I am so frustrated by voting

FallinAgain · November 2010

At various points, we have had three parties and we currently have an scary upstart party called the TEA Party. It's really difficult for a third party candidate to raise the millions and millions it costs to buy run for office b/c people are reluctant to support a candidate who has almost no chance to win.

wingedbride · November 2010

FallinAgain:
At various points, we have had three parties and we currently have an scary upstart party called the TEA Party. It's really difficult for a third party candidate to raise the millions and millions it costs to buy run for office b/c people are reluctant to support a candidate who has almost no chance to win.

Well we currently have more parties than two, but our government still runs it as a two party system with majority and minority eladers, etc.

_Fenton · November 2010

Here's the problem I see with the Dems; they tend to come from heavily liberal areas, and don't really understand the way the minds of people like those from Fallin's home town work. I feel they don't get that things that are heard and understood by bleeding hearts in San Francisco aren't absorbed the same way in Virginia. What I see them doing instead is reacting to polls and running in circles and being confused. Like, "We did this for YOU! Why don't you appreciate it! I guess you don't know about it, so let me tell you: we passed the healthcare bill for you. Hooray!" And then when that doesn't work, individual candidates again just react to polls. People don't like Obamacare? Well, then you distance yourself from Obamacare. It's all very immediate and reactionary, unlike Republicans who are very focused on message and have gotten the art of emotional soundbites down to a science. Liberals resist that because they pride themselves on not being too simple for soundbites, but they continue to suffer because of this hesitancy.

I was not excited to vote Dem. I voted for a Dem who campaigned by saying she would not be a rubber stamp for Obama. Not that I think someone should be, but it just seems like such blatant pandering and pretending to be something you're not because polling data suggests you should.

I think that as the financial system becomes more and more complicated, it is going to be easier to manipulate people to vote based on economics. It's like campaigning and saying, "Vote for me, my opponent doesn't think e=mc-cubed." (simple equation substituted for something more complicated since I am not a genius myself.) Well if most people don't know that e actually = mc-squared, not cubed, it would be an easily manipulated issue.

SarahBethBR · November 2010

Fallin, AA and youth voter turnout was way lower this year than 2008. The under 30 vote was down 50%. I think that's enough to see a difference between Obama support and Obama fear.

Based on my conversations with family and co-workers, I do think there's a race element here. I could definitely be over-estimating it though. And I do think the dems' weakness hurt them, but it doesn't explain why "So-and-so voted with Pelosi 90% of the time" :cue picture of them shaking hands and sinister music: is an effective campaign strategy.

wendyld · November 2010

oklagirl:
wendyld:
oklagirl:
SarahBethBR:
oklagirl:
and a new US Rep whose only previous experience is running a large Baptist church camp.
Now there's the kind of executive experience we need in this country.
Your Sharia law initiative. Um, yeah.
We had a couple of asinine ones pass, but nothing too terrible. Our state legislature now has to approve any increase in any public retirement system by 2/3 majority, even COLAs. We have 14 statewide public retirement systems, but this even includes stuff like city employees, police, and utility retirement systems, so they don't even know how many there are. Once they actually have to start voting on there it will be such a time suck.
The Sharia law one is the most embarassing. Followed by English only, "Obamacare" opt-out, and ID required to vote.

Some good did come out of this, though. I got in my very first FB political argument and was called both uneducated AND a Muslim. Good times.

Wait, I'm so foffing confused. I read this morning that 744 (contstitutional amendment making us pay $X/kid for education, regardless of budget/revenue with no requirement as to how the money gets spent) and 754 (makes 744 unconstitutioal, this one is un-repeal/amendable) both failed. Did that change?
Those two did fail Wendy, but all the really shitty ones passed.

Those two were pretty shitty too. Who creates a constitutional amendment that says "oh yeah, and you can never ever change this if it passes! So there!"

I cringed at pretty much all of them.

noisy_penguin · November 2010

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/11/the_turtle_cometh.php

The turtle/dem analogy is pretty good.

I wasn't excited to vote democrat either. I'm not super crazy about Jerry Brown, but I was really, really not super crazy about Meg Whitman. I like Barbara Boxer, but I'm scared of Carly Fiorina.

CaliopeSpidrman · November 2010

It's just frustrating because I don't care for the way elections get won these days. All the fear mongering and pandering and generally shiitty tactics win out these days. The Republicans are good at banding together and staying on message (regardless of if the message is true or not), but I don't want to vote for someone who does that, Dem or Repub or Tea Partier or whatever. I think a lot of Democrats don't like when their politicians to resort to the same tactics the Republicans have used, so it creates more disenchanted voters.

I'm just annoyed that the people picked in the primaries were such crap. My choices for Governor were between a Turd Sandwich and a Giant Douche.

Novemberrocks · November 2010

FallinAgain:

I don't think it's a race thing b/c Obama carried that district on 2008.

