Voter apathy is indeed the primary reason for this BS.

@MizJ As I've often said, voter apathy is the greatest threat to a democracy.

I don't understand how people could miss the opportunity to vote.

I think it's a priceless gift to be an American. I never want to take being a citizen of the USA for granted.

If more people experienced first hand and/or observed what oppression really looks like, how it affects citizens, how easily rights can be stripped away; they would vote en mass and fight like hell to keep their right to vote sacred.

@Katsarecool Too many people simply do not care. As unbelievable as that is, it's the truth.
For some, they simply have no concept of anything beyond their own lives.
The "greater good", and "big picture", have no meaning for them.

@KKGator sadly, I agree.

@MizJ America has one of the lowest voter turnouts of just about any other country out there.

Forcing any woman to stay pregnant is pure theocratic crime

Corrupt Democrats have no spine to raise up living wages so corrupt Rethuglicans will win 2020 if people NOW do not vote @Howiehawkins20 Green Party Green NEW DEAL of 2011
....peace through green jobs is the only solution

I saw tRump on TV saying the same thing - that a baby is born and the parents talk to the doctor and decide if they - then - want to "execute" it. I don't know how this stupidity ever got inserted into a debate about abortions. And what bothers me the most - is that no one stood up to him on this - no one publicly called him out on how he was using his position as president to present information to the public that was totally and completely wrong. ?????

..and let them replace Alligator Ginsburg…? Break treaties and start wars from the White House. Not me ~

And my four cats are the coolest!

@Katsarecool That I believe !!!

Sadly true!

Probably because they're the ones at work.

@CommonHuman Hmm. Are there any states that do not have early voting by now? Even GA has it, and it's a fairly backward state.

@CommonHuman It would appear that 11 states don't have it yet. Surprising that some of those are in the northeast.
[ncsl.org]

Actually Clinton had almost 3,000,000 more votes than trump.

It was the crooked electoral college that screwed things up. These people are not elected officials. They are appointed thru chronisyn, hand selected by mostly Republican states, this is especially true in so called red states.

Several states are removing restrictions on electoral college, allowing them to vote independent of who had the most votes.

As it is now, if a candidate carries a state then the all the EC votes must go to thst candidate.

I'll be thrilled when this antiquated system is abolished.

@Katsarecool Yup, she almost won… And it should have never have been near as close. I might call it a perfect storm, just enough of the wrong shit at the right time.. And yes, the nation and world should never forget - had it been a strictly democratic election - Hillary would have won.

Complacency, purist attitudes, anti-establishment quirks, bernie dreams and Hillary hate did her in. As I admire her greatly, always have ~

Having experienced the result of the 2018 elections I could not disagree more.

Politicians describe legislation they’ll introduce or support. The ignorant majority would and could not understand a more in-depth description than, “If elected I’m going to….” A politician honest enough to give the odds of ‘their bill’ passing wouldn’t get out the gate..

@Varn As was once said, " The main attribute needed to be a successful Politician is having the ability to lie with a very straight face and look as though you are being 100% truthful whilst doing so."

@Triphid Maybe you haven’t personally known many, or any. Or maybe they didn’t trust you.. I’ve met and known plenty of politicians; those I worked with and for were honest, solid citizens. It’s not the politicians, it’s the fuckin idiots who don’t do their homework - and either vote for the worst, or listen to other fuckin idiots and don’t bother to vote at all.

I wish our batch of local know-it-all’s would put their knowledge to the test - and get their asses signed up for the next Primary Election - either side! If ‘politicians’ are simply liars - shouldn’t righteous ‘truth tellers’ be a shoe in

@Varn In case it may have slipped from your attention, I live in Australia where I was born, raised and have spent my working life. I've met and worked around innumerable politicians in my time and 99% of them I wouldn't trust with a bucket filled with broken eggshells.
Btw, here in Australia it IS compulsory to vote in Elections once you have attained the age of 18 years or gained Citizenship as an Immigrant.

@Triphid Good for Australia. But I’m tuned into the USA, and the last thing we need are fewer citizens voting… Must be something ugly in the water down there, though ...causing all your politicians to become untrustworthy?

We’ve a dirty party that’s promoted voter apathy for years, and they win! But what I’m sadly more aware of are those, in order to stand back and claim ‘they had nothing to do with it,’ or, use it as an excuse not to do their homework, are too quick to label them all ‘corrupt.’

It’s never that difficult for me to find a good one, the difficult thing is not supporting them once I do

@Varn There's nothing wrong with the water down, mostly, I think its just the influence ( money /bribes, etc,,) that flow in to the political arena from BIG Overseas Corporations, like American ones for example, that are the major problem.

@Triphid Money talks… So apparently, ‘our systems’ are messed up.. Allowing some/ the money grubbing conscienceless ‘politicians,’ through social manipulation from ‘think tanks,’ extremist media, unlimited ‘donations’ from unscrupulous industrialists, and well organized radical political parties..?

There often appear to be fixes, such as banning non-nation contributions, or in our case, reinstating The Fairness Doctrine, a rule giving equal time to ‘each side’ in reporting.. Or ending unlimited campaign funding by corporations ..another rule we once had...

But - I can understand ‘over here’ (USA) how ‘all of the people can be fooled some of the time.’ And our segment of religious fanatics and terminally ignorant who can apparently be fooled ‘all of the time’... But you’re describing living within a nation were ‘all of the people are fooled all of the time?’ ...didn’t think that was possible

@Varn Well, not everyone is fooled all of the time, some of us are a whole lot older and far more wiser than the rest since we've been 'around the block' many more times than they have and our eyes are always open.

I agree

If ‘the system was rigged,’ there wouldn’t be ..how many Democratic Primary candidates running for the presidency..? If ‘the system was rigged,’ why did all those Republicans run for the presidency last time..? Ask Jeb Bush if the system’s rigged.

The system’s fucked up, but it’s from a series of ‘conservative’ supreme court decisions and regulation dumps by the Republican Party.

The DNC last backed it’s only viable, electable candidate, HRC. Not only was it, her turn, and that she’d been the most qualified and experienced presidential candidate in US history ..and had prettymuch kept the DNC funded and operational ...she was the only Democrat left. Bernard Sanders was not - and is not a Democrat … he’s an opportunist spoiler ..like many before him.

We’re fucked, for sure.. But attempting to convince folks there’s no hope is ..what, fatalistic..? Don’t give false hope, but don’t discourage our only chance to claw back a working democracy ..capable & willing to support social progress. Motivete, vote - then do it again!

@Varn it’s not a democracy - it’s a republic with capitalism as its foundation.

@CalvinJoe Sure, a democratic republic. Begun with capitalism, slavery, gendered land ownership voting rights and restrictions. But most importantly, the ability to evolve, into a more perfect union, we hope ~