Is anyone else too depressed/demoralized to vote today?

[Sterling]

I just can't even care anymore. Caring gets me way to upset pissed off etc.... I used to care way too much. To the point I would read about something on DU and then go get in huge fights with my family over politics.

Then to see e voting slip by and the party I felt most closely associate with do nothing about protecting my right to vote among other things that have happened over the last 6 years, I no longer feel like it is a fair trade off or a good investment of my time to be politically active.

Honestly I have been much happier in the last few months not spending as much time on politics and focusing on my own immediate surroundings. I spend more time helping people who are in my everyday life and I get much more out of that than pretending I have any say so in how the world is run.

I am NOT recommending people don't vote, if you still have the stomach for it great, I am just venting on what paying attention to what our party and politics in general has become over the last few years. The hopelessness that politics gives me is not something I can carry around.

Good luck today, I hope Dem's not only win but live up to your expectations of what you voted them in to do. I look forward to a day that politics again gives me hope and not despair.

Thanks for allowing me to vent.

[klook]

1. Hmmm.... (n/t)

[Richard Steele]

8. Indeed. nm

[LaurenG]

2. Nope absolutely not demoralized here. nt

[stepnw1f]

3. Oh Brother.... (nt)

[madmusic]

4. No.

[Danieljay]

5. SNAP the hell out of it! You are in a Rovian trance...WAKE UP, and VOTE!

[KyndCulture]

6. Oh boy.

:popcorn:


If you didn't vote DO NOT BITCH TO US!!!!!!

[bowens43]

7. Pathetic. Truly pathetic. Get off your ass and vote.

[KyndCulture]

10. Ditto, right fucking now.

[Warpy]

9. Oh, just get off your ass and DO IT.

Yeah, we're all depressed and demoralized. 37 years of conservative rule have done it to everyone who works for a living, something that explains the allure of wingnut churches where people are told they're the center of the universe.

I am nearly blind and have spinal arthritis and a whole host of other physical problems and I VOTED.

Surely you can do the same.

[NOLADEM]

11. Keep shit like this to yourself on Election Day

Depression can be treated, by the way.

We are gonna win today....and I bet we see you back on the bandwagon tomorrow.

Also, get your flack jacket on....You are gonna get FLAMED for this Debbie Downer audition.

[chat_noir]

21. NOLADEM, I agree

I've been using the hide thread option frequently these past fews days...this one gets added to the pile.

[Der Blaue Engel]

12. Today is one of those times when "if you're not with us, you're against us" is true

Do us a favor and stop trying to demoralize every one else.

[onenote]

13. Not in the slightest -- Now that you've vented, go vote.

If you're not so demoralized/depressed that you can still post here, then you're not too demoralized/depressed to get out and vote.

Otherwise, and I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, you're just a loser.

[OwnedByFerrets]

14. Shaking my head....

In the most important election of our country, how could ANYONE not care?:banghead:

[Subdivisions]

15. Quitcher bitchin' and go vote... n/t :)

[MercutioATC]

16. Suck it up and vote today...

...there'll be plenty of time to be depressed later.

[babylonsister]

17. Not even. If everyone had your attitude, they win always. At least

we now have a shot at turning this-our! country around.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Get off your fucking ass and go VOTE

it doesn't matter if you care or not at this point... you are surrendering your freedom and doing what TEEY WANT

And this is comming from somebody who expects NOTHING to change and my vote to be stolen, but gee louis, at least MAKE THEM WORK FOR IT

[bryant69]

19. You pick an interesting day to vent.

Maybe you could have held these feelings in for just one more day. But then I suppose they wouldn't hae the same impact.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[applegrove]

20. You've missed all the good news. Dems will take the house. Get out

there and vote. That will connect you to 70 million Democrats. Be one of them.

[klook]

31. Not sure this person considers that good news. (n/t)

[KyndCulture]

22. If you didn't vote - you don't get to vent to us. Get off your ass and go.

NOW.

[undeterred]

23. I am absolutely exhausted but I voted

I have been working like a dog on a campaign for 8 months, especially the last 10 weeks. Today I am resting up for tonight, which will be emotional.

[soothsayer]

24. fnord!

[spanone]

25. Hell NO.

[FSogol]

26. Go vote. n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. You MUST VOTE! Your country is depending on YOU TO VOTE!

We NEED your vote! PLEASE go vote.

[Mandate My Ass]

28. not quite that bad

I feel hopeless many days but not enough to stop trying. I feel like an outsider in my own party and one of the candidates I had to vote for today was only slightly less odious to me than Rick Santorum.

