Our problem is that most ordinary voters just don't know what the Republicans are up to...

[MrScorpio]

...And that they don't really care.

Most of those voting for Republicans are just doing so out of habit… And that's in spite of the fact that they don't stand for most of what's in the GOP platform. Hell, too many people aren't even aware that there's going to be a midterm election this year and that every seat in the House and one third of the Senate is up for decision.

How the hell did we get here?

If we can pinpoint the main reason why things are so fucked up, I'd point the finger right there.

[arcane1]

1. Television certainly didn't help. A distraction, with the illusion of being informative.

[FarPoint]

26. Right wing propaganda radio along with Foxx Noise News machine has tremendous power and success.

This is attributed to the uninformed rural/christian listener who is ignorant to the political dynamics. Combined, makes them ripe for supporting misinformation.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. DEM's don't want to be associated w. "class warfare".

Indeed... most of them are so bought off at this point that even if they did try to make the case that GOP is the party of the wealthy.... they can't at this point do so convincingly.

It's pretty much as true of them as it is of the Republicans.

If the above were NOT the case, DEMs could take on the task: *educating* voters about WHY what they're offering is superior to what the GOP is offering.

One party system... The "Money Party"; w. two right wings. ( via Gore Vidal). Alas, it's truer than ever.

[Scuba]

24. +1

[Nictuku]

3. Corporate Owernership of Media

Corporations = People / Money = Free Speech which then makes Huge Profit for Corporate Media (endless circle)

They will do what is necessary to keep the big bucks rolling in.

[rurallib]

9. Media has been a major culprit in dumbing down the electorate

Most people think that there is some kind of a 'truth police' or something that won't allow media to present stories that are not true. Along with that is the air of authority they present their pile of crap with. Add in an electorate that gets little in social studies anymore and you have the ingredients for a really stupid electorate.

Hand it to Lewis Powell and the infamous Powell memo. He said own the media and use it to push their message. They do and they do!

[noiretextatique]

4. i think there are a lot of very hateful people who know exactly what the republicons are up to

and they support them because they hate:

obama
liberals
black people
gays and lesbians
muslims
immigrants
women
atheists

(everyone feel free to add to the list)

and they think sarah palin is a genius.

[Bortman33]

6. It will be extremely difficult

to add anything after your last horrifying line. But I can't help myself:

Teachers
Science
Facts
Critical thinking / thinkers
Social security
Lesbians
Socialists
Children
Medicare
Medicaid
The military
Unions
Rules
Laws
ACA
Environmentalists

[noiretextatique]

7. excellent!

they pretty much hate everyone, and everything.

[rhett o rick]

5. I think our most immediate challenge is to counter the right-wing propaganda.

We need a liberal to buy a network. There are a lot of wealthy people claiming to be liberal so why don't they help us with the most important challenge? We need our own propaganda machine.
Al Gore sold out both literally and figuratively. I guess he needed the cash.

[grasswire]

8. I still think a massive effort at fliers would help correct that.

Will says that he and others did that in the runup to 2003 war, in Boston. Just stood on the corner and passed out information sheets.

They could be left anywhere you go. Doctor's office, city bus, restrooms, train station, coffee shop, whatever.

If the media will not support democracy, the people must step up and do the educating.

[noiretextatique]

11. that's a really great idea

i am totally willing to do that.

[grasswire]

16. someone or some entity could compile clear, clean, simple fact sheets

put them up on a common site where they could be printed out and then copied en masse.

something attractive and clear but compelling

nothing negative politically, just facts that would explain why we are where we are now

[noiretextatique]

20. perhaps we can do that here

it would drive more traffic to DU, and we have some great minds here. i am sure there is something posted here almost every single day that would work. we can also do different flyers for different audiences. i live in oakland, so i would pass out flyers at bart train stations. i'd like to focus on african-americans, particularly in the lower income areas of east and west oakland, and richmond. thousands of people use bart everyday; it is a great place to pass out flyers. i could also pass out flyers at social service offices and county hospitals. no and low income people have the most to lose by not voting, especially in these crazy times with rw sociopaths masquerading as legislators.

