I’m not avoiding anything. I’m saying, look this system is so shitty that half the people don’t even bother participating in it. You’ve taken a pretty bad example of a policy to point out why neither party could possibly attract disengaged citizens. How about taxing billionaires out of existence to fund QOL upgrades for the rest of us? I bet that would gain more votes than it would lose, but something tells me the billionaire segment of the electorate is the one that matters most.
“Taxes! They want to raise taxes! They’re coming for your hard earned money! That’s all they do is raise taxes!”
And you just lost the center. We both know that’s how they’re going to spin it. In the HOPE (I choose that word very carefully) that the people that never vote will magically vote. You lose the guaranteed vote (which counts double) from people that are engaged, in the HOPE that some others maybe, possibly, hopefully, perhaps, show up. I think they’ll just say “still not enough, so I’m still not voting in protest”. The math does not work. Elections are won from the center.
Funny because that’s exactly what I think of these protest non-voters. They’ve tried nothing (literally nothing because they don’t vote) and they’re all out of ideas.
Is this the point where I point out that the dems have had all 3 (house, senate, presidency) for 4 years of the last 24 years? They need all 3 to actually pass anything progressive. But the non-voters never try to give them any real control.
Edited my comment, so you probably didn’t see. And we are at that point.
Is this the point where I point out that the dems have had all 3 (house, senate, presidency) for 4 years of the last 24 years? They need all 3 to actually pass anything progressive. But the non-voters never try to give them any real control.
Want to include Bill Clinton? Then it’s 6 years of the last 32 years. Want to go further? Then it’s 6 years of the last 44 years. Read that again, 6 years of the last 44 fucking years dems have had control of all 3.
And that can still be filibustered. If you want filibuster proof majority then it’s 4 MONTHS of the last 44 years. Not 4 years, 4 MONTHS out of the least 44 fucking years.
That’s why it’s tried nothing and all out of ideas.
So we’re back to the point where the system is hopelessly broken? Because what you just described is the system. You want to fantasize about non-voters just suddenly deciding to vote blue in overwhelming numbers. I fantasize about genuine, inspiring leaders and policies bringing more participation to the process. They’re both just fantasies though.
You want to fantasize about non-voters just suddenly deciding to vote blue in overwhelming number.
What? That’s you.
I’m the one saying that elections are won from the center, from swing voters that you know vote. And that the center vote is worth double. You are the one waxing poetically about the fringes, and the non-voters, and how the fringes are going to come out in droves to replace the double loss of centre voters. I’m the one saying you need twice as many (more than twice actually) to replace the center votes. But you think these droves and hordes of people are going to magically appear. You’re officially making no sense when you try to pin that on me.
Winning elections from the center is reality, not fantasy. It’s literally what happens.
And I’m saying, that it’s a shitty system. You described how this very system has kept the democrats from getting anything done for decades. There are not enough swing voters to give them sustained control over those institutions. You also make an error in assuming that every non-voter you energize would mean losing one swing voter. There are also more than double the non-voters as there are swing voters.
I’m not avoiding anything. I’m saying, look this system is so shitty that half the people don’t even bother participating in it. You’ve taken a pretty bad example of a policy to point out why neither party could possibly attract disengaged citizens. How about taxing billionaires out of existence to fund QOL upgrades for the rest of us? I bet that would gain more votes than it would lose, but something tells me the billionaire segment of the electorate is the one that matters most.
“Taxes! They want to raise taxes! They’re coming for your hard earned money! That’s all they do is raise taxes!”
And you just lost the center. We both know that’s how they’re going to spin it. In the HOPE (I choose that word very carefully) that the people that never vote will magically vote. You lose the guaranteed vote (which counts double) from people that are engaged, in the HOPE that some others maybe, possibly, hopefully, perhaps, show up. I think they’ll just say “still not enough, so I’m still not voting in protest”. The math does not work. Elections are won from the center.
“We’ve tried nothing, and we’re all out of ideas!”
Funny because that’s exactly what I think of these protest non-voters. They’ve tried nothing (literally nothing because they don’t vote) and they’re all out of ideas.
Is this the point where I point out that the dems have had all 3 (house, senate, presidency) for 4 years of the last 24 years? They need all 3 to actually pass anything progressive. But the non-voters never try to give them any real control.
What about the ones that vote every single time, and still never get what they wanted?
Edited my comment, so you probably didn’t see. And we are at that point.
Is this the point where I point out that the dems have had all 3 (house, senate, presidency) for 4 years of the last 24 years? They need all 3 to actually pass anything progressive. But the non-voters never try to give them any real control.
Want to include Bill Clinton? Then it’s 6 years of the last 32 years. Want to go further? Then it’s 6 years of the last 44 years. Read that again, 6 years of the last 44 fucking years dems have had control of all 3.
And that can still be filibustered. If you want filibuster proof majority then it’s 4 MONTHS of the last 44 years. Not 4 years, 4 MONTHS out of the least 44 fucking years.
That’s why it’s tried nothing and all out of ideas.
So we’re back to the point where the system is hopelessly broken? Because what you just described is the system. You want to fantasize about non-voters just suddenly deciding to vote blue in overwhelming numbers. I fantasize about genuine, inspiring leaders and policies bringing more participation to the process. They’re both just fantasies though.
What? That’s you.
I’m the one saying that elections are won from the center, from swing voters that you know vote. And that the center vote is worth double. You are the one waxing poetically about the fringes, and the non-voters, and how the fringes are going to come out in droves to replace the double loss of centre voters. I’m the one saying you need twice as many (more than twice actually) to replace the center votes. But you think these droves and hordes of people are going to magically appear. You’re officially making no sense when you try to pin that on me.
Winning elections from the center is reality, not fantasy. It’s literally what happens.
And I’m saying, that it’s a shitty system. You described how this very system has kept the democrats from getting anything done for decades. There are not enough swing voters to give them sustained control over those institutions. You also make an error in assuming that every non-voter you energize would mean losing one swing voter. There are also more than double the non-voters as there are swing voters.