The President is NOT the Only Person We Elect!

[MineralMan]

Sometimes, here on DU, it seems like the only elected official many care about is the President, and action during elections and what leads up to elections depends on their opinion of the President. That's unfortunate, and correctable.

On every election ballot, there are many names. Every four years, there are also the names of the Presidential candidates, but it is all those other names that matter even more, and in every area of concern.

School Board Members
City Council Members
County Board Members
Mayors
Sheriffs
District Attorneys
Secretaries of State (they run the elections)
State Legislative Candidates
State Senate Candidates
Members of the House of Representatives
U.S. Senators
Plus candidates for every other elected office

Each one of those offices is important, either locally, statewide, or nationally. In many cases, and for many issues, they are far more important than the President, who actually has little power to make laws. The people elected to those other offices are also the pool from which candidates for higher office are generally selected.

When I see someone say that they're not going to vote or won't vote for Democrats, I think about those other candidates. A non-voter doesn't play a role in the election of any of those people. A voter who refuses to vote for Democrats may rule out a win for a more local candidate who is running as a Democrat. How can people make such a mistake?

More importantly, deciding who runs for those other offices is something that happens locally. The local Democratic Party generally is who selects the candidates, endorses them, and helps assure their election. Being involved at a local level gives you a voice in that process. It also gives you access to candidates and potential candidates. You get to be part of the process from the very beginning. It's surprising how few people are actually involved, and those few people are very important. You can be one of them.

Don't like the President? OK. But what about all of those other people who will be making the laws, administering local jurisdictions, and more? If anyone thinks those minor elected officials aren't important to your life and the lives of others, that's just foolish. Don't be foolish. Get involved in selecting who represents you at all levels, not just the Presidency or Congress. They all matter, and the local office matter far more than you might think.

The President? Yes, the President matters but, in aggregate, all of those other office holders matter far more in how this nation operates and how your local jurisdiction operates. Every ballot and everyone on every ballot matters.

GOTV 2014 and Beyond!

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. Damn straight! DU Rec!

[MineralMan]

2. Thank you!

It gets frustrating around here sometimes.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Only sometimes?

Quite honestly, DU used to be a hotbed of progressive activism. It's not that anymore. It's where anonymous folks, from across the political spectrum, gather to DUmp on the Democratic leadership.

[MineralMan]

4. That does occur on DU.

And the DUmp on Democrats faction's posts get lots of DUrecs. But, it's the same folks doing the recommending, again and again. Maybe 300 or so DUers consistently rec such posts. The same ones every time.

In reality, far more posts on DU are in support of Democratic candidates and policies. There's no bloc of DUers who consistently click the DUrec button for those posts, though, like there is for the DUmpers.

I spend a lot of time on DU, and I spend most of that time browsing the GD post listings. There are half a dozen posters who post again and again and negatively about the President and some other Democrats. There are far more who post positively, but they don't get recognized as broadly.

DUrecs don't matter, really.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Thanks for reminding me ...

perspective matters.

Get Out The Democratic (anti-republican) Vote 2014/2016!

[okaawhatever]

35. I've noticed the same thing. Thanks for posting this. Just like the post today or yesterday about

rwnj Victoria Jackson running for city council in Thompson Station, TN. She knows she can cause trouble with that small position or she wouldn't be campaigning for it. Ditto, the article about Koch's Americans for Prosperity dumping big money in a tiny election in Iowa. They're trying to win every single position. That's key. Not only do these people make important decisions, they fill up the pipeline future political elections.

[MineralMan]

36. Well, if I were in TN, I'd sure vote against her.

And yes, the Koch Brothers are trying to stuff the local elections. That strategy has been going on for a long time in local elections. Turnouts are low in off-year elections, and it's easy to turn out enough voters to win.

That is why everyone needs to vote in every election. Every year. Every election.

Thanks!

[dionysus]

13. hey! why you kickin at me?! that's it.. PUT EM UP!!!1!!1!

[Tarheel_Dem]

22. Here. Kick this guy!

[MineralMan]

5. Activism Can Also Be Positive!

A lot of what passes for activism in the USA is negative in nature. Positive activism is less well publicized. Working to find and get good candidates on the ballot is positive activism. Working to get people to the polls and convince them that voting for the most progressive candidate who can win is positive activism.