I think vote fraud is something that is getting more attention and I want hearings dammit! I want subpoenae, sworn testimony and whistleblowers talking into microphones in the halls of Congress. John Conyers gives me hope that that will happen now because they can't steal it anymore without giving themselves away.

[Horse with no Name]

29. Well aren't you just the ray of fucking sunshine?

Voting is your civic duty. You lose all rights to bitch about the outcome if you can't be bothered to do it.
Why bother coming here to spread your gloom and doom today?
If you are so much happier without politics--this is the worst place to come.

[951-Riverside]

30. Sterling you just empowered me to vote a little earlier :)

Didn't expect that did ya ;)

[Norquist Nemesis]

32. Bummer. Three steps to a brighter day today

1. Walk or drive to your precinct
2. VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. Carry on the rest of the day as you normally would.

If nothing else, remember this...You give up your right to bitch about it when you choose not to participate.

[Tiggeroshii]

33. You should vote.

There's a major voter suppression effort by the GOP to keep people from the polls, and if that is successfl then NOT voting is the stupidest thing you can do. We can only survive such a blow by getting an exceptionally larger turnout(55%) in Democrats to the polls today. Not voting is pretty stupid and I hope you change your mind.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. Shame On Anyone With That Attitude. I've No Time For It.

Bye.

[Beelzebud]

35. Ok, did you get that all off your chest? Good. now GO VOTE!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

36. Hopefully you live in Oklahoma

Or some similar dumbass state where your vote doesn't count.

Because otherwise, you make me sick. Don't ever post here again bitching about anything if you've waved the white flag.

Report me if you wish, but I'm not going to sugar coat it any longer.

Seriously, statements from people such as you make me wonder if we *ARE* fooling ourselves about who's voting.......

[The2ndWheel]

37. There's a reason

"Honestly I have been much happier in the last few months not spending as much time on politics and focusing on my own immediate surroundings. I spend more time helping people who are in my everyday life and I get much more out of that than pretending I have any say so in how the world is run."

for this.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

38. Can I nominate this for "Worst Post of the Day"?

Fucking pathetic. Grow a spine and go vote.

[KyndCulture]

41. I concur.

[Sapphire Blue]

39. Yes...

republicans!


I can feel it coming In The Air Tonight ... I'm Takin' My Country Back!



***** GOTV *****

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[snacker]

42. Vote---we need you!

Our children need you, our grandchildren need you, and the many, many people in this country living without hope need you....PLEASE go and vote.

[Caution]

43. Sheesh. how do you expect to fix anything if you dont vote?

E-voting. whatever. go and do it. If the vote looks like a landslide and they steal it the media will be forced to report it. If you don't go then we have nothing to stand on. Vote. Now.

[WilliamPitt]

44. Worst. Timing. Ever.

Understandable feelings, but damn.

[chaska]

104. What he said.

[John Gauger]

45. Okay,

I am glad you are active in your community. It's true that that does more immediate good than being involved in global politics. But that does not mean that you should not be involvled in the larger picture. At the very least, you should vote. If you do nothing else invovled with the national scene, just vote. It it the ery least we can do. Look at it this way: if you vote and they steal the election, then they may go to jail. If you don't vote and they win legitimately, there is absolutely no chance that they will go to jail. Besides, isn't fighting and losing better than simply letting them wreak havoc on your beloved country?

[bloom]

46. I voted last week

I figured it was the least I could do whether is was hopeless or not.

[DemExpat]

47. Today is a day for a little hope - so GO VOTE!

You might be glad you did!

:kick:

DemEx

[AllexxisF1]

48. ...

BOO FUCKING HOO.

GET OFF YOUR CRYING ASS AND VOTE.

This election matters even if you don't think it does. We need YOUR VOTE.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

49. Have you seen a doctor lately?

You sound very depressed.

Politics is never happy-happy joy-joy. It's dirty and ugly and you have to wrestle to get anywhere. Most of the time I, too, am a bit jaded. But you will have to shoot me to keep me from voting. And even then, I want an absentee.

[Octafish]

50. Where the heck you been, Sterling?

Great to read ya!

Please don't let the turds get you down. Yes they lie, cheat and steal. Yes, they are crooks, gangsters, mass-murderers, warmongers and traitors. And yes, apart from the Internets, they control the information environment.

But they don't control YOU. They don't control ME. They never have. They never will.

Working together -- here in the virtual thing and out there in the real world -- is how we'll change things. Our weapon: the Truth.

My motivation is reclaiming the nation's direction for the sake of our kids and grandkids. The people who killed our heroes (and your personal friends) won't escape justice.

Some other things I know: You're good people and you've been missed.

