If everyone votes, we win. So, the big question is...

[Garrett78]

How do we (all Democrats) increase voter turnout, particularly among millennials? Are young people destined to always have low turnout numbers?

Also, are Democrats raising enough hell regarding race-based voter suppression and gerrymandering?

[BigmanPigman]

1. I think that millenials are too lost in their own lives

But it wouldn't hurt to target them through whatever they respond to (besides their "likes" on their smartphones). I was an activist when I was 17 but I was alone. Indivisible is working hard on many levels to get the vote out. I think that the Pink Hat movement could get younger women active but they need to get started NOW!

[Garrett78]

4. I'd like to see a big push for more civics and media literacy education.

[BigmanPigman]

8. I would too.

I taught Civics to my first graders and we voted for everything (it was their agenda, secret, anonymous paper ballots tallied by them in full view of the class, etc.). My class was a fair democracy. I did what I could with what I had. I have written to my state Dept of Education but there isn't any civics anymore. I think that is should be mandatory and started in the primary grades.

[Garrett78]

9. Agreed. And it's become increasingly clear that media literacy needs to be developed.

[Demsrule86]

14. Sure we could do that ...IF WE MANAGE TO SAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION.

You guys do realize that we are fighting for our progressive lives here right? We must win the next two elections decisively or the GOP gets the courts...and then it really won't matter who wins elections...we will have policy by the judicial decree.

[Garrett78]

16. Yes, and pretty much everyone agrees that turnout is key.

And this thread is all about how to boost turnout.

[Demsrule86]

17. This thread undermines boosting turnout...when the Democratic Party is attacked , it is no surprise

to those who work elections that it dampens voter enthusiasm. We will have a primary...Democrats will vote. And the winner is the candidate. We get behind the candidate without 2016 butt hurt or a quest for purity...or the GOP wins it all for decades. But let me tell you 18 is more important in some ways for the courts...there is a chance to take the Senate if we work hard and stop with the divisive threads that breed hard feelings.

[FSogol]

2. How about posting a bunch of threads attacking the Democratic party and Democratic candidates?

The more we divide, the more we win, right?

All these attacks will probably get everyone excited to go out and vote! Especially millennials!

It is really important that we get out the vote next Tuesday, so everyone attack away! Time's a' wastin'

I look forward to more of your honest, sincere discussions on building the party!

[Garrett78]

3. A couple of things:

1) DU posts probably have no bearing on voter turnout or election results.

2) The only "attack" I've made is pointing out that there is a massive power imbalance (fact) and that voter suppression and gerrymandering - 2 things Dems should be raising holy hell about - alone do not constitute a sufficient explanation for why Republicans have the White House, US House, US Senate, a clear majority of governorships and a clear majority of state legislative bodies.

Pretending everything is rosy isn't healthy or constructive.

[Demsrule86]

13. Actually, the gerrymander is why the GOP holds the house....I hope we can break it this year...

They also hold the states... and they have the rest of it because of 2016... the money was late for down ballot races as there can be no money until a concession...IE the Democratic nominee is chosen, some green type Progressives sat on their hands and sent a 'message by voting for Stein' or staying home and punished great liberals like Feingold for some unknown reason as well...also you cannot underestimate the role played by Russia. I see the 'usual suspects' complaining about what many of them caused by railing against Hillary during the General on social media and buying every Russian lie.Some voted for Stein or stayed home...but even those who eventually voted for Hillary grudgingly damaged her chances by the endless complaining and attacks. That being said, there was a host of things that came together for this election...divisive primary, Russia, Comey...I doubt it will happen again...but spreading doom and gloom does have an effect on voter turnout...so maybe we should refrain from doing this.

[Demsrule86]

18. The 2016 election was stolen and influenced using the social media ...attacking Democrats on

any forum discourages voter turnout...which leads me to wonder why you post such threads.

[Hoyt]

5. In some, but not all, states one can vote early and by mail. There's no excuse for not voting.

[Garrett78]

6. And, yet, turnout has long been embarrassingly low.

How might turnout be boosted, aside from ending voter suppression?

[Hoyt]

7. If folks don't register and vote after 2016, there's not much to do other than point

out obvious.

[Garrett78]

10. That won't help us, though. Young people are especially disenchanted.

You and I both find that frustrating. We may want to scream, "What is it going to take for you to see why you need to vote for Democrats?!?" Nonetheless, Democrats need to find some way to boost turnout.

The main reason Donna Brazile's comments irritate me, aside from it dominating the news cycle and it being clear she just wants to boost book sales, is she'll further push people (particularly young adults) away from politics.

[Demsrule86]

12. Well .... the school of hard knocks will teach them because if they don't vote, the GOP

will knock the hell out of them!

[Demsrule86]

11. Since this happens in GOP led states...Dems can't do much for suppression...as for

Millennials, I hope they vote as if their life depended on it...but many won't until they are older...it is a pattern we have seen in every generation for years.

[Garrett78]

15. It has been a pattern for generations, as I said, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

Rather than be defeatist about it, Dems should put a lot of emphasis on figuring out what they can do to boost turnout, particularly among young adults. If you boost turnout among young adults, Republicans don't stand a chance.

As for race-based voter suppression, Dems can raise holy hell about it and make legal challenges. Dems can talk about it every time they're on the air. Don't let Republicans control the narrative with BS claims about voter fraud. Talk about the consolidation of media in the hands of a few giant profiteers. Don't be on the defensive against BS accusations of a "liberal media." Go on the offensive. Control the narrative.

[Demsrule86]

19. Ah, there it is go after those who had a butt hurt and voted for Stein or didn't vote...no.

First of all young voters are notoriously bad at turn out historically... we can do some outreach using young folks, but no we won't reinvent the party in order to appeal to unreliable voters...and we won't have Sen. Sanders as a candidate for a number of reasons in my opinion either which is what much of this is about.

[NCDem777]

20. Why did Obama get a surge of support from young people in 08?

Turnout was higher than it had ever been. How can we replicate this? Obama was young, energetic and the possibility of the first black President was exciting. Why couldn't it be replicated with the first female President?

IMO, there was more to Obama than his skin. It was one of his key promises: Scale back foreign meddling. Get us out of Iraq, close down Gitmo. Bring our troops home and fix shit here. Granted he couldn't do this due to Republican jackassery.

Being anti-war is a central issue young people. They're the ones who fight the stupid wars. That's why there was such outpouring of support for Bernie. It wasn't the free tuition or the healthcare. It was the "Get our troops out the Middle East and make their governments take responsibility" plan.

We grew up in schools that were falling down around us, being told there was no money to for fixing it. At the same time, we're building schools in nations that simply use them as target practice in their ongoing ancestral blood feuds that have lasted millennia.

Hillary, by her own admission, was pro-regime change. And as Secretary of State oversaw several that failed horrendously, including one in Syria that made half the world fall prey to far right morons. Mods please note that I'm not insulting her, I'm just saying what happened as a matter of fact.

If you want to win young people, the thought of running a pro-regime change candidate for any offices must vanish from your mind. Young Dems don't want a candidate who will get them involved in just as many foolish wars as the Rethug. If the only difference on foreign policy is that we're not using interventionsm as a way to appeal to Islamophobes who get off at seeing Muslims die, it's still fighting stupid wars. Being a less racist warmonger is still being a warmonger.

The young didn't show up because Hillary was a nicer version of more of the same.

I mean, if we start running non-interventionists what's the GOP gonna do? Call us isolationists? Not with isolationist Cheeto Hitler in office