Negative activism is encouraging people not to go to the polls, and not to elect candidates who represent the best candidate who can win the election. That kind of activism benefits the other side every time.

I'm in favor of positive activism that results in progress toward progressive ideals, even when those ideals are not completely met by every person who is elected. I've never met a single candidate who agreed with my positions on everything. Never. I never expect to, either. So, I'm always working to elect someone who may not agree with me in all areas. That's reality.

Positive activism is also communicating with those who are elected to try to convince them of what you find important. That's positive activism, and it's aided when your other activism helped those people get elected.

[elleng]

7. Yes, and s/he is the only one we ALL elect.

[MineralMan]

8. Yes, and that's why most Presidents

are somewhere in the middle. Given the size of this country and the diversity of opinions held by voters, it's impossible that anyone with revolutionary ideas or ideas that sit too far on either side of center can be elected as President.

That's unfortunate, but is how national democratic republics like ours seem to work. It's also why we have only two viable parties for Presidential elections. A majority almost always ends up voting for a more or less centrist candidate for the highest office. The same thing applies for governorships in most states.

Elections on a more local basis, however, can elect more singular, focused candidates. If we elect enough of those, our legislators can send laws to the executives that can be quite far from center. That's why legislative elections have more capability of producing change.

[Boom Sound 416]

9. Quite rarely they are all on the same ballot

[MineralMan]

10. True, but there are always other elections on a

Presidential ballot. Always. Down-ballot is where we can really make a difference. That's where our votes really count.

[HappyMe]

11. Exactly.

Those smaller, local elections are where people get their start in politics. Electing people there with some fresh ideas is good for the future.

[Boom Sound 416]

14. Agreed

But, part or the problem when you push this kind of argument (which I agree with) you get start getting push back from the anti states right folks.

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Unless you live in Oregon, that is the only office we, you and I both, vote for.

So that's why national discussions are often about that office. Seems as obvious as the need to vote in every election to me.

[MineralMan]

15. Yes, that's true. However, that's not why I brought this up.

Election activism crosses all boundaries, and is something we can all engage in.

[Dawgs]

16. BS. When people say they aren't voting Democratic it's because the party as a whole has moved right.

Not just the President.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't vote for Democrats. You make a good point about other offices.

But, your assertion that people only care about the President is wrong.

[MineralMan]

17. That varies from place to place.

Where I am, if you're not a progressive, you aren't going to be elected or even nominated.

In other places, there's not a prayer of a real progressive getting elected. There is no nationwide standard.

In just about every place, though, the Democrat is going to be a better choice than the Republican. You either vote or you do not, and you decide for whom to vote.

All elections are local, including the Presidential election. We have the Electoral College to attempt to keep it that way.

I'm just pointing out that down-ticket elections are just as important, and locally even more important.

[Dawgs]

18. Sounds like we are on the same page then.

Nice post.

[MineralMan]

21. I think we are.

That's a good thing.

[jaysunb]

27. I find it ironic that you claim it's not true that people only care

about the Presidency, yet your sig line touts Sen Warren for president only one year into the current Presidents term.

[Dawgs]

32. Why not? Can Obama run again in 2016?

And, you know it's possible to support President Obama now and also support who I want for the next President, right?

And, me showing my support for Warren doesn't mean I don't (or can't) also support Democrats in every other seat/race.

Nice try though.

[RC]

34. The Party moving to the Right is the root of the problem.

They campaign with what Democrats mostly vote for, but once in office, they all to often defer to the Republicans and all we hear is excuses for not fulfilling their campaign promises. As the Democratic Party again, moves to the Right. What good is it to be a Democrat, when you end up supporting Right of Center candidates?

Then we have the people here that act like the Democratic party is a monolith. Any Democratic is good enough, as long as they have that all important (D) by their name. Again, as the Party moves to he Right, because there are not enough and even no Liberals and/or Progressives in office. Just the 3rd Way, DINO's and others in for the buck and not for the Rights and welfare of the People.

[Hekate]

19. KnR!

[MineralMan]

20. Thanks!

[rock]

23. Note however: He and the VP are essentially the ONLY nationwide elected officials

Those others you mention are local.