[lectrobyte]

51. Get off your ass and go vote. It's that simple. HAND/HTH!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

52. Hell fucking no.

I can't even vote yet. But I want to still be able to when I turn 18, and not live under a facist admin, thanks all the same.

Vote until death. Die to vote. Democracy is not a spectator sport.

[seabeyond]

53. huh? this is a surprise. hm.... well most are jazzed. to each their own

[spancks]

54. How silly!

Shut up and go vote! Just because everything is not perfect does not mean you can shirk your civic duty. I got a ride last night to the town where I'm registered (I'm currently in school in a different town 40 miles away) so that I could be at my polling place at 6am to vote and be able to make it back to school for my 8am class.

STOP WHINING AND VOTE!!! :wtf:

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BoneDaddy]

56. Don't go to the other end of the spectrum

What you are describing is often normal. People who make stuff like politics their daily routine often reach burnout. You are burnt out, but don't go from overinvolved to not at all, neither is good.

you need some balance. Vote, take a break, tend to yourself, stay somewhat topical and return to a balanced political involvement when you can.

BUT VOTE TODAY.

[bluestateguy]

57. If you weren't a senior poster with a gold star I would suspect your motives

Though, I think that this post is very bad judgement on your part.

[bloom]

58. Besides - they WANT you to be "depressed/demoralized" - so you have to vote

so they don't win. So at least they don't win at keeping people away from the voting booth.

[AlCzervik]

Cheer down for goodness sakes!

[filer]

59. Fire up that Sooner spirit and vote!

I did. It'll make you feel better.

[Brazenly Liberal]

If you don't vote, don't bitch about the outcome - or celebrate it.

If you don't vote, the GOP has done their job. Why you would want to hand it to them, I can't imagine.

[uppityperson]

60. Hell NO!

Things are bad, politics sucks, rights being taken away, families are sundered, friends arguing, lots to be unhappy about. Will your vote count? You don't know. So what.

Let me put this simply. If you don't vote, your vote won't count. If you don't want to be politcally active, if you need to not be involved because emotionally and physically it is hurting you, then don't. But vote. Even if you think it may not count or be counted. If you don't vote, you won't be counted. Times are sad and scary and I can well understand the appeal of not focusing on the negative stuff. But just go vote. That is not your right as an american, but your responsibility.

Vote.

[Coventina]

61. I really suspect your motives in making this post

:wtf:

[Horse with no Name]

72. I did too

however, Octafish came in and vouched for this guy.
This guy sounds like one of the original patriots from here by that post.
He definitely isn't a freeper.

[Sugar Smack]

62. You are going to get so flamed. To answer your question, NO.

I voted and it was an absolute rush. My friend & I were out there in the freezing cold rain, shouting & dancing and jumping in puddles.

[Double T]

63. Politics can be very demoralizing, specially over the past 6 years......

with the corrupt neocon criminals in charge. Forget the political boards and make a serious effort to GO VOTE!!! It is the ONLY opportunity YOU have to CHANGE the way things are and 'WE' need every single registered Democratic voter to HELP THE CAUSE for change to this broken government bushco and the rethugs have created. YOUR VOTE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE and YOU will feel better for contributing by voting!!!! GO VOTE and let 'US' know that YOU did IT.

[chicagolefty]

64. You need to go vote, otherwise you're basically voting for a Republican n/t

[me b zola]

65. Phuck that!

I don't live in a hottly contested area, but I still look forward to casting my vote. We vote by mail here, yet I still fill out my ballot and take it to the board of elections, stand in line, and turn it in on election day.

As a matter of fact we're getting ready to leave right now and I'm freaking excited--so get off of my cloud!

[Name removed]

66. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Greybnk48]

67. Take some Prozac and GET YOUR ASS TO THE POLLS!!

fer da Christ, hey!

[deadparrot]

68. Go vote.

It'll take 15 minutes, maybe less. Surely you can spare a quarter of an hour SOMETIME before 7PM?

You'll never get to the day when politics gives you hope if you don't start somewhere.

[truedelphi]

69. SO no one else here has these feelings?

I have them in spades.

It's us two bit activists who are fighting and pushing the envelope about the election machinery, the voter suppression, the election machinery, the Blackwells appointing themselves for political office, etc.

Where are the Democratic Leaders on this? Former President Clinton is out there baLLY HOOING SOME GREAT MONEY FUND TO SAVE THE WORLD - AND it's not possible for me to LOOK AT HIM AND not WONDER WHY he CAN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THE mess we are in with electronic voting.

Same with Pelosi.

It is damn depressing. I had to force myself to register to vote (I moved recently, so was needing to re-register) - knowing that the issue of election fraud will probably take away whatever small comfort I once received from voting.

