If you live in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida (really any of the fifty states, but these are the most critical), AND you don’t want to see Donald Trump elected for a second term, you must vote for Joe Biden in November. Yes Biden is a doddering old man who is experiencing rapid cognitive decline, and yes it is totally unacceptable that these are our choices, but disengaging does not solve the problem, it only makes it worse.
Believe me, I completely understand the inclination to just say to hell with it and check out, but we can’t do that. I have been as guilty of it as anyone but I now fully recognize it was a mistake. But it’s not too late to make it right. Voting is not only a right, it is a responsibility. If we, the people, want to rule, we must be vigilant and responsible.
Right now, our priority is damage control and harm reduction. I know, it has been that way for far too long, and that is extremely frustrating, but it is nonetheless the reality of the situation. We must vote for Biden this year, and then we MUST stay engaged so that we can work toward nominating the best possible candidate in 2028. We must stay informed and vote, diligently, in every state, local, and primary election.
Decisions are made by those who show up; it really just comes down to that.
And if the other side is better at getting people to show the fuck up…. You need to make an effort to do the same. Even if it is a far from ideal choice.
Everything you said should be enough to get people to vote, but the sad reality is reducing it to that may not be enough.
I understand why it isn’t enough for a lot of people. I think the biggest reason people don’t vote is they don’t feel their vote matters all that much, and/or they see a certain futility in the whole thing. I understand why, in the face of that apparent futility, many people feel powerless and thus choose to disengage. But, yes, as you’ve said, disengagement does nothing and the only way to take back power is greater engagement. The powerful want us to feel powerless, they want us to be disengaged and they want us to be misinformed, thus we gain power by being informed and engaged, which will lead to us feeling empowered, which promotes even greater engagement.
Personally, I vote in every election. I’m a very well educated, very well informed voter. I know the issues, I know the candidates, I know their track record. Basically, you couldn’t find a more ideal voter. But, I only have one vote.
And so does every illiterate, uninformed, uninterested person who might stumble into a voting booth by accident.
The only thing I CAN do is show up, and hope an idiot with a different view stays home. And even if they vote as well, I’ll at least have the satisfaction of knowing I negated their vote.
I might not always get what I want, but I’ll damn sure show up just in case more of my guys do. Voting is a team effort and I’m doing my part.
I wonder if it would help him to frame his campaign more along those lines “you’re not just voting for me, you’re voting for my entire administration.”
I did. But I also watched a number of his speeches before and after. He over prepared and tripped over his own feet. Reagan likely was in decline for over half his years but they celebrate him now.
Biden did horrible, but he seemed unnaturally prepped to me. I don’t care what the practiced Biden does, I’m more concerned with what he’s like over a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone.
Now do more than watch the debate. Listen to Biden speak on every other recent occasion. Would you like to be judged for your worst performance or your average?
There’s a reason why people were saying he was like this for years now. Funny how it was all confirmed the instant it wasn’t completely controlled n scripted.
There’s a reason why people were saying he was like this for years now. Funny how it was all confirmed the instant it wasn’t completely controlled n scripted.
An assertion that is easily proven false, of course. But hey, let’s not let facts get in the way of a good yarn.
The problem is, the people who are swayed by this argument were already going to vote Blue no matter who.
To win the election, you need to convince voters who are still doubting between Trump and Biden. And they have definitely heard this argument before, so a different argument is needed.
While voter apathy is a big problem, it is likely that voter suppression targeted at the tie breaking areas has more of an effect on the overall outcomes. Suppression includes duscouraging engagement, leading to apathy.
Like I have voted in every election that I could, but my electoral college votes always went to the person I voted against. Even locally the vast, vast majority of my votes were for the losing party. It is really hard to not be apathetic, and for me voting is a breeze.
Agreed. And to your point, competitive states without voter suppression like Wisconsin and Michigan had turnout of around 75%, while Texas (which is most known for suppressing voters) only achieved 60% turnout.
Texas is mostly a cultural issue. The left in this state are a bunch of defeatist do-nothings who think Texas will always be red. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve talked to a like minded person, asked them about voting, only for them to give some half-hearted excuse why they didn’t/won’t.
With the way early voting works here, suppression is hard to pull off. For 2 weeks you can show up at any polling place to vote, even the ones in the rich white neighborhoods. The last time I voted, it took all of 10 minutes. There’s no doubt some fuckery with voter registration, but you have plenty of opportunity to check your status online ahead of the election.
they’re true and you’ll only see them the most in houston and san antonio and a little bit in a dallas and austin.
source: me, a poor brown man who used to live in texas and tried to vote there for 5 years.
the excuses they come up to de-register you are with are laughable to hear; but texan officials will say it with a straight face and texan “liberals” will justify it by saying “it’s the law”.
moving from san francisco to austin has taught me that texan “left” is further right than in most places; but yes, they’re defeatists to the extreme and it makes sense given the state’s political recent history.
