Unions and the consequences of not voting

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0228-vote-20110225,0,1776244.story

By Charles M. Madigan

6:39 p.m. CST, February 26, 2011

If you do the math, you will note that 42 million people voted in November 2008 but stayed home in November 2010.

Now the consequences are starting to play out. snip

This is a great teaching moment.

If you fail to show up on the field of battle, you can't be surprised when your enemy seizes all the territory and starts dictating terms of surrender. That is what is happening now. People who have been upset at the union movement for decades see their chance. They have the legislative numbers to geld an interest that is at the heart of fundraising and support for the enemy Democrats.

[Ineeda]

1. I can't understand the concept of not voting.

Exactly who is punished or 'taught a lesson'? My folks called such things "cutting off your nose to spite your face." We now see the result.x(

[elocs]

2. I posted about this over and over concerning the situation here in Wisconsin.

800,000 fewer people voted here in Wisconsin in the November 2010 election than did in 2008.

Walker managed to get 90% of the number of votes that were cast for McCain in 2008.

His opponent, Democrat Tom Barrett, received on 60% of the number of votes that Obama got in 2008.

Walker won by fewer than 125,000 votes so if even a quarter of those who voted for Obama had bothered to show up and vote here last November, Walker would have been soundly defeated.

Governments are formed as well as laws and policies as a result of those who to participate in the process. Democrats need to grasp and learn this lesson. Choosing not to vote has consequences, as we have seen. Very negative consequences.

[hedgehog]

5. Those down ticket races are vital, too. Walker would be going nowhere

if he was facing a Democratic legislature.

[elocs]

9. What's the difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin?

8770 votes.

That's the number that Democrat Dayton beat Republican Emmer. So even if Republicans control both houses in Minnesota, Dayton is a check on them. If Barrett had won here in Wisconsin we would have had the same check on the Republicans.

[hedgehog]

3. The question that should be asked every time someone criticizes

Obama is; "What did you do to get out the vote last Fall?"

[TBF]

4. Like it matters - doesn't anyone on this board remember Gore v. Bush and Florida?

One way or another the ruling class wins. Always.

[NNN0LHI]

6. So we might as well stay home then right?

[BeFree]

15. No,

There are two ways to beat the vote rigging.

One, overwhelming number of voters. It is much easier to rig a smaller set of numbers.

Two, make certain that there is a proper audit of the computer vote count. Checking anything less than 50% leaves open the possibility that the vote was rigged.

Now, you do know and agree, Don, that the vote can easily be rigged, right?

[TBF]

17. Absolutely not - our home is in the streets protesting. It is the only

thing that gets their attention. But nice try at propping up the status quo ...

[dkf]

7. I bet those were mostly young people.

I'm not sure in this era of screwed up finances how they could have made out better though. Most of these cuts were probably inevitable.

[bread_and_roses]

8. Well maybe if the Ds gave people a reason to go out and vote -

- they would? Maybe if they spoke out loud and strong for the interests of ordinary people instead of weaseling around with Chamber of Commerce types, maybe if they made the reasons for the economic meltdown clear instead of supporting big banks and Wall st. over jobs people would go out and vote? Maybe if they didn't bash public workers almost as much as the Rs people would go out and vote?

The Ds blew the biggest groundswell of populist enthusiasm I've seen in my lifetime, certainly the biggest since Reagan, but voters were supposed to get all enthusiastic about them again?

Lay the blame where it belongs.

[elocs]

10. You vote because that is your job as a citizen.

Your boss may not care whether you are motivated or disenchanted, but your boss does expect you to show up and do your job no matter how you may feel.

Voting is the same, only more important. You do it regardless of whether you are enthused, motivated, excited, or disenchanted or you live with the consequences of choosing not to vote.

[bread_and_roses]

20. No, is not my "job" - and when the results are the same for voting as for

not voting - ie, increased economic disparity, increased concentration of power, increased blatant advancement of the interests of big $$$ over people, increased war, increased environmental destruction - then, no, there is not much incentive to go out and vote.

And voting is my right, not my job.

[SDuderstadt]

21. Then don't complain about...

the results.

[bread_and_roses]

22. What part of "the results are the same" is hard to grasp?

The same voters who were committed and enthused in '08 were apathetic and disinterested in '10. What changed for them as a result of all their passion in '08? Did the wars stop? Did Wall Street pay for destroying the economy? Did we get a real jobs program? Did health care costs decrease? Did we get more $$ to Main Street for essential needs? Did homeowners get relief? Did wages go up? Did we get labor law reform?

Where anything was done, it was done small and paltry, not enough people were helped, and the power structure remained unaltered. People are not stupid. It is hard to motivate them to perform meaningless acts.

[SDuderstadt]

23. Do you honestly believe a...

GOP President would have nominated Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor or Kagan to the Supreme Court? Please spare me your silly "the result is just the same" overgeneralization.

[elocs]

24. Right here in Wisconsin I have to endure a nutjob like Walker because some dumbasses

couldn't be bothered to vote. I also lost a great senator in Russ Feingold. It is a civic duty to vote and frankly I don't give a flying fuck if you are motivated or not, whether you have incentive or not. So for all the Democrats here in Wisconsin who didn't vote last November they can stick their incentive or lack of it where the sun don't shine because for all the protests and bitching now that is what helped give us Walker and his minions.

Here in Wisconsin the results would not be the same. Democrat Tom Barrett was light years better than college drop-out Walker and Ron Johnson should not be standing on the same continent as Russ Feingold. "The results are the same" is the same bullshit lie that help give us Bush instead of Gore because too many Democrats bought into that kind of crap.

Voting: JUST DO IT! Do it like your job depends on it because for many here in Wisconsin it does. Do it like your healthcare depends upon it because I will likely lose mine because Walker was elected.

Only a fool choses not to vote.

[SDuderstadt]

25. Voting is so important that...

I once fedexed my absentee ballot on a Monday because I could not find the drop-off box on my way to the airport Sunday night.

[Scuba]

12. +++

[annabanana]

11. This deserves a rec or two doncha think? . . .n/t

[NNN0LHI]

13. Someone doesn't want a lot of us to see it

I wonder why that is?

Don

[Fumesucker]

14. Perhaps if a bunch of middle class union members didn't vote Repub.

My son in law for instance, union member and knows damn well he makes far more than he would otherwise in this bright red right-to-work state and has far better protections than his neighbors.

The man told me he "Voted for anyone with an "R" by their name"..

I know a bunch of his co workers too, I can't think of a single one that would vote Democratic for any reason.

[NNN0LHI]

16. Your daughter married an imbecile?

Sorry to hear about that.

Don

[TBF]

18. And you have just summed up the problem with the democrats -

as long as you berate folks and make them feel like you are looking down on them you have absolutely zero chance of getting their cooperation.

[The Magistrate]

19. Unfortunately True, Sir

Without working-class votes, particularly white working-class votes, the Republicans from Nixon on would heve been powerless. People voting their prejudices rather than their self-interests have dug us into this mess.