Now that I have registered it's not much effort to go to the local polling place and cast my vote. But knowing what I know about the polling places of America, I wonder which of the officials who greets me is the one who will be in charge of the memory card that reverses votes for candidates other than Republicans.

[T Town Jake]

70. Since I am obviously the only one in this thread who read your ENTIRE post...

...before turning on the flamethrowers, I will reply:

It has been a long, dark time in our politics the last six years. Yes, it has been, in many ways, demoralizing. But there is nothing more important anyone can do today than getting to the polls and voting (if they haven't already by absentee). This is the one thing more than anything else that will help make our politics "give us hope and not despair" as you have so eloquently written.

I hope your day gets to looking a little brighter; but please, please, please go vote (if you haven't already)!

Sincerely, -TTJ

[Raffi Ella]

71. um...all I can do is laugh at this post.

D.U. is obviously Excited and Hopeful today...

I'm sorry but the only people feeling the way you describe -"too depressed/demoralized to vote"- are REPUBLICANS...You're at the wrong place if you're hoping to find commiserators.


Get off your ass and do your civic duty: Vote

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Joey Liberal]

74. Not voting helps the GOP n/t

[pecwae]

75. You'll feel much better

if you get out and vote. Just go do it, you'll see.

[dweller]

76. w.t.f ? don't you want your world to be a little brighter?

sometimes it takes just one simple act to change your world, trust that you have that power in yourself to do this thing. VOTE.

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

i'll go one further: sometimes it just takes one self.

It's your world brother,
dp

[Spider Jerusalem]

77. Too demoralised to vote? Christ all-bloody-mighty.

Every single poll that's come out for the past month at least has predicted a Democratic House, and possibly Senate, and you're TOO DEMORALISED TO VOTE? :eyes:

You can vote, and know that you did your part for change, or not vote, and know that you're a spineless, useless, pathetic excuse for a citizen. Your choice.

[hlthe2b]

78. Three words: JUST DO IT!

Today is not about you. It is about our country and the world. Look outside yourself--just for today.




(I'm empathetic to depression, but truly, Sterling, you will feel better if you think outside yourself and focus on what YOU can do just for TODAY)

[ArbustoBuster]

79. I went out and voted and it made me feel GREAT.

Every time I pressed a button with a "D" next to it, it was like I was poking Karl Rove in the nose with a stick. :D

[lcordero2]

80. Nope, I gave in to the darkside a long time ago

fear becomes anger, anger becomes HATE

hopefully it'll lead to suffering for Repukes

[democrat_patriot]

81. STFU and vote! Quit being a baby.

[trekbiker]

82. Hell no!! and I have to drive 50miles after work to get to

my polling place. My own fault, I recently moved and could'nt register in time.. VOTE!!

[BootinUp]

83. I think you will feel better once you are IN LINE TO VOTE!

Go and give a try. See if I am not right.

[RiverStone]

84. Be part of the SOLUTION, not the problem. VOTE! !!!!

It won't even take much longer then it did to vent here. Heck, ya might even feel better!

[Boo Boo]

85. Voting does not qualify one as being "politically active." Just do it.

:nopity:

[ChrisCat]

86. I would be depressed only if I could not vote

but I can and I did.

[cease_fire]

87. In Saudi Arabia....

My unit was tasked to be the first group to enter Kuwait at the beginning Operation Desert Storm. I lead a Platoon of kids (Marines, to be exact), the oldest was 21, into the desert, up and down the berms until the we crossed the boarder into enemy territory.

We were Recon - tip of the spear. And scared.

We passed smoking columns of decimated Republican Guard, twisted, scorched corpses scarcely intact all while geysers of burning oil lit the ground orange and darkened the sky charcoal.

When I had to pull a Latino corporal out off a street by his helmet straps and use the last two magazines of his ammunition (I had run out) to keep the opposing force for shooting him again, I made a decision...

Never Again.

Not for Oil, not for God, Not for King.

Vote Sterling. Don't let it happen again.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

88. Please go vote! Say f*ck it to your mood and go out and do your duty.

Seriously! Every vote is going to make a difference today, and our Democracy is at stake. If you don't, please don't bitch about what's wrong, when what's wrong is that Americans have been letting their country slip away from apathy and self-involvement. It's time to take our country back!

[mmonk]

89. Hell no.

[txindy]

90. And here I thought Sooners never quit.

This Longhorn never does. So, now we know. Fair weather fan, too?

This election is too important for you not to vote because it'll upset you.

Take down the Sooner icon and find one of an ostrich with its head underground.

[ismnotwasm]

91. Oh HELL no

I'm voting, and if it doesn't go the way I want it, I'll vote next time too. But I will never NOT vote.