[MineralMan]

25. That's the point. It's all of those local elections that really matter.

Individually, as voters and activists, we can make a difference in those local elections, and we must.

The Presidential election is local, in some respects, too, due to the Electoral College. A high turnout for the Democrats down-ticket has an impact on the Presidential race, as well.

Bottom line is that GOTV activism for Democrats benefits everyone.

[rock]

28. But it's the President and VP that matter to everybody

And there's your common thread and why everybody likes to discuss the president.

[MineralMan]

33. And that's why I wrote this post.

I'm reminding people that there's more to think about.

[SMC22307]

24. This is what it's like in my insanely blue area during a primary election...

for CITY COUNCIL.

?itok=kRDtRO5w

And you should see it during midterms and presidential elections.

I think most of us understand GOTV. Especially those of us in Northern Virginia, for without us and other blue pockets in Virginia, you could kiss the state good-bye.

[MineralMan]

26. Yes. Thanks for what you do locally.

It's crucial. Keep the faith and keep it up!

[flpoljunkie]

29. Voting: It's not just something you do every four years

If we vote, the politicians will listen.

[Iliyah]

30. K & R

I'm surprised that some here think he can do everything on his own. The last I've seen this is a democracy and Americans need to work together. Also the other party will not work with him period. From history I don't think that type of opposition have been so in your face and with the "fair doctrine" gone, so much hated propaganda against anyone who doesn't comply with corporate bought and corporate media and so much money poured into the political system, majority of the American people have no voice. We need to get our voice back.

Get out and vote 2014 and 2016!

[Rex]

31. Technically the electoral college elects him.

And I doubt anyone here thinks he is the only person we vote for. You would be surprised how many posters here are actively involved in local politics.

I think we all know there are other people to vote for, but thanks for the reminder!

[oldhippie]

45. I was also going to bring that up .....

None of us votes for President. We vote for a slate of Electors our State selects to go to the Electoral College to vote for President.

Technically, there are NO national elections. All our elections that affect nation office are actually state elections.

But, the point is moot in regards to this discussion.

[okaawhatever]

37. Local elections are so important. One of the big issues we'll be facing in the next few years is the

privatizing of our public schools. For that reason alone every school board seat needs to be fought vigorously.The stakes are too high.

[MineralMan]

39. School board elections are generally non-partisan, so party

affiliations are not included on the ballot for them. The same is true for many local elections. Where I am, the DFL (Democratic) Party endorses candidates for those elections. But not everyone sees those endorsements, and turnouts are very low for school board elections. A lot of people don't even vote in them, because they have no idea who the candidates are.

I make it a point to publish the Democratic Party endorsements for all such elections. But people still often don't know anything about the candidates. It's a real problem.

[gLibDem]

38. Agreed.

And sometimes here on DU it seems all you need is a Democrat, regardless of their positions.

Electing Conservadems does not promote Democratic values. It merely enables our country's ever continuing shift to the right.

[Octafish]

40. Which is why 2009 and 2010 were so important.

We the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. With a national mandate for change, that now period represents a squandered opportunity to get important legislation passed in Washington. From the looks of institutionalized gridlock in the form of GOP-gerrymandered states and a GOP-stacked Supreme Court and federal courts that equate money and limitless political spending with freedom of speech and democracy, it may have been a once in a generation opportunity that was lost.

Who won from the gridlock? Who always wins: the Have-Mores.

[MineralMan]

42. Yes. We dropped the ball in 2010, especially. Since the state

legislatures got to redistrict after that election, states where Republicans gained a majority in state houses had an opportunity to gerrymander. In MN, it didn't make much difference due to the way redistricting is handled here, but it made a big difference in other states.

Every election matters. I simply can't understand Democrats not turning out to vote in off-year and mid-term elections. We could do so much in those years. Maybe in 2014, that pattern will change. I'm going to work hard on that.

[sheshe2]

41. KnR

Well said MineralMan, thank you.

GOTV 2014 2016 and beyond!

[MineralMan]

43. Thanks very much!

[sadoldgirl]

44. You are quite right about

the school boards. This position as well as that of commissioners are the starting point for many younger ambitious politicians. Even though I don't have any children I vote each time. I find it deplorable that most people don't even bother. I ask myself with all the lower positions: How far do these candidates want to go?