While voter apathy is a big problem, it is likely that voter suppression targeted at the tie breaking areas has more of an effect on the overall outcomes. Suppression includes duscouraging engagement, leading to apathy.
And Congress could have done something about it when Democrats had the majority in both houses. In one hand, they had the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and in the other, they had the continued preservation of the Jim Crow Filibuster.
I so want nothing to do with this election, I feel so defeated and disgusted by all of it BUT I keep reminding myself that if I don’t vote then I essentially voted for whoever ends up winning. And that could easily be Trump. And in my view he’s not just an awful candidate, he’s an existential threat eat to democracy. So I will vote. But damn, literally almost anyone else could beat Trump, why this is our choice is so insane.
I’ve never read the Handmaid’s Tale, I really don’t know much about it. I don’t know how analogous that story is to our current situation, if it is at all. But I do know that there is a real danger posed by Trump and the Republican party. Is the Democratic party completely harmless? Absolutely not, but I don’t think they are as great a threat to democracy as the Republicans. We should vote for Biden as a harm reduction measure. Yes, just like in 2020. I know people get tired of hearing that, I know people are fed up with the constant hounding to vote for the lesser of two evils, but that is the situation we are in.
That being said, voting for Biden in this general election lIs iterally the bare minimum that we must do to defend democracy, and if that is all we do, no, it absolutely will not be enough. I think a lot of us, myself very much included, dropped the ball over the last four years and didn’t do nearly enough to try and push for more meaningful changes. That has to change, and, again, I’m including myself in that. I need to do more, most of us do. We need to do everything we possibly can to ensure that by February 2029 we will have a better president in the White House, a better Congress, and a better supreme court, as well as better governors and better state legislatures in as many states as possible.
If you live in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida (really any of the fifty states, but these are the most critical), AND you don’t want to see Donald Trump elected for a second term, you must vote for Joe Biden in November. Yes Biden is a doddering old man who is experiencing rapid cognitive decline, and yes it is totally unacceptable that these are our choices, but disengaging does not solve the problem, it only makes it worse.
Believe me, I completely understand the inclination to just say to hell with it and check out, but we can’t do that. I have been as guilty of it as anyone but I now fully recognize it was a mistake. But it’s not too late to make it right. Voting is not only a right, it is a responsibility. If we, the people, want to rule, we must be vigilant and responsible.
Right now, our priority is damage control and harm reduction. I know, it has been that way for far too long, and that is extremely frustrating, but it is nonetheless the reality of the situation. We must vote for Biden this year, and then we MUST stay engaged so that we can work toward nominating the best possible candidate in 2028. We must stay informed and vote, diligently, in every state, local, and primary election.
deleted by creator
Decisions are made by those who show up; it really just comes down to that.
And if the other side is better at getting people to show the fuck up…. You need to make an effort to do the same. Even if it is a far from ideal choice.
If the other side is better at showing the fuck up*
Ftfy we are the sides. Cavalry ain’t comin
I understand why it isn’t enough for a lot of people. I think the biggest reason people don’t vote is they don’t feel their vote matters all that much, and/or they see a certain futility in the whole thing. I understand why, in the face of that apparent futility, many people feel powerless and thus choose to disengage. But, yes, as you’ve said, disengagement does nothing and the only way to take back power is greater engagement. The powerful want us to feel powerless, they want us to be disengaged and they want us to be misinformed, thus we gain power by being informed and engaged, which will lead to us feeling empowered, which promotes even greater engagement.
Personally, I vote in every election. I’m a very well educated, very well informed voter. I know the issues, I know the candidates, I know their track record. Basically, you couldn’t find a more ideal voter. But, I only have one vote.
And so does every illiterate, uninformed, uninterested person who might stumble into a voting booth by accident.
The only thing I CAN do is show up, and hope an idiot with a different view stays home. And even if they vote as well, I’ll at least have the satisfaction of knowing I negated their vote.
I might not always get what I want, but I’ll damn sure show up just in case more of my guys do. Voting is a team effort and I’m doing my part.
You can also combat the propaganda, misinformation, and poorly informed people on social media. You can donate and volunteer, too.
deleted by creator
I wonder if it would help him to frame his campaign more along those lines “you’re not just voting for me, you’re voting for my entire administration.”
Only in the media. Also, according to the media, the orange 34 count felon is completely fine, A-okay, in fact.
Get a grip America. Biden’s policies are popular with Democrats AND Republicans
Didn’t watch the debate, huh? Its all true.
I did. But I also watched a number of his speeches before and after. He over prepared and tripped over his own feet. Reagan likely was in decline for over half his years but they celebrate him now.
Biden did horrible, but he seemed unnaturally prepped to me. I don’t care what the practiced Biden does, I’m more concerned with what he’s like over a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone.
Now do more than watch the debate. Listen to Biden speak on every other recent occasion. Would you like to be judged for your worst performance or your average?
