General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This is what happens when progressives stay home on election day and claim both parties are the same [View all]Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)how frustrated I am with the shitty turnout in this country and with the lack of awareness that people have about the differences between the 2 parties. For me, I have a few disagreements with the Democratic Party, but they're good on far more policies than the GOP, and at least they don't hatemonger against historically disadvantaged people just to get votes. The fact that the GOP is trying to do bad things (both rhetoric and policy-wise) to people like me is enough motivation for me to stay active in every election. And this country's turnout is trash, even in presidential elections (less than 60% voted in 2012, and less than 40% voted in 2014). Even Iraq probably has a higher turnout than us. People say that they "need something to vote for", but what about the minimum wage? What about voting rights? Women's rights? A more diplomatic foreign policy? More appointments of the president's federal justice nominees? I could go on about how the 2 parties are like night-and-day and can hardly agree on anything, especially in Congress. Americans take voting for granted when in other parts of the world, it is much tougher.