Et Al a Blog: Missing voters
If we, Democrats/Progressives, want to take back Congress in 2018, we need to understand why we lost the elections in 2014 and 2016. And, of course, find the votes to do so.
In this blog, I want to address the latter issue, to wit: “Where are the votes going to come from?”
The most obvious place to look is in that group of potential voters who did not vote at all! In 2016, there were more eligible voters who didn’t vote, than those who voted for any one candidate! Think about that! And with the result hanging literally hanging by less than one tenth of a percent (0.08%), the fact that fully 40% of the electorate didn’t vote at all, can give you a clue here.
Want another interesting factoid? While exactly 60% of voters overall voted, the average of States that voted for Hillary was almost 64%, while the average of Trump States was only 59%. To be fair, the turnout in the infamous “swing” States Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida which went to Trump was also near 64%, which means the traditional “Red” State turnout was even lower! Why? That is obviously the question.
I have theories, of course, but they are unencumbered by any quantitative analysis, which is to say, “facts”: 1. Why vote if, under the Electoral College and Winner take All system is such that where you live the result is a foregone conclusion? Blue State, Red State et al. 2. It’s a pain in the butt to vote most places. 3. Voter ID, gerrymandering and other voter suppression activities, not unrelated to the “pain in the butt” thing. 4. And, of course, apathy
I am not optimistic we can do much about Item One until the Republicans decide they aren’t benefiting from the current inequitable system. We were actually very close to that in 2004 when Dubya won the popular vote (with all the illegal votes, of course) by the same margin as Hillary but only carried the Electoral college by almost the same slender margin that Trump won by (less than 0.1% of the vote).
Had that actually happened, coming on the heels of the 2000 debacle, it certainly would have resulted in changes to the system. A Trumpian on FB claimed the Electoral College was protection against “tyranny of the Majority”. I tried to point out that was what the Constitution and the Senate were supposed to do, but it fell on deaf ears or blind eyes. After all, this is the only reason Trump is now President.
Likewise for Items 2 and 3, although we may need the help of a principled Supreme Court to fight these abuses.
Which leaves…… apathy. THAT, my friends, is something we can do something about: There is no State, Red, Blue or Purple that cannot be chromatically adjusted by giving that group something to vote FOR, despite the voter suppression and roadblocks being thrown up.
Get Voter ID’s, provide transportation, talk to people about voting, get the message out with signs and bumper stickers, talk to each other, go door to door.
We can do this.
We HAVE to do this, to save what is left of our democracy after Trump and the autocratic, greed based Republicans have wreaked their damage.