If the apathetic voted it’d be over.
this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2024
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If all these leftists that don't vote in protest actually voted, it'd be over. Not just this election, for decades. It would have been a wildly different history.
That too. My buddy is still angry not voting even after 2016. Because he’s still pissed about the two party system. Fair, but you’re not fixing anything.
What a fool. Anyone not voting has no voice and has no right to complain. Nobody will pay attention to them because they offer no action. At that point they may as well be a foreign citizen for the amount of power they hold in the US elections.
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He can bemoan the two party system. But if they want to move anything they need to vote. Assuming he wants to move things left, then it's vote for Dems.
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Which is why it is very important to understand that tankies are not leftists.
They are agents (willing or stupid) of foreign powers who advocate for fascism. And it is in the interests of their masters (mostly Xinnie the pooh and putin) to encourage leftists to disenfranchise themselves.
No, it wouldn't. It's very difficult to quantify how many people don't vote as a protest vs. don't vote out of apathy, but the Green Party, Libertarian Party, and all other third parties combined took home less than 2% of the total vote in the last Presidential election. Even if we assumed that just as many people were staying home in protest, and that they were entirely made up of disgruntled leftists, that would only maybe affect the outcome of some swing states if the numbers are unevenly distributed. It certainly wouldn't remake history.
The internet (and Lemmy especially) might be full of high-minded leftists claiming they stay home on moral principle, but the majority of people who don't vote are just tired, working class people who have to squeeze voting in around work and family on a random Tuesday. If you want them to turn out, you have to give them a candidate that speaks to them enough that they'll take time out of their day vote. (Well, that or a make mail-in voting universal in all 50 states, or make voting day a federal holiday, or a bunch of other things that will never get through Congress.)
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I've just said this recently (like earlier today), but its not necessarily apathy.
Many people had to work multiple jobs, couldn't get a vote by mail option, their local polling place had too few voting booths relative to the number of voters, etc, etc.
As soon as mail in voting became accessible, the number of voters actually voting jumped massively.
Preventing access to voting is an international act, and dismissing people as just being apathetic for not having the time to wait a few hours to vote (because kids, work, etc) is part of that intention.
Don't just be dismissive. Support a national holiday for election day. Support politicians who want to keep mail in voting for all. And don't look down on people who are put into situations where voting instead of showing up to work could make them lose their jobs.
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Honestly though, can you imagine the absolutely apocalyptic meltdown the RNC establishment would have if fucking Texas can be flipped?
They'd just call it ultimate proof of election theft :/
no doubt the federally indicted ken paxton would be more than willing to commit more crimes to stop a democratic victory in texas.
You mean Ken Paxton who was impeached by his own party. While Ken was acquitted, you really have to fuck up have your Republican party vote to impeach you.
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texas isn't a red state; texas is a voter suppression state.
More than people realize. Between the Civil War and this century, the Texas delegation to the US House of Representatives was Majority-Democrat. We had a Democratic governor just 3 Governors ago.
But in 2003 the Texas legislature went majority-Republican for the first time in over a century, and the first thing they did was massively gerrymander the state just a year after it had been redistricted for the 2000 census.
In the 2002 election, 17 Democrats and 15 Republicans were elected to the US House. Following the redistricting, the 2004 election had 21 Republicans and 11 Republicans elected to the House.
With a single map change they went from a minority to a 2:1 majority.
Same is true for Georgia
Texas is also a voter apathy state. A lot of the apathy comes from gerrymandering, which I’d call a form of voter suppression, so your point still stands.
Also reminder for every state except Maine and Nebraska: your voting district has NO effect on who gets the electoral college vote for your state. Even if your state is gerrymandered to all hell and there’s no chance your district will go blue, that has literally zero affect on whether your vote is counted for president.
So go vote, even if it’s hopeless for the local races. Your vote can help flip a state!
Yeah, I had a 5 minute wait to vote in my (majority red) area. 30 minutes away in (majority blue) Dallas, wait times were in the hours, because they keep closing polling locations in blue areas.
