What's most responsible for keeping Democrats home?

[MannyGoldstein]

26 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Internet posts trying to depress Democratic votes
	0 (0%)
	Elected Democrats acting as they have the past 20 + years
	19 (73%)
	Ralph Nader
	0 (0%)
	Glenn Greenwald
	2 (8%)
	Other (please describe below)
	5 (19%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[sadoldgirl]

1. And, I might add

a totally uninspired message.

[Politicalboi]

2. The bad timing of the release of

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. Start playing at noon, and the next thing ya know it's 10:00 am the next morning.

[leftstreet]

5. No. Season 2 release of Arrow on Netflix

[hrmjustin]

3. I think it is a mixture of disliking a candidate, the political and nstional environment at the...

...time, voter intimidation, and personal issues at the moment of the vote.

[leftstreet]

4. What happened to that 50 state strategy thing?

Er...

[BuelahWitch]

29. I asked the same question. People here told me it didn't matter

We would have won in '06 and '08 without it.

[MannyGoldstein]

47. It would NEVER work in the REAL WORLD

Sensible adult Democrats know this.

Regards,

TWM

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Democrats won't sit home.

ETA: Most Democrats won't sit home; but those that do, it will likely be because of oppressive voter laws/voter intimidation, or otherwise being blocked from voting.

[spyker29]

7. Other

I think it's easier for people who aren't that into politics to convince themselves it's not worth their time since both parties are the same than to try to learn the differences.

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. I would edit that to read ...

I think it's easier for people who aren't that into politics to {insert: allow themselves to be} convince{d} themselves it's not worth their time since both parties are the same than to try to learn the differences.

That is the message playing in the media 24/7.

[world wide wally]

9. This ^

[upaloopa]

10. Basically they are too damn lazy to get off their

behinds and vote. Very few voters pay attention like people do here. They are not motivated by lefties or turned off by righties they just don't give a shit. But they whine like stuck pigs when a politician does act the way they think he/she should.

[JaneyVee]

11. Everyone here is probably voting, so I doubt they...

Would know the answer to that. Perhaps ask those not voting why?

[pampango]

12. Liberals are irrelevant. Both parties are the same. Why bother to vote? n/t

[HereSince1628]

13. My guess is a sensed lack of relevance, but in WI the mid-term pattern goes back 60 yrs

So it really can't be blamed on dem politicians of the past few decades

[BlindTiresias]

14. Crap Dem policies

Obsessive focus on tiny, incremental changes while their opponents fight for truly radical (albeit evil) change. This, to the average voter, makes the Republicans look courageous and principled and makes the Democrats look like establishment cowards.
To make matters worse the Dem policies, while different, are not that much different save for the social sphere. In a nightmare scenario where the Republicans adapt and take on libertarian social policies the Dems would have very little room left to differentiate themselves.

[geek tragedy]

15. Not being as diligent as the Republican base.

Our base turns out every four years, theirs votes every chance they get.

[blkmusclmachine]

18. So, that would make the Republican voters SMARTER than the DEM voters, yes???

[geek tragedy]

25. No, they just vote more often.

And that has consequences.

[LondonReign2]

32. Smarter, no

More like cockroaches who will never give up no matter how many times you smash them

[Hatchling]

16. Other

Mail in ballots.

[blkmusclmachine]

17. A DEM Establishment that refuses to cater to the DEM base, but is more than happy accommodating the

GOP base through phony "compromise."

[JI7]

19. OBama because he is not on the ticket which has proven to get the Party out

[Rex]

20. It is laugh out loud funny watching the divisive threads just before election time.

And since it is always the same, nobody is fooled on DU. Nothing is keeping Democrats at home and that seems to have certain people really worried.

[blkmusclmachine]

21. I'm voting. And everyone else I know has committed to voting. I think all this "why are they staying

home" business is a cover for manipulating the voting/counting process. Nothing would surprise me with the felonious GOP. NOTHING.

[Rex]

22. Same here, agree 100%.

It's not like they haven't faked outrage before. Once they realized it worked, it was off to the races!

[RobertEarl]

23. Non-voters are not Liberal enough

We Liberals have failed to teach them how to be liberal enough.

It is all our fault. Of course the weight of the party, the media, the MIC, most religions, and all the nasty hate-filled conservatives are arrayed against we Liberals. So we have a pretty good excuse for our failures to not make others liberal enough to go vote.

They just aren't smart enough.

[LostOne4Ever]

24. Hypno-toad is a republican

[tabbycat31]

26. Other

Demographically, Democrats have a base that is traditionally not excited about voting (there are rare instances that it's been proven wrong. They don't attract the people who have Fox on as audio wallpaper and listen to political talk radio in the car (who vote no matter what). ARe there Democrats who have progressive TV and radio on all day? Sure, and many of them are on this website. But it's much more common for the Republicans to do that (MSNBC is on a higher tier package than Fox with many cable companies, progressive talk radio is few and far between).

