistic	JustAnotherGen	Jan 2014	#107
LOL ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#110
Nailed it!	JustAnotherGen	Jan 2014	#112
I hope you can see that opposing Obama and supporting Paul are two different things	BelgianMadCow	Jan 2014	#132
I agree ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#133
It can be worthwile to guess at or speculate about Paul's positions	BelgianMadCow	Jan 2014	#134
And that brings about ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#135
well, he is wrong to say domestic drones are ok. But he is right to be against the foreign drones	quinnox	Jan 2014	#120
Why do you believe ANYTHING paul says he believes in? n/t	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#122
Your statement is only valid	sulphurdunn	Jan 2014	#62
Strategic voting for third parties is a good thing.	hueymahl	Jan 2014	#81
You know what? I'm sick of this too. Please stop.	tavalon	Jan 2014	#100
"I'm a socialist who caucuses with Democrats."	philly_bob	Jan 2014	#154
I agree---whatever.	sammy27932003	Jan 2014	#23
So she says things out loud that Obama doesn't	tavalon	Jan 2014	#101
because some of us are not myopic...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#26
An idiotic sports metaphor.	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#66
When did Metaphors become against the rules?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#94
Who said they were against the rules?	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#121
Oh here is where you accuse me of histrionics....	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#149
Hey, if the comfortable shoe fits.	SMC22307	Feb 2014	#155
Reading is your friend	tavalon	Jan 2014	#103
Don't tell me what I didn't read....	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#152
If only eleven Virginians had thought like this...	IllinoisBirdWatcher	Jan 2014	#5
Did you even read the OP?	MNBrewer	Jan 2014	#14
Distracted by a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt. nt	MannyGoldstein	Jan 2014	#15
Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Twice.	IllinoisBirdWatcher	Jan 2014	#16
Third time's the charm. (n/t)	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#127
+1 (Better yet: Plus ELEVEN )	Raine1967	Jan 2014	#17
+12! nt	adirondacker	Jan 2014	#83
Ohhh look........ a Cardinal. nt	NCTraveler	Jan 2014	#97
"Not as bad" is no longer good enough as a sales pitch.	Tierra_y_Libertad	Jan 2014	#6
I'm with you.	840high	Jan 2014	#12
You'll settle for the "Bad" then I suppose...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#28
How many?	Tierra_y_Libertad	Jan 2014	#37
You really do only see small picture huh?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#38
What makes you think that?	Tierra_y_Libertad	Jan 2014	#40
considering there is only one other VIABLE party?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#41
He had that when he was elected.	Tierra_y_Libertad	Jan 2014	#44
and he only had 60 in the House...for 2 months....not filibuster proof.	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#45
We lost the 2010 midterm because the wishy-washy middle...	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#70
Who cares if Republicans Filibuster?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#89
so how many actual stand up and speak for days filibusters did the gop do?	SwampG8r	Feb 2014	#156
It wouldn't make any difference....the goal of the actual filibuster is to attempt to	VanillaRhapsody	Feb 2014	#157
so...............none? is that the number you are going with?zero?nt	SwampG8r	Feb 2014	#159
It's amazing to me how wishing Democrats were more progressive = "seeing the small picture"	beerandjesus	Jan 2014	#63
If the dems actually advocated progressive policies,	CrispyQ	Jan 2014	#73
Okay...YOU run without "lovin' that cash"	VanillaRhapsody	Feb 2014	#158
That is a misinterpretation of the conversation	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#93
No, it's a fair representation of what you said.	beerandjesus	Jan 2014	#119
I said it...I think I KNOW what I said...AND what I meant...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#150
Bingo ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#79
Frustation and feeling like it just doesn't matter	tavalon	Jan 2014	#106
We all do ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#109
The problem is with those who allow themselves to be influenced...	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#128
Okay, right ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#130
I agree with you and yet,	tavalon	Jan 2014	#104
I always vote.	Tierra_y_Libertad	Jan 2014	#115
I'm with you TyL	swilton	Jan 2014	#114
The problem isn't Liberals not voting, or Conservatives not voting	Blaukraut	Jan 2014	#7
Sometimes the Midterms are even more important...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#29
^^^^^ THIS!!!	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#39
Minimum wage is this year's issue.	merrily	Jan 2014	#59
Thanks to Occupy and Moral Mondays for raising awareness...	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#125
I always vote for the most progressive candidate on the ballot	1000words	Jan 2014	#8
That's why I became an Indy.	840high	Jan 2014	#13
Yeah, what Manny said. nt	Nay	Jan 2014	#9
Scare the youth; Want to have $3 minimum wage? If not, vote Democratic!	ErikJ	Jan 2014	#10
The youth votes; it's that the elder brackets counter their votes AND outnumber them	Scootaloo	Jan 2014	#27
But Youth do NOT vote in mid-terms!	ErikJ	Jan 2014	#36
Everyone should vote, no matter what	cprise	Jan 2014	#11
I think there will be a lot of write ins if Dems don't get Progressive Candidates to vote for this	sabrina 1	Jan 2014	#22
