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The Velveteen Ocelot

(126,131 posts)
7. If someone has bothered to vote but didn't fill out part of the ballot
Fri Dec 2, 2016, 12:36 PM
Dec 2016

for president, that's not apathy; that's not liking either candidate. Not liking Trump doesn't require a whole lot of analysis but not liking Clinton is another issue. I get it that 25 years of negative propaganda from the right wing took its toll, but even if people were influenced by that and didn't like Hillary for the wrong reasons (or even the right reasons, for that matter), how could they not see that Trump was a thousand times worse? There's always a lot of complaining about having to vote for "the lesser of two evils," but why would anyone vote for the greater evil? (Note: I am not saying Hillary is evil or that I even think she's evil, but that's been the GOP claim since forever).

Where apathy comes in, though, is when voters are so put off by the whole process that they don't even bother to show up. I think the intense negativity of this campaign certainly had that effect on some - the whole "A plague on both your houses" feeling; to hell with 'em all, fuck the whole process. The Dems in particular need to take a close look at why many of their usual supporters stayed home this time. The GOP know that whenever voter turnout is low, they win.

That is why they've been trying so hard in some states to keep certain voters (and we know who those voters are) from voting. Some of what might appear to be apathy could be attributed to voter suppression in some places. It's no coincidence that one of the highest turnout states, Minnesota, is also one of the easiest states to vote in; and Minnesota has voted for the Dem candidate every year since 1972. But this year, even though Clinton won here, it was a squeaker (that narrow margin was itself unusual), and the GOP picked up seats in the state legislature. So even with easy voting and little evidence of apathy here, something else was going on. I have my own theory, but that and $2.50 will get me a double-skim latte at Starbucks so I won't mention it here.

Point is, voter apathy isn't the whole problem, but whatever it was the Dems need to get their shit together.

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In Michigan, there were about 90,000 ballots without the presidential section filled out. muntrv Dec 2016 #1
Yes. Every state has many of those ballots. MineralMan Dec 2016 #2
If you count voter preferences another way, it was actually a landslide for "None of the Above." TonyPDX Dec 2016 #26
45% didn't vote. Mz Pip Dec 2016 #3
That is true. MineralMan Dec 2016 #4
80% turn out in my neck of the woods. Mz Pip Dec 2016 #14
Look at the areas that didn't turn out, much were in conservative areas. The Indy & X-Over Reps. TheBlackAdder Dec 2016 #30
I read that it was more like 50% mitch96 Dec 2016 #37
Apathy - or "They're both terrible", marybourg Dec 2016 #5
Although true. Faux new has about 2.5 million watchers yeoman6987 Dec 2016 #6
Well some medium is spreading identical memes marybourg Dec 2016 #8
Yeah the entire media is changing. It is sad to watch. yeoman6987 Dec 2016 #11
If someone has bothered to vote but didn't fill out part of the ballot The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2016 #7
It's an election. You have choices on the ballot. MineralMan Dec 2016 #10
You have no argument from me. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2016 #13
I have been posting about this topic Mosby Dec 2016 #9
Many people treat elections as some sort of wish fulfillment, MineralMan Dec 2016 #12
I don't get it either, but then I have voted in every election since I was 18. Mosby Dec 2016 #16
I couldn't vote until I was 21, in 1966. MineralMan Dec 2016 #22
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #15
Reported by whom? Links please. Kingofalldems Dec 2016 #39
The 2016 vote totals are damn close to the 2012 vote totals. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #17
Apathetic or Vindictive? otohara Dec 2016 #18
There were some who voted out of spite. MineralMan Dec 2016 #23
Half of the millenials were especially silent flamingdem Dec 2016 #19
It's Official re: Millennials otohara Dec 2016 #24
It might help flamingdem Dec 2016 #25
I just dont get it. Often those having the most to loose sit and let others determine their future, RKP5637 Dec 2016 #29
I think we discourage voting in this country. iscooterliberally Dec 2016 #20
Well said!!! Many just don't seem to understand the importance of voting and especially as an RKP5637 Dec 2016 #28
I agree although I have never tried voting by mail. iscooterliberally Dec 2016 #32
... RKP5637 Dec 2016 #33
Don't mistake voter disenfranchisement and suppression for apathy BainsBane Dec 2016 #21
Disenfranchisment has another face sweetroxie Dec 2016 #34
Now they can see the consequences of that false equivalency BainsBane Dec 2016 #36
A point of apathy for those that do vote is failing to review and vote for judges where such is the RKP5637 Dec 2016 #27
There were at least 20 judges on my ballot. MineralMan Dec 2016 #38
It's often hard to soar like an eagle when one is forced to fly along with a bunch of turkeys. n/t RKP5637 Dec 2016 #31
Yeah, we can hate the "rural, redneck" voters all we want. cwydro Dec 2016 #35
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