Their base is young people, minorities, and women. Chances are their car radios (if the radio at all) is tuned into a music station, they watch things like reality TV shows, etc. They've got other issues to deal with besides living and breathing politics.

Although it would help if the politicians paid more attention. For example if you want to make an issue of something that will get young people voting in large numbers, mention student loan debt (an issue that their elders could care less about because college was MUCH cheaper back in the day).

[wyldwolf]

27. Interesting poll

What's most responsible for keeping Democrats home?

Some 'progressives' here deny up and down 'progressives' stay home. At least you admit it.

Elected Democrats acting as they have the past 20 + years

That's exactly why 'progressive' thought leaders have advised 'progressives' to stay home, and why they parrot that advice.

[LondonReign2]

33. We deny it because it is a stupid lie

Third time today I've seen you spout this lie. Why is that? (as if the answer isn't obvious).

Did liberals really stay home and cause the 2010 rout?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/06/1003805/-Did-liberals-really-stay-home-and-cause-the-2010-rout
“So I went back to the exit polls and the picture I see shows nothing like that. If you are a proponent of this claim, I challenge you for empirical proof that some set of activist liberals "took their ball and went home" or whatever metaphor you prefer to make Obama's leftward critics appear childish and immature. Inside, the evidence I found that shows this just ain't so.”

http://blogforarizona.net/do-progressives-even-sit-out-elections-the-numbers-say-no/
“As you can see, Democrats did slightly better with liberals in 2010 than in 2006. Had there really been a collective we’re-sitting-out-the-election-to-spite-Obama pout going on, then there should have been a sharp drop in the liberal participation percentage. Yet notice the 9% in moderate voter participation and the concomitant 10% increase in conservative turnout. Republicans were pumped for that election but their turnout tends to be higher in midterms anyway. Millions of moderate voters either flipped to conservative or stayed home in 2010.”

“As you can see, all the Democratic groups dropped, but the liberal Democrats dropped least of all”

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/progressive-movement/news/2012/11/08/44348/the-return-of-the-obama-coalition/
Ideology. Liberals were 25 percent of voters in 2012, up from 22 percent in 2008. Since 1992 the percent of liberals among presidential voters has varied in a narrow band between 20 percent and 22 percent, so the figure for this year is quite unusual. Conservatives, at 35 percent, were up one point from the 2008 level, but down a massive 7 points since 2010.
Ideology. Obama received less support in 2012 from all ideology groups, though the drop-offs were not particularly sharp in any group. He received 86 percent support from liberals (89 percent in 2008), 56 percent from moderates (60 percent in 2008), and 17 percent from conservatives (20 percent in 2008).

[MannyGoldstein]

35. Other than evidence, you got NOTHIN.

Zip.

Nada.

[LondonReign2]

37. Evidence? Pfftttt!

That could ruin a narrative or two

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

52. heh.

Apparently 'progressive thought leaders' are folks like Michael Moore, Ted Rall and Ed Schulz and a couple of other folks he was able to dig up, who either announced they weren't voting in some election or other, or have made statements to the effect that they thought people should sit it out.

Nevermind the fact that hundreds of other 'progressive thought leaders' (whatever the heck that even means) haven't said any such thing. He found a few that did, so by the Gods, progressives are all 'sit it out'ers trying to depress the Dem vote.

[MannyGoldstein]

34. I wrote that Progessives stay home?

Where?

[wyldwolf]

38. OH, you've inserted "Democrats" instead of 'progressives.'

Even though no here has accused 'Democrats' of staying home. OK, then your poll came from WAY out in left field and isn't really relevant to today's discussions.

[MannyGoldstein]

43. So you changed the words in my post, and now

You're accusing me of predicting the word you'd say that I used, and using another instead?

Oh boy.

[GeorgeGist]

44. Desperate times ...

or something.

[MADem]

60. You were the one carping about "progressives" in your other disruptive META OP--don't blame a poster

for associating that word with you....you even used Scare Quotes!!!!

Aren't these YOUR words? http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025650479

Star Member MannyGoldstein (28,953 posts)

Hey "Progressives": how many elections have *you* sat out?

Me? I've missed a total of one general election in three decades, and that one was because I was traveling. Somehow, Gore was able to win Massachusetts without me that year.

No doubt, I'm the exception. Heck, it might be easier to just ask you "Progressives" how many you've voted in, if any.

There's that P word, surrounded by those quotes, not once, but twice, in your other "stirring" OP....no wonder people get ... confused.

[Rex]

40. Oh my!

[whereisjustice]

28. NSA spying, Hillary Clinton, sky rocketing college costs, plumeting wages, poverty,

income disparity, police brutality and war.

Is that a choice?

On edit: nevermind, I see that acting like an Elected Democrat over last 20 years is already a choice.

[jeepers]

30. Because In your heart you know

A representative plutocracy is a joke. It certainly is not a democracy.