There's always alot of write ins...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#31
Did you forget about 2010? Apparently!	sabrina 1	Jan 2014	#33
OHHH it was "Progressives" that stayed home and caused that...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#34
No, it was Independents who had come out in 2008, who were so disappointed in the Democratic Party	sabrina 1	Jan 2014	#35
No it wasn't....it was overall lack of any group turning out....	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#46
Don't you get tired of being wrong? The disappointment of the young voters in	sabrina 1	Jan 2014	#47
ahahahahah You are funny lady!	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#53
Don't you get tired of being perpetually WRONG?	bvar22	Jan 2014	#80
baloney....a diary on Dailykos is your "evidence"?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#84
No. The exit polls from 2010 are my evidence,	bvar22	Jan 2014	#86
Exit polls of the people that "didn't show"?	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#90
NONE of which supports YOUR fantasy that Liberals Stayed Home.	bvar22	Jan 2014	#96
that was not MY fantasy.....DUH~	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#98
" you progessives"	tavalon	Jan 2014	#108
that's why its in quotations....	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#151
Everyone who spends time on a political board is gonna vote	BrotherIvan	Jan 2014	#18
Well said.	1000words	Jan 2014	#49
Agreed.	LuvNewcastle	Jan 2014	#56
+1 nt	laundry_queen	Jan 2014	#140
Spot on! n/t	Kermitt Gribble	Jan 2014	#147
That would be a good idea if the concern was actually about GOTV.	JoeyT	Jan 2014	#20
What you said	BrotherIvan	Jan 2014	#52
By international standards, the Democrats are an odd mishmash of center-right and center-left	Distant Quasar	Jan 2014	#92
I am an Independent that always votes.	Xyzse	Jan 2014	#24
Me too...I live in MD also...and I go to Virginia	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#32
Where was Obama when good Democrats like Howard Dean and Jim Moran...	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#78
Still in the Senate....	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#88
Obama was in the White House during the ACA Townhalls, and he left Democratic	Bluenorthwest	Jan 2014	#95
Exactly. And when Grassley flat out lied at public rallies it was left unchecked. n/t	cui bono	Jan 2014	#113
bullshit...I remember those days.....he couldn't do a thing...	VanillaRhapsody	Jan 2014	#148
You're being quite rude considering you are completely wrong.	cui bono	Jan 2014	#116
President Obama was still in the Senate?	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#123
Thank you	swilton	Jan 2014	#117
Comfortable shoes, ba-by.	SMC22307	Jan 2014	#124
Well said Manny....	ReRe	Jan 2014	#25
the people	MisterP	Jan 2014	#30
Nice B. Brecht Quote	vlakitti	Jan 2014	#50
"Would it not be easier ... To dissolve the people/ And elect another?"	MisterP	Jan 2014	#126
Is this "hair on fire," Manny? "Rainbow unicorn-ing?"	villager	Jan 2014	#42
Whatever manny,	iamthebandfanman	Jan 2014	#43
I notice you only mention 2000 and Gore	hfojvt	Jan 2014	#48
"We vote every #%^*ing time."	Spitfire of ATJ	Jan 2014	#51
No thank you, I've finally been cured.....	DeSwiss	Jan 2014	#54
Good quote. nt	laundry_queen	Jan 2014	#141
Great post, Manny!	Enthusiast	Jan 2014	#55
They have to keep hammering away at the lie, if not they admit their corporate politics	TheKentuckian	Jan 2014	#57
+100 Hammering away at the lie	Jakes Progress	Jan 2014	#65
Independents... if you live in a state where Independents can't vote in primaries...	NYtoBush-Drop Dead	Jan 2014	#58
To deny there's a gap between GE's and mid-terms is ignorant.	PeaceNikki	Jan 2014	#60
Calm down Manny	mstinamotorcity2	Jan 2014	#61
I disagree. Nate Silver made it clear that the 2010 problem was left-leaning voters not voting.	broadcaster75201	Jan 2014	#64
That's not how I read this from Silver:	MannyGoldstein	Jan 2014	#67
Pfft. What does Nate Silver know?	Capt. Obvious	Jan 2014	#71
Thanks, well done.	dreamnightwind	Jan 2014	#144
Obama voter does not mean left-leaning	dreamnightwind	Jan 2014	#75
True. And his most ardent and vocal supporters are not left-leaning either. n/t	cui bono	Jan 2014	#118
Then you need to help get MORE liberals to vote.	Arkana	Jan 2014	#68
To vote or not to vote...	polichick	Jan 2014	#69
And therein lies the problem:	ladyVet	Jan 2014	#72
Phew ...	1StrongBlackMan	Jan 2014	#74
Those that blame the left talk out of both sides of their faces. From one side of their faces they	rhett o rick	Jan 2014	#77
If I'm not thrilled with the dem candidate, I'm voting green.	CrispyQ	Jan 2014	#82
I believe you,	Progressive dog	Jan 2014	#85
Here's why I've given up on JUST voting:	Coyotl	Jan 2014	#91
Thank you Manny, that really, really needed to be said. I'm so tired of that old canard,	tavalon	Jan 2014	#99
Vote defensively.	another_liberal	Jan 2014	#111
Here we go again.	Eatacig	Jan 2014	#129
What happened with "the imminent backlash of the left"	XRubicon	Jan 2014	#131
That is why I am now an independent. I am done being abused. When there is a left leaning	liberal_at_heart	Jan 2014	#136
look at the way the vote is counted and reported	questionseverything	Jan 2014	#137
voting	kardonb	Jan 2014	#138
Thank you...	awoke_in_2003	Jan 2014	#139
huh..	Peacetrain	Jan 2014	#142
Confess. You just read the title, not the message text.	MannyGoldstein	Jan 2014	#143
Nope I read the title, the whole thing	Peacetrain	Jan 2014	#146
Voting is a responsibility to our families and to all Americans.	AAO	Jan 2014	#145
Rec and Kick!	Lunacee_2013	Jan 2014	#153