I'm one of those who feel the country was founded by rich white men, for rich white men, and is now being controlled by corporate interests run by---rich white men. Cynical as all get out. But goddman it I also live in a world where revolutions are possible and change is inevitable.
Fuck yeah I'm voting.

Straight Democratic ticket too.

[Lurking Dem]

92. Have fun.

But don't come here pissin' and moanin' about how the "Repubs did THIS!" or the "Repubs did THAT!"

By not voting you abdicate any right you had to do that.

[NoSheep]

93. I am sorry for your mood but we all absolutely must vote. Listen:

I didn't vote in the first Reagan election. Never again. Big Big Big mistake.

[Cameron27]

94. Come on

get over yourself & go vote.

[Beelzebud]

95. The more I think about this wimpy post the more it pisses me off.

You're either part of the problem, or part of the solution.

Get off your ass and vote...

[Jane Austin]

96. This isn't about how you "feel".

This is about the survival of our country, and probably the world.

Being too demoralized to vote is pathetically self-centered.

Shoot, even SAYING you're too demoralized to vote is just pathetic.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

97. LOL.

I'm very CONCERNED about your feelings.

:rofl:

[Lilith Velkor]

98. Fuck you Karl, I just voted.

:bounce:

[Raffi Ella]

99. Even though "Sterling" has disapeared after posting this drivel...

I just wanted to thank him for inspiring such a positive thread.If this doesn't convince people every vote matters then I don't know what could.

[matcom]

100. you chose TODAY to post this shit?

:eyes:

[demgurl]

101. Depression, in my opinion, is all the more reason to vote.

If it is politics that depresses you then you need to snap out of it and change what is making you depressed. When we feel down we can do two things. We can sit around and mope which will not achieve anything, or you can get out and change the situation. The first action will allow you to play victim but the latter will allow you to become empowered. It is up to you. I hope you choose well.

[Tulum_Moon]

106. Get up off your butt and go vote Sterling!

I hope you are gone from this post because you got up, walked out your door, and went to vote.

[2bfree]

102. Are you trying to encourage people to throw away their votes?

Makes me wonder which side you are really for.:banghead:

[uppityperson]

103. Sterling, hope you feel better soon. I hope for positive change also.

Been thinking about this thread and had to reply more. I too have been very depressed about what is going on and wondering why vote when they will just lie and cheat and it won't matter anyway, but have managed to pull myself out of that and be angry about it all and feel I must vote anyway because that is the 1 thing I can do. I hope you get feeling better, and I hope that things get more positive in this awful time. Peace to you. uppity.

[Sammy Pepys]

105. WTF?

....puh-leez

[ecstatic]

107. everything worked out well despite the rain

Of course, I was able to skip out on work today. I hope other people have the strength to go vote after work, in rush hour, with all this heavy rain. It's a great sacrifice to make knowing we use Diebold machines here.

[judaspriestess]

108. I think your depression is misguided, you are depressed

because that rich school OU has been sucking wind lately!!

GO OKLAHOMA STATE !!!

[Beelzebud]

109. Time to hide this wimpy defeatist POS thread...

[blues90]

110. I would be more so if I did'nt vote

Yeah , I am depressed and concerned and deal with massive panic attacks but if I did not force myself to vote today I know I will not feel part of my america that I want back .

[Maeve]

111. If we don't take back the House, I may join you in depression

I will have a hard time believing humans are smart enough to govern themselves.

But dem it to HELL, I'm going down voting!:patriot:

[Left Is Write]

112. No. I will never voluntarily give up my right to vote.

[mvd]

113. No way

I have never been more enthusiastic about my vote! If they do try to steal it, we'll have numbers if we vote.

[MrSlayer]

114. Hell No. Not voting makes it easier for them.

Go vote anyway. Expect the worst, you might be pleasantly surprised.

[Tommymac]

115. Selfish Fuck. It's not about you ...its about OUR COUNTRY

:wtf:

[ripple]

116. If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem n/t

[Mr_Spock]

117. I do feel like that at times

I would NOT however choose election day to project my fears onto visitors here who have not voted yet. :(

Could you not have waited until tomorrow?

[Blue_In_AK]

118. Who ARE you???

Get out there and vote. If you don't, you don't have any right to complain.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

119. I'm going to lock this.

You are not permitted to use this message board to work for the defeat of the Democratic Party nominee for any political office. If you wish to work for the defeat of any Democratic candidate in any General Election, then you are welcome to use someone else's bandwidth on some other website.

Not voting is as bad as voting Repub.

best,
wakemeupwhenitsover
DU Moderator