There’s a reason why people were saying he was like this for years now. Funny how it was all confirmed the instant it wasn’t completely controlled n scripted.
An assertion that is easily proven false, of course. But hey, let’s not let facts get in the way of a good yarn.
So do you just lie all the time?
He does fine, when there is a teleprompter.
Someone said it best a couple weeks ago here.
“Just because Alfred is getting too old to take care of things doesn’t mean you put the Joker in charge of the Bat Cave.”
We aren’t talking about trump right now
You got downvoted, but it’s very clear that the Adderall shortage hit the nominees hard.
The problem is, the people who are swayed by this argument were already going to vote Blue no matter who.
To win the election, you need to convince voters who are still doubting between Trump and Biden. And they have definitely heard this argument before, so a different argument is needed.
No, the point of the argument is to convince the people who are not planning to vote at all to show up.
The last presidential election had ~60% turnout. That’s one of the highest turnouts EVER. People sitting at home are indeed the problem.
While voter apathy is a big problem, it is likely that voter suppression targeted at the tie breaking areas has more of an effect on the overall outcomes. Suppression includes duscouraging engagement, leading to apathy.
Like I have voted in every election that I could, but my electoral college votes always went to the person I voted against. Even locally the vast, vast majority of my votes were for the losing party. It is really hard to not be apathetic, and for me voting is a breeze.
Agreed. And to your point, competitive states without voter suppression like Wisconsin and Michigan had turnout of around 75%, while Texas (which is most known for suppressing voters) only achieved 60% turnout.
Texas is mostly a cultural issue. The left in this state are a bunch of defeatist do-nothings who think Texas will always be red. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve talked to a like minded person, asked them about voting, only for them to give some half-hearted excuse why they didn’t/won’t.
With the way early voting works here, suppression is hard to pull off. For 2 weeks you can show up at any polling place to vote, even the ones in the rich white neighborhoods. The last time I voted, it took all of 10 minutes. There’s no doubt some fuckery with voter registration, but you have plenty of opportunity to check your status online ahead of the election.
I have read a lot of reports on how Texas doesn’t provide polling places in poorer, minority neighbourhoods, forcing them to travel far to vote.
And I have also heard reports of people who had to stand in line for hours to vote in Texas. Again, in poorer, minority neighbourhoods.
Are you saying those reports are not true?
they’re true and you’ll only see them the most in houston and san antonio and a little bit in a dallas and austin.
source: me, a poor brown man who used to live in texas and tried to vote there for 5 years.
the excuses they come up to de-register you are with are laughable to hear; but texan officials will say it with a straight face and texan “liberals” will justify it by saying “it’s the law”.
moving from san francisco to austin has taught me that texan “left” is further right than in most places; but yes, they’re defeatists to the extreme and it makes sense given the state’s political recent history.
Couple that with a state party that cuts funding to progressives because they’re not republican-adjacent enough.
And Congress could have done something about it when Democrats had the majority in both houses. In one hand, they had the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and in the other, they had the continued preservation of the Jim Crow Filibuster.
Democrats chose to keep the filibuster.
So “Shut up, we’re not going to listen to your concerns, we are owed your vote” is sure to work!
The debate fallout has made the fence-sitters’ decision for them.
Dems need a parachute candidate pronto. Kamala would win, too.
Important to talk to people we know, and make sure they actually vote.
But
the economyrich people’s yacht money though!I so want nothing to do with this election, I feel so defeated and disgusted by all of it BUT I keep reminding myself that if I don’t vote then I essentially voted for whoever ends up winning. And that could easily be Trump. And in my view he’s not just an awful candidate, he’s an existential threat eat to democracy. So I will vote. But damn, literally almost anyone else could beat Trump, why this is our choice is so insane.
Hear hear
You need to vote to make sure the electors just ignore you.
Get the plane tickets while they’re cheap.
The problem with the Handmaid’s Tale was that people just didn’t vote hard enough.
I’ve never read the Handmaid’s Tale, I really don’t know much about it. I don’t know how analogous that story is to our current situation, if it is at all. But I do know that there is a real danger posed by Trump and the Republican party. Is the Democratic party completely harmless? Absolutely not, but I don’t think they are as great a threat to democracy as the Republicans. We should vote for Biden as a harm reduction measure. Yes, just like in 2020. I know people get tired of hearing that, I know people are fed up with the constant hounding to vote for the lesser of two evils, but that is the situation we are in.
That being said, voting for Biden in this general election lIs iterally the bare minimum that we must do to defend democracy, and if that is all we do, no, it absolutely will not be enough. I think a lot of us, myself very much included, dropped the ball over the last four years and didn’t do nearly enough to try and push for more meaningful changes. That has to change, and, again, I’m including myself in that. I need to do more, most of us do. We need to do everything we possibly can to ensure that by February 2029 we will have a better president in the White House, a better Congress, and a better supreme court, as well as better governors and better state legislatures in as many states as possible.