[Maedhros]

55. People here are aware of this study, but nobody wants to discuss it:

http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPPS%2FPPS12_03%2FS1537592714001595a.pdf&code=b738019f2700c2e05367dab8427fc72d

http://www.globalresearch.ca/its-official-scientific-study-shows-that-the-u-s-is-an-oligarchy-not-a-democracy/5377987

These graphs tell you all you need to know about why voters stay home:

Economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence. Our results provide substantial support for theories of Economic Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. Meh. Or, variations of Meh.

Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.
(He's eatin' bagels
He's eatin' pizza
He's eatin' chitlins
He's eatin' bullshit!)

Bob Dylan

[CakeGrrl]

36. Refusal to get off their asses and go to their polling place

ok, or refusal to fill out and mail in their ballot.

Take your pick.

Those are the ONLY reasons. Anything else is an excuse NOT to do either of the above.

[TeamPooka]

39. If elected Democrats voted as liberals we'd be fine.

[Chathamization]

41. Why would you stay home if you were unhappy with what elected Democrats are doing? That seems like a

good reason to kick them out in the primary. One thing that's pretty frustrating is hearing people complain about how awful the elected politicians are, but then having no one show up and vote for a genuinely good alternative. Anger at elected Dems is fine; what bothers me is when people then let those people stay in office (not referring to anyone here, but I've seen this too much at the local level).

[L0oniX]

42. Centrist attacks on progressives.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

45. Other

It's partly cyclical. The supporters of the party in power get fatigued by the third midterm in a two-term presidency.

It's partly the paradox of a growing economy. Now that the Dow and housing process aren't falling off a cliff; now that people aren't worried about their kids and/or spouses dying in Iraq (and worrying less about Afghanistan), people are getting back to bitching about their taxes being too high.

..and I think ISIS and Ebola have combined to put the independent center in an anti-immigrant, anti-Islamic mood. The news media is painting the Dems as having already lost the Senate, and people see that and see the state of the country and world and say "why the Hell bother?"

At this point, I'm #ReadyForHillary

[DavidDvorkin]

46. Stupidity

Or if you want to be generous, naivete.

[bhikkhu]

48. It so much easier to fail, so much less work

as long as the repugs are in charge we don't have to do much, and the whole narrative doesn't change. All the complaints and explanations and excuses remain the same. Very comfortable for some.

[Principled Peter]

49. "What's most responsible for keeping Democrats home?"

DEMOCRATS! HELLO??? NOW LET'S GET OFF OUR ASSES AND VOTE!

[daredtowork]

50. lol @ Glenn Greenwald

What made my day today was seeing the temporary statue to Edward Snowden (with Greenwald beside it) in Union Square in NY:

http://gothamist.com/2014/10/11/theres_a_statue_of_edward_snowden_i.php

The statue was apparently soon "deported".

I was hoping for a real permanent statue. In the late 19th century telegraph operators took up a collection to put up a statue of Samuel Morse in Central Park. I wonder what would happen if there were such a popular demand for a Snowden statue that The People pitched in to pay for it. Let's erect it somewhere on the Capitol Mall.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

53. That's funny!

And it's nice that his gf went to live with him in Russia so he's not 100% cut off from the life he used to have.

[orpupilofnature57]

57. I'll volunteer for that .

[Hippo_Tron]

51. The fact that our party is in the White House

The party in the White House stays home during midterm elections. It's been true for nearly every midterm in the modern era.

[lonestarnot]

54. Mosquitoes.

[orpupilofnature57]

56. Glen Greenwald, Amy Goodman, Cornell West, People that indict the actions

of so called Liberals, from the standpoint of Ultra -Liberals and not the Neo-Nuts on tv and radio, but intelligent, courageous people who tell the truth no matter who it offends .

[NaturalHigh]

58. I don't think many Democrats will be staying home.

At least no more than usual. Voter turnout is usually abysmally low in this country, but I don't think this election will be any different than normal.

[pa28]

59. I suggest a radical strategy to boost turnout.

Refuse to compromise on Social Security and Medicare.

Insist on taxing capital gains at the same rate working Americans pay on their income.

If corporations want access to the US market make them pay taxes at the same rate as any other "person".

Actually these are not radical ideas at all. In fact they poll favorably across party lines and yet we can't bring ourselves to support overwhelmingly popular ideas that reflect the historic underpinnings of our party.

When we finally determine, as a group, why our party leadership can't rally voters around these popular concepts we'll be in the home stretch. There's no great mystery here. Certain Democrats are only pretending it is because their personal fortunes depend on it.

[ZombieHorde]

61. My vote reflects only my opinion.

The poll question is about sociology, and I have not read any sociological studies concerning your question.

I know this is a given for most of us, but I feel obligated to be clear, for some reason.

[Township75]

62. Diarrhea. Bad diarrhea

.