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That's very hopeful. A five-point spread can be overcome. And I'm still wondering what the polling error will be this year. For the last few years, Democrats have handily out-performed the polls, and it's not like people under 50 are getting easier to poll.
But don't get complacent. It's possible the polls this year are over-correcting for that. We won't know for sure until the election is over.
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I'm hoping that Harris/Walz spends a few resources here, to make Republicans nervous. Not a LOT of resources, but enough to make the Republicans nervous. We need Dems to turn out in all 50 states, Safe Red, Safe Blue, or whatever, to ensure that we have a resounding victory. Fellow voters, you shouldn't need to be told this, but if a few million here or there in Texas and Florida gets Dems out to vote while putting the fear of Dog into Republicans and force THEM to spend resources there, it's a good strategy in my book.
Same, Repugs forced to defend in TX is a victory in and of itself.
It helps that it's a Cruz year.
Allred vs Cruz is currently 45/47, it's pretty close. Might be a pretty important Senate race if the Democrats lose one of the closer ones.
i haven't see cruz this mad since jetblue said checked bags to mexico would cost $50 extra
Ted Cruz puts on eye shadow every morning but then loses his courage and wipes it off before going out. Pass it on.
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The state even being close nationally will boost a lot a down-ballot races, and hopefully deny extremists from local government seats.
That’s how I feel. I don’t think Texas will actually flip (not impossible though!), it is the message these types of polls are sending that’s important.
I'll be voting blue, and I look forward to the state invalidating all the votes in my county.
A long, long time ago way back in the 90s Texas had a Democrat governor. And it was awesome. One of the best states to live in at the time.
Not for the last 25 years though. Not since the Republicans took over every aspect of the state.
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At the very least, it will cause Republicans to expend more resources in what was a previously safe state.
I'm not getting my hopes up yet, but if Ted Cruz finally gets fired I'll being enough schadenfreude for the whole class.
Dude, really? I have schadenfrade prepared for the class for that occasion too…
Don't forget that had just 5% more of the registered voters in 2016 voted for Hillary, TX would have been blue.
Biden was even closer to winning TX in 2020.
Your vote matters! Do not wait until the last minute to vote! We can not only turn TX blue for Harris, but we have another opportunity to rid ourselves of Cruz this year. There are also 3 seats on the TX Supreme Court, all US and TX reps, 15 state senators, railroad commissioners, 3 members of the criminal court of appeals, 7 members of the state board of education, and many more judges, sherrifs, and local officials among other positions at stake this election. Check all the offices here:
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/2024/offices2024.shtml
Polls will open Oct 21-Nov 1, with one final day to vote on Nov 5. Polls will be open at least 9 hours the first week and at least 12 hours a day (typically 7 AM-7PM with no wait) during the second week, and at least 12 hours with a wait on the final day of voting.
Check your voter registration, important election dates, polling locations and hours (won't be posted until sometime in October), and more at votetexas.gov
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I'll eat my hat if Harris wins Texas. The voter apathy there is palpable.
Unfortunately, not just voter apathy but voter suppression. Texas is a lot closer to blue than they want to admit, but have done an excellent job with disenfranchisement.
And gerrymandering.
Which is disenfranchisement.
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Totally worth a stop for the Joy Campaign. Imagine if they get the RNC to spend more money there and have to underfund swing states lmao
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Needs to be closer for a campaign stop. I'd love to see Trump fight for it, though.
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"Every poll since the unconstitutional Harris coup over Biden is fake."
--#maga
If Trump manages to lose Texas, will the Republicans expel him from their party? If so, will he run as an independent in 2028? (Will he still be alive?)
Who wins Texas is less important than who wins overall.
Doubt he'll still be able to walk in 2028, let alone run.
Yeah, I think he’s going to age like milk if he loses and has to spend 4 more years of his private life dealing with his felonies.
That lazy bum was the only President that didn’t age a day during his 4 years in office. But after 4 years fighting to stay out of prison, and he’s melting and rambling way more.
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Don't forget about early voting and mail in voting!
Still doesn't matter if you don't vote.
Good to see for Kamala.
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