Response to MannyGoldstein (Original post)

Thu Jan 30, 2014, 09:18 PM

LittleBlue (10,362 posts)

Here's why I've given up on voting:

1. Well said, Manny. K&R

2. I blame everyone who votes for the mess we're in

87. You have no right to blame the players when you sit out the game

3. Nah. Its easier to browbeat "the firebag left"

4. +1. I voted for Obama, and yet I'm the bad guy for not being happy about

19. would you rather Rand Paul

21. That is what is so sickening. Rand Paul is against the NSA spying and the drone strikes

76. No ...

102. Rand Paul is ten kinds of effed up for that 1strong

105. But by all means ...

107. He is very opportunistic

110. LOL ...

112. Nailed it!

132. I hope you can see that opposing Obama and supporting Paul are two different things

133. I agree ...

134. It can be worthwile to guess at or speculate about Paul's positions

135. And that brings about ...

120. well, he is wrong to say domestic drones are ok. But he is right to be against the foreign drones

122. Why do you believe ANYTHING paul says he believes in? n/t

62. Your statement is only valid

81. Strategic voting for third parties is a good thing.

100. You know what? I'm sick of this too. Please stop.

154. "I'm a socialist who caucuses with Democrats."

23. I agree---whatever.

101. So she says things out loud that Obama doesn't

26. because some of us are not myopic...

66. An idiotic sports metaphor.

94. When did Metaphors become against the rules?

121. Who said they were against the rules?

149. Oh here is where you accuse me of histrionics....

155. Hey, if the comfortable shoe fits.

103. Reading is your friend

152. Don't tell me what I didn't read....

5. If only eleven Virginians had thought like this...

14. Did you even read the OP?

15. Distracted by a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt. nt

16. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Twice.

127. Third time's the charm. (n/t)

17. +1 (Better yet: Plus ELEVEN )

83. +12! nt

97. Ohhh look........ a Cardinal. nt

6. "Not as bad" is no longer good enough as a sales pitch.

12. I'm with you.

28. You'll settle for the "Bad" then I suppose...

37. How many?

38. You really do only see small picture huh?

40. What makes you think that?

41. considering there is only one other VIABLE party?

44. He had that when he was elected.

45. and he only had 60 in the House...for 2 months....not filibuster proof.

70. We lost the 2010 midterm because the wishy-washy middle...

89. Who cares if Republicans Filibuster?

156. so how many actual stand up and speak for days filibusters did the gop do?

157. It wouldn't make any difference....the goal of the actual filibuster is to attempt to

159. so...............none? is that the number you are going with?zero?nt

63. It's amazing to me how wishing Democrats were more progressive = "seeing the small picture"

73. If the dems actually advocated progressive policies,

158. Okay...YOU run without "lovin' that cash"

93. That is a misinterpretation of the conversation

119. No, it's a fair representation of what you said.

150. I said it...I think I KNOW what I said...AND what I meant...

79. Bingo ...

106. Frustation and feeling like it just doesn't matter

109. We all do ...

128. The problem is with those who allow themselves to be influenced...

130. Okay, right ...

104. I agree with you and yet,

115. I always vote.

114. I'm with you TyL

7. The problem isn't Liberals not voting, or Conservatives not voting

29. Sometimes the Midterms are even more important...

39. ^^^^^ THIS!!!

59. Minimum wage is this year's issue.

125. Thanks to Occupy and Moral Mondays for raising awareness...

8. I always vote for the most progressive candidate on the ballot

13. That's why I became an Indy.

9. Yeah, what Manny said. nt

10. Scare the youth; Want to have $3 minimum wage? If not, vote Democratic!

27. The youth votes; it's that the elder brackets counter their votes AND outnumber them