Low voter turnout, particularly in Washington State, has become the new norm.
Voters are dispirited. For years, elected officials have routinely ignored those they would govern. Voters are apathetic and for good reason.
The result is a mass attitude among the non-politically involved of "why bother?"
Will we see a 40% turnout in this primary? That's likely to be a stretch.
That makes candidate driven Get-Out-The-Vote efforts even more critical.
I believe that candidate-driven GOTV efforts such as their own campaign phone banks and the like easily exceed party-driven efforts as more and more people become increasingly disenchanted with party labels, particularly on the GOP side of the ledger. When candidates break through and make that personal connection? The ripple effect of that can make all the difference.
Who is going to have emotional buy-in for uninspiring puppets like Larry Hoff in the 18th?
Who is going to chomp at the bit to vote for the RINOs like Jeanne Stuart, Julie Olson, Paul Harris or even Brandon Vick?
What have these candidates done FOR us... instead of TO us?
I want those who actually KNOW the issues to vote. I want those who KNOW the positions and records of these candidates to vote... but why vote for a Hoff when you have absolutely no idea what the hell he'll do if he DOES get elected because like so many RINOs, he won't TELL us?
The local GOP provides zero reason to vote. The worthless idiocy and waste of money on an inane slogan... "Be Bold - Vote Republican"... inspires no one and explains nothing. How does that serve as any incentive to get people to vote?
The RINO Chair clique will be voting, en masse, for a non-Republican (Boldt) yet they expect us to vote for their fellow RINOs. No hypocrisy there, eh? They set the example and allow others to ignore party loyalty precisely as much as they ignore it... precisely as much as Boger supported a democrat for mayor of Washougal, for example; precisely as much as 5 of them ignored it to endorse a non-Republican for county chair in 2015 while those still with us refused to endorse the only Republican candidate running for this same position now.
The Republican base already (rightfully) believes it's being ignored... does anyone realistically think they're chomping at the bit to vote for anyone but those few conservatives running that the local party despises and attacks every chance they get?
Our congresswoman ignores us and hates our President, typically voting with the democrats when it matters; our late-starting US Senate candidate backed by the party is far too little, far too late in the Washington State Soviet. She doesn't even know, she claims, if she would vote to impeach him or not. Is it any wonder that she's at risk of losing to a carpetbagging rank amateur?
That's why, locally, voter identification is the critical element for candidate GOTV efforts. Identified supporters called by the candidate or a candidate's family member can have a ripple effect among their supporters. But that won't work at the party level.
If democrats lead in the primary, that will be yet another symptom of exactly how worthless the local party has become under the ignorant and incompetent leadership we must endure for the next few months until reorganization... until the insanity of the past several months can be reversed.
But until then... there is no real voter enthusiasm for these candidates. Voter's opinions are diluted by illegal votes, and below average candidates combined with incumbents who have given their allegiance to special interests at the expense of their constituents.
They GUT any incentive to vote unless you're a hard-corps, politically active individual who understands that the lack of enthusiasm and lower turn out amplifies the value of your vote... and you can climb past the barrier of disgust and worthlessness your effort makes you feel.
Most can't. As a result, most won't bother. Until such time as voters believe their vote makes a difference? Apathy will be the natural result.
And until the obvious causes for this voter apathy are reversed... who... and how... can anyone realistically expect any of it to change?
Voters are dispirited. For years, elected officials have routinely ignored those they would govern. Voters are apathetic and for good reason.
The result is a mass attitude among the non-politically involved of "why bother?"
Will we see a 40% turnout in this primary? That's likely to be a stretch.
That makes candidate driven Get-Out-The-Vote efforts even more critical.
I believe that candidate-driven GOTV efforts such as their own campaign phone banks and the like easily exceed party-driven efforts as more and more people become increasingly disenchanted with party labels, particularly on the GOP side of the ledger. When candidates break through and make that personal connection? The ripple effect of that can make all the difference.
Who is going to have emotional buy-in for uninspiring puppets like Larry Hoff in the 18th?
Who is going to chomp at the bit to vote for the RINOs like Jeanne Stuart, Julie Olson, Paul Harris or even Brandon Vick?
What have these candidates done FOR us... instead of TO us?
I want those who actually KNOW the issues to vote. I want those who KNOW the positions and records of these candidates to vote... but why vote for a Hoff when you have absolutely no idea what the hell he'll do if he DOES get elected because like so many RINOs, he won't TELL us?
The local GOP provides zero reason to vote. The worthless idiocy and waste of money on an inane slogan... "Be Bold - Vote Republican"... inspires no one and explains nothing. How does that serve as any incentive to get people to vote?
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| How did THIS stupidity work out for us? |
The Republican base already (rightfully) believes it's being ignored... does anyone realistically think they're chomping at the bit to vote for anyone but those few conservatives running that the local party despises and attacks every chance they get?
Our congresswoman ignores us and hates our President, typically voting with the democrats when it matters; our late-starting US Senate candidate backed by the party is far too little, far too late in the Washington State Soviet. She doesn't even know, she claims, if she would vote to impeach him or not. Is it any wonder that she's at risk of losing to a carpetbagging rank amateur?
That's why, locally, voter identification is the critical element for candidate GOTV efforts. Identified supporters called by the candidate or a candidate's family member can have a ripple effect among their supporters. But that won't work at the party level.
If democrats lead in the primary, that will be yet another symptom of exactly how worthless the local party has become under the ignorant and incompetent leadership we must endure for the next few months until reorganization... until the insanity of the past several months can be reversed.
But until then... there is no real voter enthusiasm for these candidates. Voter's opinions are diluted by illegal votes, and below average candidates combined with incumbents who have given their allegiance to special interests at the expense of their constituents.
They GUT any incentive to vote unless you're a hard-corps, politically active individual who understands that the lack of enthusiasm and lower turn out amplifies the value of your vote... and you can climb past the barrier of disgust and worthlessness your effort makes you feel.
Most can't. As a result, most won't bother. Until such time as voters believe their vote makes a difference? Apathy will be the natural result.
And until the obvious causes for this voter apathy are reversed... who... and how... can anyone realistically expect any of it to change?
2 comments:
Politics as usual is dying. Politicians are killing it.
Disgust, not apathy, among voters is a reasonable reaction.
And I would rather elect rank amateurs like Trump than posing Kabuki dancers who don't dare speak plainly and are afraid to tell the truth about this mess.
-Bob Larimer
Precisely. And a sad commentary it is.
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