For all those dems, progressives, independents that did not vote

[Monique1]

Your message was - we will show them - you sure did and today we lose once again. Now you will show them in 2012 - show them again! Yep, that works for your fellow citizens doesn't it? If I sound bitter for those who stayed home, yes I am. You sold us out.

The Tea thugs sent a message and got their message out - won! Staying home sent a message saying they don't care. LOST big time. Sorry I cannot accept your excuses. Guess I am closed minded at this point in time.

[piratefish08]

1. as opposed to all the progress made before the election?

fail.

just accept that there is a growing segment of the population no longer content with awarding elections to sheep in wolves clothing.

[patrice]

5. You know, that would be okay if they weren't sooooooooo passive otherwise.

Sitting on the sidelines and saying "It's so corrupt that it must crash and burn, so we can build something (?????????????????!) 'new' (ha!) " is delusional.

[EFerrari]

8. What are you even talking about?

[patrice]

17. I'm talking about decades of grassroots' issue-based groups I've seen that are/were NEVER

anything but the same basic bunch of 10-20 people trying to do ALL of the work of changing things while everyone else says something such as, "Yay! atta boy/girl!" and actually DOES absolutely nothing more. Can't be bothered to show up for a local demonstration, can't march, can't get on the internet and debate effectively, can't make phone calls, can't write letters, can't . . . . no one wants to take the risk of being associated with some kind of concrete plan that looks like anything their employers might be uncomfortable with.

I am talking about what Chris Hedges describes in Death of the Liberal Class. It's all well and fine AS LONG AS IT REMAINS JUST AN IDEA. The minute you ask anyone to do anything concrete, especially if it isn't in an election year, there are all of these very real rational reasons for why s/he just really can't.

[EFerrari]

27. That's just people, though, and the nature of groups.

Most people don't participate very much. The habit has to be learned. It was the same in San Francisco, the same 15 faces at every issue event, lol. But that is the challenge, to find ways to help people get active.

[patrice]

29. Yes. It's called Learned Helplessness and it's burning-out those who don't have that trait.

At some point, you just show up anyway, without any real hope of changing anything, which is understandable (and at least in Zen understandings, the preferred mode), but which assumption I think totally affects decisions about what the group is going to do and how.

[RZM]

11. I'm not sure it's growing all that fast

I think it's always been there. We all know plenty of people who simply don't give a shit. Some sincerely sit it out for the reason you stated, but many, many more just cloak their laziness or disinterest in cynicism. Plenty of others freely admit that they don't know much about the issues and thus don't care to vote. There are a whole lot of people that just don't care much about politics -- and they exist all across the spectrum.

[Monique1]

13. No, I cannot accept your view

Sorry, poor excuse. Too many people on this board worked their butts off and I will not abandon them. They worked hard to save this country from the crazies that won and there was progress on the left but too blinded by the right to see. I am not the most intellect on here but knew that yes progress was made while there was a "no" vote on everything from the right. Progress may not had been to my liking, may not have been fast enough - but look how everything was stacked against us. Now, what do we have? You know the answer to that. So, go ahead sit out 2012 I really don't care anymore.

[Individualist]

2. Scolding post fail.

[demmiblue]

3. You are imagining things. n/t

[Skidmore]

4. K & freaking R

[patrice]

6. It's called cutting your nose off to spite your face and it's delusional. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Right. We didn't lose the election because the left didn't vote.

Other than that, and the fact that this was the lame duck pre-election congress, you make a fabulous post.

Was it good for you?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Actually, it was due to the shocking lack of pom-poms.

[stray cat]

9. The irrationality is mind boggling - conservatives normally know to vote against dems

others are not as smart as to vote against those who will do them the MOST damage

[AC_Mem]

10. Exactly

And it surprises me. I volunteered for OFA - we called thousands of people to get their commitment to vote and it was an overwhelming success - just about everyone seemed to agree that they understood the importance and would be at the polls.

We will all suffer for people's lack of motivation to vote in this midterm election. Our message was not strong or loud enough to get people to the polls. I spread the blame between our leadership who did not stand strong on message, and the democrats who voted for change but sat home when we needed them most.

Annette

[Monique1]

16. I must say I am crushed

that if people voted on our side - maybe things would be different. I don't know if we can come back now.

I read here but I cannot listen to progressive talk or watch progressive talk anymore - they are depressing.

I do blame many of the Democrats also who did not get their message across - they ran away from their accomplishments and ran toward the republics.

[Skidmore]

22. I've come to believe that some of these "progressives" and

baggers are one and the same. Don't come to me and tell me you are on my side when your actions belie your words. The scorched earth tactics of self-styled progressives are not one whit better than those of the worst of the baggers.

[NNN0LHI]

14. You can be sure a large percentage of those non-voters were part of Bush's +90% approval rating

More than nine out of ten people you know or see walking down the street are imbeciles.

And you can be sure we have our share of them here too. They won't admit it. But they are here.

Don

[meow mix]

15. yeah all those blue dogs would surely have fought with us, lolz

:hide:

[Monique1]

18. Some of those blue dogs did not get elected

but what did we get in exchange? Surely nothing better but worse.

We laughed and joked here saying for several months that the end of the republic party was ending - it is, now it is the beginning of the tea party - the extreme. We laugh at Steele - yep, he did get the tea baggers out to vote while many stayed home.

Those who are defending themselves from staying home - are just making excuses.

I think with all this negative rhetoric against our own did more damage than anyone believes.

[democracy1st]

20. trust me Steele didn't have anything to do with getting voters on the right out to vote.

[Monique1]

21. I met a woman last week, a senior

who was a Democrat, she voted according to what her son told her to do. She is now a registered republic. Her son is a flaming tea bag

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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

[Taitertots]

23. Dems not winning is their own fault, not the voters

How can you try to frame this as the voters problem and not the politicians problem? The people want an FDR and won't vote in a bunch of Hoovers.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

24. What!! You mean candidates should have to appeal to voters to get their votes???

What a stunning concept! We could call it "Democracy".

[Recursion]

25. Liberal turnout wasn't lower than normal

Conservative turnout was slightly higher than normal. That made the difference.

[CrispyQ]

26. Regardless of how disgusted they were with the change we got,

I don't know anyone who didn't vote in November. I'm certain I won't be able to say that in 2012, though.

[RoseMead]

28. You know what? I'm sick to death of that line.

I voted. I voted for the Democrat - Joe Manchin. I voted for him because he was the lesser of two evils. I urged others to vote for him, even though we had a Mountain Party candidate in this state who was actually AGAINST mountaintop removal. I fought with other progressives over this. It was miserable. And when election day came, I gave Joe my vote, because he was the Dem and GOTTA VOTE FOR THE DEM OR ELSE!!!!

Well, Joe *may* do us some good that Raese would have, but not this time around, apparently. So pardon me if I feel a bit sick to my stomach over having pushed for the Dem uber alles, and a more than a little envious of those Dems, progressives and independents who voted with their consciences. God help me, I never thought I'd ever say such a thing, but good for them!