America, it's your own damn fault!

[Speck Tater]

In debt standoff, voters' role also key

http://news.yahoo.com/debt-standoff-voters-role-key-130256376.html

<<snip>>

Americans gripe about cowardly, self-serving politicians, and Congress doubtlessly has its feckless moments and members. But voters are quick to overlook their own role in legislative impasses that keep the nation from resolving big, obvious, festering problems such as immigration, the long-term stability of Medicare, and now, the debt ceiling.

<<snip>>

A McClatchy-Marist poll this year found that 71 percent of registered voters want political leaders in Washington to compromise to get things done. If those voters skip key primaries, however, they may have little say in the matter. Political enthusiasts, whether they wear peace signs or "Don't Tread On Me" T-shirts, will determine who gets elected in many districts before a wide swath of Americans even notice it's an election year.

Except for a recently appointed senator from Nevada, every member of Congress got there the same way: American voters elected them.

People may bristle at the notion that we get the government we deserve. But there's no denying we get the government we elect.

[graywarrior]

1. Voters decided to punish Obama in 2010 so they voted in teabaggers

Nice move.

[CakeGrrl]

3. And then they want to blame the President for "making them stay home"

as if it's not each person's individual privilege and responsibility to complete and submit their ballot.

That's a weak excuse.

[rury]

13. K&R CakeGrrl!!!!!!!!

[young but wise]

14. +infinity

[great white snark]

15. +1

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. Age 60+ voters....

...most every other demographic didn't swing enough to cause the magnitude of change we saw in the House.

And the House is where the problems have been.

[politicasista]

17. +1 n/t

[Union Scribe]

18. Do you have anything to back that up?

[graywarrior]

20. I forgot the question, there's so many responses

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I always get pissed to the hilt when these statements are made.

"It is the voter's fault", "It is the citizen's fault", "It is all of our fault".

No no no no no. It is not all of our fault. Many vote faithfully at every election, and vote for the person that they feel most represents their ideals. It is not our fault that many times, the choices are between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. It is not our fault that most Americans sit out the elections. It is not our fault if the person we voted for did not win.

Damn it, broad brushes like this are irresponsible. And I never hear kudos to the voters who do it right. So don't put me in your "group" of responsible parties.

:rant:

[Speck Tater]

5. Read the articlce. That's not what it says...

It says that only the enthusiastic HARD right and enthusiastic HARD left people bother vote in primaries, so are candidates are being driven further from the center because moderates don't bother to vote in primaries.

Primary voters favor the extremes, so moderates never even make it to the ballot.

ed:typo

[graywarrior]

6. The young vote fell about 60% in 2010.

[treestar]

10. Yes it is. As a group.

That is how it works. Our role is to vote. If the candidate I elected does not win, I don't blame the candidate I voted for, I blame the voters who voted that candidate in.

If the state of NC sends Jessie Helms to the Senate, I blame them. Maybe not the minority who voted against him. But certainly the majority who voted for him in greater numbers so that he got to hold that post.

People who stay home and don't vote deserve nothing and have no credibility if they blame "Washington."

[Curmudgeoness]

11. I also blame the people who voted for the wrong candidate.

But does that make it my fault that things go to hell? Me and all the other people who voted for the right candidate do not belong in that group of losers who screwed us.

[fasttense]

4. Oh yeah, let's all pretend electronic voting machines are fair and accurate.

Let's all pretend that bush got into office and stayed there based on a full accounting of votes.

Let's all pretend the RepubliCONS don't actively and aggressively pursue all-but-in-name poll taxes and routinely disenfranchise voters.

Let's all pretend that obvious rigged elections don't ever occur.

The only thing I blame "We The People" for is NOT getting out in the streets, week after week, like the Egyptians, to fight back.

[jamieque]

22. You are partially right...

True, the voting machine tampering and various election fraud issues are part of the problem but that is not the whole problem. Voter apathy and a tendancy of all of us to ignore what is going on in our political system is also a major part of the problem. If we paid more attention to who we put into office and did the research necessary to make a confident vote on who the 'said' individual we want to represent us we could eliminate a whole lot of our problems. The biggest problem is the on-going corruption that has been allowed to fester and grow like a cancer in our governmental system.

So while your points are valid to a certain extent they are all are just a symptom of our own ignorance as voters. We tend not to pay attention when we should be doing so and because of this fact the individuals responsible for all this corruption continue to get away with doing more. We can't just vote and just say, 'Well, I did my job and now I am done.' No no no, voting in the politicians are only part of the job. The job is an ongoing, day-by-day one that requires us to stay alert. The people have to be the ones to stand up and put pressure on our representatives when they have been misbehaving because like children that is what they tend to do when we are not paying attention. You know what you have to do if you have a disobidient child. You discipline him/her and the politicians are no different. They are children and we have to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't misbehaving. I know, I know it is a tiring process since they are so fucking hard headed and tend to fight over stupid shit almost every single day but it has to be done. We have to knock some sense into them by showing them that there will be consequences for any irresponsible action they take. Only by doing this will we finally be able to change this system and take it back. Otherwise, things will just continue to get worst and wost until well... I don't think you need me to fill in the dots to understand.

Now, you and I both agree that people need to get out in the streets and fight back but it is easier said then done when very few people have the willpower or courage to stand up. The president has tried to motivate us to action but he can only do so much. We all have to do our part. Those of us who have done our part I commend you but we know that it is going to take a massive effort on everyone's part to change this country for the better. Otherwise it is game over and we all lose.

[EC]

8. This is right.

The primarie challanges are the point. If that threat were taken away by sane people actually going to the primaries, there would be different choices to make in the general...It's more the repub side that draws the crazies...I mean look at Iowa primaries...it's ALL the crazies going there, so that should tell us something about the role of the primaries. The saner repubs aren't even wasting time in Iowa because the nuts are the only ones that show up to vote.

[rms013]

9. I think you are mistaken

those in power select who will run by their campaign contributions, and media control. In this shining star of a democracy we are given, for the most part, two choices; both financed by the same individuals and corporations. That is the illusion of American Democracy. Your vote only counts when they want it to. Look at the 2000 appointment of GWB by the Supreme Court, or the 2004 election rigging fraud in Ohio (which was the swing state which gave GWB the presidency.

[rury]

12. To those "progressives" who stayed home last November in

your asinine attempt to "teach Obama a lesson" it's your damned fault, right along with the meanies, racists and jackasses who voted for the Tea Party.
And now you're pissed off because it:hurts: huh?

:nopity:

[Union Scribe]

19. Do you have any data to back up your smear of progressives?

[great white snark]

16. "71 percent of registered voters want political leaders in Washington to compromise"

Get it fringe?

[Morizovich]

21. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! UNREC!

We only wanna hear about puppies!!!