[grasswire]

21. food pantries and social service agencies are good places, too

So many people vote against their own self interest. Or don't vote at all.

I would love to see this developed in a small group here, and then made available widely.

I guess the first thing to do would be to identify half a dozen key issues that could be easily explained. Perhaps this is a project for the "activism" forum

[noiretextatique]

22. good idea

i am preparing a complaint for a lawsuit this week, but i have some time tomorrow. i can start a thread...or you can. i think it is a great idea, and i am sure others will agree.

[tech3149]

27. Agreed, we can't disregard the LCD

In many respects we're operating in our own little world and isolated from too many that are hungry for information but don't have the resources or freedom to access that information.
There are more people out there who don't have access to the internet or even a computer. If they are informed at all it is from commercial media that more often dis informs and limits creative thought.
Leafleting is the first step. It puts information not commonly available in the hands of those least likely to be exposed to more detailed examination of important issues.
The next step is to establish a dialog that allows the information to be digested and understood in a way that has personal impact. It could be something as simple as a coffee clatch or spending 10 minutes talking to a neighbor at the post office or bus stop. Those little things can have a huge impact in the way people view the world.

[drray23]

10. it is a combination of many things

Many rw are fearful of facing information that does not validate their beliefs. Consequently they resort to fox news and other rw pundit radio shows.

Another fraction are just single issue voters.

The gop propaganda machine has been very good at conflating patriotism, religion and guns with voting gop.

This was done by encouraging xenophobism, racism, distrust of science and so on.

Finally this may seem elitist but i very rarely met rw people who were above average intelligence. Many are pretty dull and set in their prejudices.

[corkhead]

12. Normal humans have well developed enough brains to be able to feel disillusionment

The Republicon palette of emotions is much smaller. In addition to not being capable of feeling disillusionment, they lack empathy, a sense of humor, and an understanding of irony.

[CaptainTruth]

15. Lack of empathy is an important factor.

I've been saying that for a while, pretty much all conservative/Republican policies are derived from a total lack of empathy. They really don't care about anyone other than themselves. As long as they get theirs, everyone else can die from lack of medical care, starve from the lack of a living wage, be oppressed & denied equal marriage rights, equal voting rights, equal pay etc etc etc.

[yeoman6987]

13. Well in Florida, we have Bundy running for state AG

You know why I know that?????? She is on a commercial every hour at least and it is a tough on crime commercial. I have no idea who her challenger is if they are Republican or Democrat or what the story is with Bundy. I will do some investigating before I vote but I really wish that both candidates made commercials so could be informed. And if I am wondering....most everyone else is too.

[alp227]

18. Pam Bondi, not Bundy.

Watch much Married with Children lately? Our the other Bundy must have taken up so many headlines.

[yeoman6987]

19. Lol

And that is where I see all her commercials. Lol.

[freshwest]

14. M. S. M. I remember when it was different. Now we have few voices, always in danger of being fired.

[cantbeserious]

17. The Oligarchs, Corporations And Banks Own And Control The Politicians That Own And Control Us

Through the auspices of corporate controlled media that propogates half truths daily.

[blkmusclmachine]

23. Who "counts" the votes, and can they be trusted to tell the Truth???

[Gothmog]

25. It is indeed frustrating

Many blue collar workers are voting against their own interests when the vote for GOP congresscritters

[tuhaybey]

28. GDP growth by party

One thing that totally and continually stuns me is that the news media fixates so heavily on what the candidates say, down to the level where they're parsing inflections on individual syllables, but they virtually never report how the candidates' policies actually perform at all. For example, on average, since 1930, we have lost GDP each year in which Republicans have controlled both the legislature and the executive branch. They average -0.8% GDP growth per year. A unified Republican government has never once cracked 5% GDP growth. On the other hand, unified Democratic governments AVERAGE over 5%. That is a shocking difference in what is probably the most central measure of policy success, but I don't think I've ever once even seen that reported in the news... But I have read literally like 100 stories about candidates' pets... How is that more important than the GDP?

GDP growth by party of the federal government