And we can't fool ourselves. People are pissed at the Democrats. I know I am. I think Pelosi sucks. I think Obama is weak. I think the Democrats can't find a message to save their lives. I mean, were any of you excited to be voting for the Dems yesterday? I voted very grudgingly. I'm sick to death of voting for the Dem b/c, well, at least he's not the Republican.

nest this.

In a weird sort of way, I'm happy with the results of the election. I think shifts like this force the losing party to regroup, remobilize, and figure out what voters really want. That said, I believe the next two years are going to be completely lost for meaningful legislation of any kind. I'll be surprised if any bills pass.

I continue to wish for a moderate Republican - someone who is fiscally conservative but who does not espouse all that family values crap.

FallinAgain · November 2010

_Fenton:

Here's the problem I see with the Dems; they tend to come from heavily liberal areas, and don't really understand the way the minds of people like those from Fallin's home town work. I feel they don't get that things that are heard and understood by bleeding hearts in San Francisco aren't absorbed the same way in Virginia. What I see them doing instead is reacting to polls and running in circles and being confused. Like, "We did this for YOU! Why don't you appreciate it! I guess you don't know about it, so let me tell you: we passed the healthcare bill for you. Hooray!" And then when that doesn't work, individual candidates again just react to polls. People don't like Obamacare? Well, then you distance yourself from Obamacare. It's all very immediate and reactionary, unlike Republicans who are very focused on message and have gotten the art of emotional soundbites down to a science. Liberals resist that because they pride themselves on not being too simple for soundbites, but they continue to suffer because of this hesitancy.

I was not excited to vote Dem. I voted for a Dem who campaigned by saying she would not be a rubber stamp for Obama. Not that I think someone should be, but it just seems like such blatant pandering and pretending to be something you're not because polling data suggests you should.

I think that as the financial system becomes more and more complicated, it is going to be easier to manipulate people to vote based on economics. It's like campaigning and saying, "Vote for me, my opponent doesn't think e=mc-cubed." (simple equation substituted for something more complicated since I am not a genius myself.) Well if most people don't know that e actually = mc-squared, not cubed, it would be an easily manipulated issue.

I so very much agree with all of this. And it really, really disappoints me that Obama, whose strongest skill during the campaign seemed to be his ability to talk, does not seem to understand that his way of presenting ideas and his message is not effectively reaching anybody. Part of that is his personality which tends to lean toward stuffy college professor than hands-on leader and he doesn't seem to get that a 3 minute explanation simply doesn't resound with people the way the emotional soundbite does. I wonder if Joe Biden wouldn't be a better front person on some of these issues. When he's not out of control, Biden is much better at that "I feel you; I GET you, and we're going to help you" mesaage.

FallinAgain · November 2010

SarahBethBR:

Fallin, AA and youth voter turnout was way lower this year than 2008. The under 30 vote was down 50%. I think that's enough to see a difference between Obama support and Obama fear.

Based on my conversations with family and co-workers, I do think there's a race element here. I could definitely be over-estimating it though. And I do think the dems' weakness hurt them, but it doesn't explain why "So-and-so voted with Pelosi 90% of the time" :cue picture of them shaking hands and sinister music: is an effective campaign strategy.

I do think race plays some part. However, I think it is dangerous to pass it off, as the Dems tend to do, as it's a bunch of racist, Bible-thumping, ethic name hating, homophobes. First, where does that get you? If that's the case, Republicans win every election because you aren't going to change those voters.

I think the Dems have to look at why AA and young voter turnout was so down. Those aren't the racist, hate-mongers. Those people voted for this black president with the funny name. People are angry at the Dems and disappointed in this President. Pelosi has been a disaster. She's refused to push through strong legislation. She's said stupid stuff in interviews. I'm embarassed that the first female Speaker turned out this bad.

SarahBethBR · November 2010

FallinAgain:
I do think race plays some part. However, I think it is dangerous to pass it off, as the Dems tend to do, as it's a bunch of racist, Bible-thumping, ethic name hating, homophobes. First, where does that get you? If that's the case, Republicans win every election because you aren't going to change those voters.

I think the Dems have to look at why AA and young voter turnout was so down. Those aren't the racist, hate-mongers. Those people voted for this black president with the funny name. People are angry at the Dems and disappointed in this President. Pelosi has been a disaster. She's refused to push through strong legislation. She's said stupid stuff in interviews. I'm embarassed that the first female Speaker turned out this bad.

No, I totally agree with you. I am very frustrated at the huge drop-off in voter excitement. I understand it, but I'm frustrated with it. We need to get those people excited again and making the DOJ enforce the defense of marriage act isn't going to do it.

Aliza131 · November 2010

What SB, you aren't thrilled we have Vitter again.

I can't believe how much both he and Dardenne won by.

I am so frustrated by voting

Re: I am so frustrated by voting

Choose Another Board

Search Boards