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[–] 27 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (25 children)

I did vote so this isn't my personal opinion. I've been told many times it's "voting for the lesser of two evils, they're both evil and I don't agree with either." There's no real sense of choice. I can see it. It very much feels like that South Park episode where they have to vote for the school mascot. Do you want it to be a Giant Douche or, a Turd Sandwich? And then at the end it was all for nothing because they don't change their mascot so it was all pointless.

Edit: you guys can call me stupid all you want. It doesn't change the fact that I've heard this from coworkers and family repeatedly. I did vote. In fact, I've already voted in my primaries. The question was "why don't people vote?" I gave the answer of why I personally have been told by people they don't vote. Not liking my answer doesn't change the reality of it. I work in blue collar work. It's a very common view in my area. Or, they are pro Trump.

My personal opinion on why they don't vote or, don't vote in favor of things they support, they generally don't want to take the time to educate themselves. And for others, they don't want to feel responsible for voting when their candidate turns out to be nothing like they promised.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

    There's a very good reason for the sentiment and why people feel such a sense of dejection and apathy. Then it gets met with smug ripostes like the "bOtH sIdEs" spongetext shit or plain mockery as if it's something that just appeared out of nowhere.

    It's just typical Democrat arrogance assuming that they are entitled to peoples votes without having to offer any material change, it also ties into why progressive and leftist candidates have to struggle to break through because they're fighting their own party first and foremost before they even get to fighting Republicans.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

    Yeah, I can honestly empathize with the people who believe this. Everything feels exhausting, overwhelming, and like nothing will ever change. Unfortunately for the people of that opinion though, NOT voting will ensure nothing changes. Or rather, that you had no hand in changing anything. Because everything will change eventually for good or bad.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    Not even that is true. Women fought for the right to vote without voting and they won. Black people fought for the right to vote without voting and they won. Voting doesn't change anything, it turns out. What changes things is when politicians writ large stand to lose something bigger than their seat, like control over society.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 weeks ago* (1 child)

    Hello three day old account trying to dissuade voter turnout! If progressives and leftists voted in primaries we'd have a progressive leftist Democratic party, but progressives and leftists don't vote for the most part. But you know that since you're not here in good faith anyway. The phrase "typical democrat arrogance" gives you away, gotta stop using your fox news terms MAGAt.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 weeks ago

    Hello three day old account

    I've been on Lemmy for longer than your account has existed, account age doesn't mean anything.

    trying to dissuade voter turnout

    No I'm not. You're just reading what you want to read.

    If progressives and leftists voted in primaries we'd have a progressive leftist Democratic party, but progressives and leftists don't vote for the most part.

    Complete nonsense.

    But you know that since you're not here in good faith anyway.

    That's rich coming from you with this complete stinker of a comment.

    The phrase "typical democrat arrogance" gives you away, gotta stop using your fox news terms MAGAt.

    lol pure desperation.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

    Hey heads up the “both sides” argument makes anyone who says it sound fantastically silly and at worse stupid.

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  • [–] 20 points 2 weeks ago

    The question was "why don't they vote like it?" I answered the question from what I've been told by multiple coworkers and family. I didn't say, "this is my opinion." In fact, I said this is not my opinion and I did vote. Just because you don't like the answer, doesn't mean a lot of people don't believe that. I think it's a terrible argument personally however, the question didn't ask my opinion, it was asking why those people don't vote like it. I simply shared what has been told directly to me by the people who refuse to vote.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

    I strongly disagree. I certainly understand why this idea has risen to the forefront, but I find this mentality to be far more obtuse than attempting to flesh out the nuance of a situation. Assessing both sides of an argument is of utmost importance. Qualifying the pursuit of more accurate information as "stupid" is peak irony.

    I know, the internet is full of bots and rabble rousers. No doubt they are directed at divisive issues and engage in "both sides" messaging to cast doubt on popular sentiment and advance some propaganda. This is annoying and a real problem, but the wholesale rejection of valid observation or analysis, with reactive, myopic aphorisms is precisely the type of response that allows propaganda to continue its insidious spread.

    An evident tactic of propagandists is to flood the zone with emotional binaries. It seeds chaos, disrupts chain of thought, and invokes group selection posturing. I believe the "smart/dumb" binary to be one of the most powerful, and engaging with it, even if one thinks they are on the right "side", disrupts and obfuscates the pursuit of truth.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    Most people that say both side AND still vote, almost never vote in primaries. Many don't even know what they are.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 weeks ago

    Do Democrats run fair primaries?

    Do they purposely fund the FASCIST'S campaigns against progressives and leftists in order to scare people into the "more electable candidate to help our slim margin"?

    All the DNC bots and shills come out and scream "if you vote for what you want, it's a vote for TRUMP"

    Do they sabotage primaries when actual leftists are on the ballot? what happened with Bernie again? TWICE?

    When Kamala was put in as the candidate, did we get primaries? (I will give you hers was a bit of weird situation)

    Biden basically skipped a primary for his runs against Trump.

    Republicans skipped their primary for Trump.

    We have a duopoly

    Are you SURE that we get fair primaries?

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  • [–] 2 points 2 weeks ago

    That's a valid point too. Most of the people who have given me "both parties suck" as a reason for not voting are not exactly the type of people who care to educate themselves on politics. I used to try to teach them but, I quickly learned they don't want to know. They just want to complain and do nothing unfortunately.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

    No, it makes them sound informed. Saying that "The one party who keeps openly destroying the environment is sooooo much better than the other party who keeps openly destroying the environment" is what makes anyone who says it sound fantastically silly and at worse stupid.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (3 children)

    I too have heard that argument but unfortunately those are usually the people who won't see reason. I rarely try to argue with them unless they express some type of will to learn or seem like they're questioning their beliefs. Some people just like to complain and refuse to help themselves, sad but true.

    The real solution would be having more than 2 parties. I mean, TECHNICALLY we do but not really.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    The real solution would be having more than 2 parties. I mean, TECHNICALLY we do but not really.

    You are going to have to fundamentally change the way we vote and how we count them. In a single-choice-vote, plurality system it will mathematically trend toward having exactly two viable choices, no matter how many are allowed on the ballot.

    Mixed-member proportional would probably work well for the House and Senate, and some judicial/executive positions. Where that's not tenable (President, Governor, etc.) a Condorcet Method should be employed.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 weeks ago

    I believe the system is fundamentally broken but I still participate because you can't fix it by doing nothing. But yes, my coworkers are not people who's opinions will be changed by fact and reason. They're also the same people who say, "facts don't care about your feelings." Imagine that. But then they get all bent out of shape about how "no one is doing anything about this!" but then refuse to vote. My guy, you're not doing anything either!

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  • [–] -5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    That’s so defeatist. It makes you feel like you’re smart by saying that and thinking you’re privy to something but it’s just totally passive and does nothing. If all the people who said that actually organized and made a plan, there would be a sizable number of people who could actually make a difference.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    Did you even read what I wrote? This is not my opinion, this is what I have been told. I don't think this is correct and that these people are honestly just being lazy and don't want to take responsibility for their vote.

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